What are your bad sleeping habits? Is it sleeping on the bed and waking up on the floor or waking up upside down from the initial position you slept in or is it kicking the person next to you? Or ultimately is it the snoring that distorts everyone in the house and even the neighbours?
Snoring is a sleeping habit that is common to several people. This harmless sleeping habit shouldn't be ignored because it sometimes acts as a pointer to a health condition.
If the snoring of an individual seems like the whole house is vibrating, that means there is an interruption of the airways that makes the nose vibrate. The throat, mouth and tongue are the leading cause of this action.
According to researchers, this occurs because when one is asleep, the body is relaxed and narrow when in that state.
However, there are some contributory reasons as to why some people's snoring might be a cause for alarm. These are the following: sleeping on the back, smoking and being overweight.
More so, experts have listed out 8 signs to look out for in a snoring individual, and if the individual has a number 5 signs from the listed 8, then this raises more health concerns.
What is Your Gender?
The biological makeup of an individual has a role to play. According to experts, gender influences whether or not you could have trouble with sleep apnea.
Is It Loud?
According to Dr Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, loudness is the primary indicator especially if the snoring can be heard from the next door.
''Some of the very descriptive bed partners of my patients with obstructive sleep apnoea describe their partners' snores as listening to a 'dying bear' or a scene from 'Jurassic Park.''
Restricted Airflow?
Some people do not even know that they snore and if they are asleep but are constantly gasping for air. This is something worrisome that entails attention from a specialist.
High Blood Pressure
This condition, according to experts, leads to shortness of breath. Unfortunately, those with sleep conditions like sleep apnea are at risk of this. Sleep apnea conditions the body to be regularly stressed raises the risk of high blood pressure. This happens because when due to the shortness of breath caused by sleep apnea, the body reacts by releasing cortisol that in turn raises the blood pressure.
What Is Your Neck Size?
Ever wondered about the size of your neck? Well, Dr Dasgupta, suggests that the rim of one's neck is a clue to sleep apnea. He says, "The rule of thumb is always going to be a collar size of greater than 17 inches (43cms) for a male, and greater than 16 inches (40.6cms) for a female will put you at a higher risk for sleep apnea."
Ageing
All humans age and this factor show the feebleness of muscle mass as one grows older. Studies thus suggest that if one is over 50 years old, it's another sign to watch out for.
Weight
As mentioned earlier, being overweight is one reason why some individuals snore. A weight loss programme will be great to curb this. Again, people who have sleep apnea are often overweight. Due to this, the additional pressure of weight from the mouth puts on the neck and the tongue which block the airway, making breathing overwhelming.
Always Tired?
Do you always feel sleep-deprived like a zombie? It's believed that because of the persistent stop and start breathing associated with sleep apnea, those dealing with this condition feel this way every single day.
So, what's your score? Do you make 5 out of 8 or 3 out of 8?
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