Snoring: the louder, the more tired

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Nocturnal sawing not only deprives the bed neighbors of their restful sleep. Obviously, it also affects the snore's sleep quality. This applies even if there is no sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which snoring at night is more likely to cause pauses in breathing. The faltering breath is an alarm signal for the body. He then starts a "wake-up reaction" by activating the breathing muscles in the chest and diaphragm - the person is briefly roused from sleep.

Risky breathing pauses

Studies have shown that sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, those affected feel tired during the day. This also increases your risk of accidents. In fact, people with sleep apnea are at greater risk of premature death.

Researchers working with pulmonologist Dr. Or Kalchiem-Dekel from Ben Gurion University in Beer-Sheva, Israel wanted to know whether snoring without breathing pauses makes people more tired the next day. To do this, they asked 307 people who did not suffer from sleep apnea but who snored to fill out a so-called ESS questionnaire. The abbreviation stands for Epworth Sleepiness Scale - this scale measures daytime sleepiness.

Tired saws

In a third of the test subjects, the scientists were able to determine that they were very tired during the day. Those affected were predominantly male and, with an average BMI of 29 versus 26, were thicker than the snorers, who felt more lively during the day. The snoring volume also had an impact on daytime sleepiness: the louder someone snored, the more exhausted they were the next day. Some of the test subjects even managed to reach 65 decibels, which corresponds to a chainsaw a little further away. The relationship between snoring intensity and fatigue was particularly true for men. Women were less likely to snore - even at a comparable volume.

Involuntary night sports?

The reasons for the impaired sleep quality of loud snorers are not yet entirely clear. Kalchiem-Dekel speculates that the higher air resistance when snoring may be strenuous and not very relaxing in the long run. What the scientists already know from their study: Day-tired snorers have a higher apnea-hypopnea index. This index indicates the average number of pauses in breathing and the reduced airflow per hour of sleep. For day-tired saws it was 3.2, more relaxed snorers achieved an average of 2.1. As long as the apnea-hypopnea index is below five, sleep apnea will not be diagnosed.

In further studies, the researchers now want to investigate to what extent snoring without sleep apnea is harmful to health. (away)

Source: Kalchiem-Dekel O. Snoring intensity and excessive daytime sleepiness in subjects without obstructive sleep apnea, Laryngoscope. 2016 Feb 10. doi: 10.1002 / lary.25876.

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