ANCSLEEP BLOG

If you’ve noticed that your partner has been struggling with sleep, it’s natural to be concerned. Sleep issues can significantly impact overall health, well-being, and quality of life. One effective way to address these concerns is through a sleep test, which can diagnose underlying sleep disorders and lead to effective treatment. However, persuading a partner to undergo a sleep test can be challenging. Here are some practical tips to help you approach the conversation and encourage your partner to prioritize their sleep health.

Snoring is a common nighttime symphony that can range from a gentle hum to a thunderous roar. While occasional snoring is often harmless, persistent snoring can be indicative of underlying issues, with two common culprits being sleep apnea and allergies. In this blog post, we'll unravel the differences between snoring caused by sleep apnea and snoring triggered by allergies, helping you decode the nighttime sounds and understand when it might be more than just a harmless melody.

Although this may sound crazy, sleep apnea can occur in dogs. We normally focus on human sleep experiences, but so many people are intimately connected with their dogs, that they may be curious if their dogs have sleep disorders as well.

Individuals who have breeds like English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, chihuahuas, pugs, and cavalier King Charles spaniels are all dogs that have a higher rate of sleep apnea than others. Symptoms of sleep apnea in dogs appear similar to those experienced by humans with sleep apnea. However there is no formal classification system for sleep apnea as there is with adults.

Learning the signs of sleep apnea and dogs can help you recognize the signs to see if you should alert your veterinarian to help make any changes to your dog's sleep pattern.

Snoring may be a regular night time activity for you, and you may be at the point where you're wondering how to make it stop. If this is you, then you are not alone. Of adults between the ages of 30 and 60 years old, 44% of men and 28% of women snore. Over the age of 60, about half of all people snore regularly.

Snoring is the sound that happens when air passes through your airway when it's partially blocked. Tissues that are at the top of your airway, like you're arytenoids, can touch each other, vibrate, causing snoring.

Pretty much all adults snore occasionally. For most people, snoring is not really that embarrassing or problematic. However, for others, snoring can indicate a serious underlying health issue like obstructive sleep apnea. Different people snore for different reasons, but at the end of the day, each individual would probably rather learn how to stop snoring. Continue reading to learn what are some things that you may be able to do to help you stop snoring.

Pregnancy can drastically change the body. There are many new conditions that can appear when someone does become pregnant. These include conditions such as indigestion, heartburn, to extreme fatigue and trouble sleeping. For some, about 14% to 53%, pregnancy can also come with snoring. This snoring can become more frequent as the pregnancy progresses and the woman becomes bigger. You may be wondering why snoring increases over pregnancy and when snoring may actually be indicative of an underlying issue. Continue reading to learn some of the answers to these questions about snoring, like what causes snoring and when to be concerned.

Nothing can disrupt your sleep like loud snoring. The worst is when the snoring isn't even coming from you! If you have a partner who snores very loudly, this can be a source of conflict for both you. They feel like you're nagging them and you feel like you can't get any sleep because of the one man band you sleep next to.

It's normal to feel frustrated by a snoring partner. Getting low-quality sleep that is often interrupted by your partner's loud noises can cause a lot of irritation, mostly due to the fact that you are sleep-deprived. Regardless how long you think you slept, having low quality sleep due to a snoring partner is the same as getting a couple hours of quality sleep - it's just not enough. But, before you spazz on your partner or get ready to call it quits, here is a little more context on your partner's snoring and what they can do about it.  

The Socially Unacceptable Snoring Threshold

What’s the difference between “normal snoring” and SUS (socially unacceptable snoring)? Nearly everyone snores from time to time. Many of us snore with regularity, also called chronic snoring. Snoring and chronic snoring are generally not harmful.

But, they can be a sign of a deeper problem. This is when they are termed "problematic snoring". Problematic snoring can include the following characteristics:

• Your snoring keeps your bed partner or roommate up
• Your bed partner has to wear ear plugs to sleep
• Your snoring is the basis for many family jokes
• You snore most (or all) nights

Socially unacceptable snoring really comes down to this: it’s very disruptive for anyone near you to sleep. Beyond being disruptive, it can be a sign that there are underlying and concerning medical conditions causing the snoring – mainly, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), of which SUS is a primary symptom.

If your snoring is a problem, it’s definitely worth trying to identify if there are underlying problems.

When Snoring is a Personal Problem, Not Just a Nuisance

Is your or your partner’s snoring the primer for family jokes? Does your loud snoring come with an “earplugs required” caveat for your partner? Is your snoring the rule, not the exception?

Chronic, loud snoring may be a bigger personal problem than just a nuisance for other people who have to listen to your nightly nasally noises. In other words, while their sleep might be disrupted, your snoring might be caused by a medical condition called sleep apnea, which can have significant health consequences. Or, maybe you are just a loud, chronic snorer.

Knowing the difference and telltale signs between loud snoring and sleep apnea is important, as identifying the potential problem underlying your chronic snoring is the first step to getting healthy again.

When Snoring Becomes a Problem

Does your partner wear earplugs to block out your nightly snoring? Is your snoring the rule, not the exception? Does your family often make jokes about you and your snoring? 

Snoring is one of the most well-known symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The reason why so many sleep apnea sufferers snore is due to the tissues in the back of the throat relaxing and blocking the airway. When the airway becomes blocked, a vibration occurs and creates a sound known as snoring. Snoring can be influenced by a person's anatomy, weight, and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption.

However, with as many as 90 million Americans suffering from snoring, it may not always be a sign that an individual has OSA. To know whether or not you or your partner have obstructive sleep apnea, you must be aware of the other symptoms that happen with snoring and necessitates a diagnosis of sleep apnea.