Snoring and Sleep Apnoea

Snoring usually isn’t a massive issue for you, until a significant other kicks you out of the bed! What most people don’t realise is that snoring could be a sign of a condition known as Sleep Apnoea, where your breathing quality reduces or even stops while you are asleep. Although you may not notice this, sleep apnoea has been linked to a higher risk of many conditions including heart disease, diabetes, blindness… the list goes on. Simply put, your body is not receiving enough oxygen while you sleep, therefore you sleep poorly, and that much-needed rest and recovery time is not occurring.

The important thing to note is a slow decrease in sleep quality is not often noticed, as you would not be aware of what ‘normal’ sleep is anymore. Sometimes you don’t wake up fully at night, but you don’t fall into the nice deep sleep you need for a long time. Sometimes you feel sleepy still after a good 8 hours in bed, but that’s not too alarming. Or maybe at the end of the day you feel like a nap, but is that a worry? And your snoring is getting worse, or was it just the position you were sleeping in?

The only way to diagnose sleep apnoea is with a sleep study, usually at a sleep clinic. Luckily for you, the test involves simply falling asleep! If you are diagnosed with sleep apnoea, the treatment will help you have refreshing sleep, give you more energy through the day, and improve your overall health. As a friend of mine told me, ‘I never knew I was sleeping badly until I slept well’.

If you feel like you aren’t refreshed even after a decent time asleep, or you have had complaints of snoring, please let us know at your check up and we can organise to help you.