Sleep Apnea And Snoring

Although almost every sleep apnea sufferer is a snorer, not all snorers have sleep apnea.

While many people believe that sleep apnea is simply another form of snoring, this is not true. Sleep apnea sufferers do snore - usually very loudly! And both sleep apnea and snoring interfere with the quality and amount of sleep, both for the sufferer and for their partners. Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, but snoring is not proof of a serious breathing obstruction warranting the apnea diagnosis.

Sleep apnea is a much more serious sleep disorder. "Snoring" is simply the sound a person makes while sleeping. "Sleep apnea" is an actual obstruction of breath during sleep. An individual suffering from sleep apnea will stop breathing entirely for short periods, sometimes several times a night or , and wake up (usually with a jerk) in order to regain breathing.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep apnea may affect between twenty and forty percent of the adult snoring population.

More about snoring

When Is Snoring Really Serious?