What is snoring?

Snoring and sleepiness affect over a third of the population, often causing significant health problems and reducing quality of life.

Snoring can greatly disrupt the quality of sleep, resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness. Snoring can also disturb the sleep of those nearby, leading to great frustration and placing a strain on relationships.

Snoring has been identified as a risk factor for hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease and stroke and can by a symptom of more serious medical conditions.

Normal Breathing

When you breathe normally, air passes through the nose/mouth and past the flexible structures at the back of the throat such as the soft palate, uvula and tongue. While you are awake, muscles hold your airway open. When you fall asleep, these muscles relax but, normally, the airway stays open.

Snoring

Snoring is the sound of obstructed breathing during sleep - the soft tissues at the back of the throat vibrate as the muscles are relaxed and the airway becomes blocked.

While snoring can be harmless from the point of view of your health, it can indeed be the sign of a more serious medical condition which progresses from upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

Can snoring be treated?

The good news is that snoring can be easily and effectively treated with dental sleep appliances. In fact, studies show that nearly 100% of snorers who wear a custom-made dental sleep appliance show significant improvement in snoring.