What Is Snoring and How Does It Relate to Sleep Apnea?
Snoring happens when airflow through the mouth and nose is partially blocked during sleep, causing the soft tissues of the throat to vibrate. A deviated septum or nasal congestion can contribute to snoring. While not all snoring indicates sleep apnea, it’s often the most noticeable symptom.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, preventing your body from getting enough oxygen. Each time breathing stops, your brain briefly wakes you to resume breathing, which disrupts sleep quality. It also involves breathing interruptions that can lead to serious health problems, like high blood pressure.
Types of Sleep Apnea and Their Connection to Snoring
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common type and most strongly associated with loud snoring. The type of sleep apnea affects which symptoms you experience:
OSA
The throat muscles relax too much during sleep, causing the airway to collapse and block breathing repeatedly throughout the night, typically accompanied by loud snoring.
Central Sleep Apnea
The brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing, resulting in breathing pauses without physical airway blockage or significant snoring.
Complex Sleep Apnea
A combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea, typically identified during a sleep study.
After an OSA diagnosis, a sleep apnea dentist can create a custom oral appliance that keeps your airway open without the need for a CPAP machine.
Side Effects and Links to Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea
OSA is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep, which can prevent the body from getting enough oxygen, which impacts our heart, brain, and many other areas of our body.
Common Risk Factors for Untreated Sleep Apnea.
Snoring is the sound made when airflow is partially or totally blocked while sleeping, causing tissues in the throat to vibrate. Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of OSA. Others include:
A sleep apnea mouth guard works by gently repositioning your lower jaw forward during sleep, which prevents your tongue and soft tissues from blocking your airway.
Daytime Sleepiness
Waking Up Gasping or Choking
Morning Headaches
Trouble Focusing During The Day
Unusual Moodiness or Irritability
Frequently Waking Up to Urinate at Night
Diagnosis and Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea
If you suspect sleep apnea, a sleep study can measure how many times per hour your breathing stops or slows. A home sleep test is the most common screening method. Treatment depends on severity.
OSA treatment options include CPAP therapy (a mask that delivers pressurized air) or oral appliance therapy (a custom mouthguard that repositions your jaw). Lifestyle changes like weight loss and avoiding alcohol before bed can also help reduce symptoms.
Know Your Score to Stop the Snore!
The score will tell you how many times your breathing stopped or was obstructed per hour and provide some key insights into oxygen levels and heart rate.
Intro to Sleep Apnea 101
Common Terms:
Get familiar with the terms related to sleep apnea testing.
Apnea:
Your breathing is completely stopped for 10 seconds or longer.
Hypopnea:
Your breathing is only partially impaired but reduced oxygen levels.
AHI: Apnea-Hypopnea Index: (Your Score!)
A measurement of how many times a person’s breathing slows or stops during sleep per hour.
What Is Your Score?
Your AHI measurement can tell us how severe your OSA is. The higher the measurement, the more impact on your health.
Mild:
Your AHI is between 5 and 15. This means you stop breathing 5-15 times per hour.
Moderate:
Your AHI is between 15 and 30. This means you stop breathing 15-30 times per hour.
Severe:
Your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour).
How Do I Know if I Have OSA?
A simple sleep screening test can be done in the comfort of your own home that will help determine if you have sleep apnea. This test will provide a score to determine how severe and what treatment options are available for you. Fill out the simple screening questionnaire and an Alterna Sleep representative will guide you through the process.
Don’t Let the Alarm Bells Continue to Sound, Get Screened Today! Ask An OAT Expert!
Why Choose Alterna Sleep for Sleep Apnea Treatment
Alterna Sleep specializes in oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea across Ohio. Our AADSM-trained providers use custom digital impressions to create devices that fit comfortably and work effectively. We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicare.
With locations in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, you get local, in-person care with professional follow-up, not a DIY kit shipped to your door. If you’ve struggled with CPAP or want to explore oral appliance therapy as an alternative, we’ll work with your physician to determine if you’re a candidate.
Call (513) 401-9012 to schedule a consultation and find out if oral appliance therapy is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always, but snoring can be a warning sign of sleep apnea, especially if it comes with gasping for air, daytime fatigue, morning headaches, or trouble concentrating. Sleep apnea involves repeated breathing pauses during sleep, which a partner might notice throughout the night.
Common symptoms include loud snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep, waking up gasping or choking, and morning headaches. Many people also experience excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes.
A sleep study measures how often your breathing stops or becomes shallow during sleep. Most people start with a home sleep test that tracks breathing, oxygen levels, and heart rate overnight.