Snoring is common, but it is not always harmless. While occasional, quiet snoring rarely causes concern, loud or chronic snoring can signal a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea. Untreated snoring can also disrupt your partner’s sleep, strain relationships, and lower your quality of life. Effective, comfortable treatments are available.
Excess weight, especially around the neck
Not all snoring means sleep apnea. But certain patterns should be taken seriously.
Pauses in breathing during sleep (usually noticed by a partner), choking or gasping or snorting sounds, excessive daytime sleepiness despite enough hours in bed, morning headaches, trouble concentrating, or waking with a dry mouth or sore throat. If any of these are present, a sleep study can determine whether obstructive sleep apnea is the cause.
People joke about snoring, but the effects on daily life can be real.
Health risks. Chronic snoring, especially when linked to sleep apnea, raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Snoring with breathing pauses deprives your body of oxygen all night.
Relationship strain. Loud snoring is a major source of sleep disruption for partners. It is common for couples to end up in separate rooms.
Daytime fatigue. Even without full apnea episodes, the airway resistance can reduce sleep quality and leave you tired.
Safety. Drowsy driving from poor sleep puts you and others at risk on the road.
Holds the lower jaw slightly forward to open the airway. Most patients and their partners notice a clear improvement.
Side-sleeping instead of back-sleeping, weight loss if relevant, avoiding alcohol and sedatives before bed, treating nasal congestion, and a regular sleep schedule.
If a sleep study shows apnea is causing your snoring, your plan addresses both. Treating the underlying apnea resolves the snoring too.
Practical answers from our board-certified specialists. These questions come directly from patients we see at the clinic.
Snoring itself is not always dangerous, but it can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which is a serious medical condition. Even without sleep apnea, chronic loud snoring can disrupt sleep quality and affect your health over time. If your snoring is loud, frequent, or accompanied by gasping or daytime tiredness, you should be evaluated.
Yes. Custom oral appliances are very effective at reducing or eliminating snoring. The appliance holds your lower jaw slightly forward, which opens the airway and prevents the vibration that causes snoring. Most patients and their partners notice a significant improvement.
A sleep study is the only way to tell for certain. Signs that snoring may be related to sleep apnea include pauses in breathing, choking or gasping during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and morning headaches. Our practice can help arrange a sleep study if needed.
Weight loss can reduce snoring for people whose snoring is related to excess weight around the neck and throat. However, snoring has many causes, and thin people can snore too. An evaluation can help determine what is contributing to your snoring and the best treatment approach.
Board-Certified Orofacial Pain Specialist · Diplomate, American Board of Orofacial Pain · Assistant Professor, UCLA
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