Search:

Home | Healthy Lifestyle | Sleep


Important Snoring Facts

By: Myron Huett

If your sleeping partner's incessant snoring constantly quashes your dreams of silent nights, there are a few things you need to know.

First and foremost, we all snore from time to time. People of all ages, everywhere in the world, make a lot of nighttime noise. The United States alone has an estimated 40 million heavy-duty snorers, the United Kingdom has about 15 million, and there are over 15 million people snoring every night in Germany. Every one of these people tally up to about a billion people who snore due to blocked nasal airways.

Research has provided clear insight into the many problems of snoring. An estimated twenty percent of men in their early thirties snore, compared to nearly five percent of women in the same age bracket. By the time they reach their sixties, these numbers climb significantly, to sixty percent of men and forty percent of women.

Researchers believe that more men snore, simply because men tend to have larger necks. If a man has a neck size of at least seventeen inches, he is almost guaranteed to snore. More men than women are overweight, increasing the likelihood of snoring even more. It's interesting that about eighty percent of snoring men don't consider the condition to be problematic. Rather, they accuse their partners of sleeping too lightly.

A woman who snores is generally heavier and shorter than her quieter, non-snoring female counterparts. Women are less likely to snore because they have smaller necks and uvula and larger air passages, and women usually only snore through the nose. Men, on the other hand, snore through their mouths and noses. When a woman realizes that she snores, she will be more likely to seek treatment.

Young children who snore often do so because of tonsil or adenoid problems. Studies show that as many as six percent of young children snore.

There are some healthcare professionals who believe that the medical arena does not take snoring, along with its causes and outcomes, seriously enough. It's unlikely for a doctor to ask about sleeping habits during a routine physical. Studies also suggest that while seventy percent of people who snore will mention it to their doctors, only ten percent actually proceed with treatment methods. Dentists are able to design and fit mouth appliances to prevent snoring, but most do not ask patients about their sleeping difficulties.

Medical professionals and the general public need more education on snoring and related sleep disorders. For example, sleep apnea is a medical condition that can cause potentially dangerous health problems. This affliction is not only hazardous to person suffering from it, but also those around them.

Recent research indicates that more motor vehicle accidents are caused by people with sleep disorders than drunk drivers. These sobering studies also showed that seventy four percent of people with sleep apnea have had at least one car accident.

More than eighty percent of snorers are not even aware that they're snoring, unless the problem is pointed out to them. They blissfully sleep, while others struggle to rest against the ongoing racket. If someone in your home snores, or tells you that you've been snoring, it's worth mentioning to your doctor. Remember, snoring can be the first indicator of sleep disorders.

Article Source: http://www.health-fitness-for-all.com

Contributor Myron Huett is a freelancer for numerous Internet sites, on healthy family and healthy habit subjects.

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Sleep Articles Via RSS!

Powered by Article Dashboard