When Matt Hillier was in his 20s, a friend who was a nurse was shocked by the sound of his snoring during a camping trip. “She basically said, ‘For a 25-year-old non-smoker who’s quite skinny, you snore pretty loudly,’” Hillier, now 32, recalls.
Hillier’s experience is more common than many realize. Often, the image of someone who snores is an older, overweight individual. He didn’t seek medical attention until age 30, when a particularly loud night of snoring was followed by a racing heartbeat. Investigation, including a sleep recording, revealed moderate sleep apnoea, specifically the supine form, linked to throat muscle relaxation when sleeping on his back. “It’s weird because I’m normally quite quiet and polite. So to hear recordings of me snoring like a rhinoceros grunting was a bit shocking,” he says. He’d assumed he was too young and healthy to be affected, with no family history, but later discovered his mother, sister, and aunt also snore, suggesting a possible genetic component.
Experts suggest we may be entering a “snoring epidemic,” with the grunts, honks, and bellows often dismissed as humorous masking a potentially serious underlying issue. The British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association estimates around 15 million people in the UK snore, and the problem appears to be increasing, potentially driven by factors like pollution, rising temperatures, and the obesity crisis.
“Snoring still carries a lot of embarrassment and humour, so people tend to joke about it instead of seeking help,” says Professor Ama Johal, clinical lead at Aerox Health and a consultant orthodontist. “They don’t connect it with their general health or quality of life.” Chronic snoring can disrupt sleep, leading to fatigue, low mood, poor concentration, and even has been linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.
The issue often points to a more serious condition: obstructive sleep apnoea, affecting an estimated eight million adults in the UK. This condition causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, lowering oxygen levels and increasing the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and even sudden death. It also significantly elevates the risk of car accidents, with approximately 10% of accidents potentially linked to sleep apnoea. Emerging research also suggests a connection between untreated sleep apnoea and an increased risk of dementia later in life.
Snoring itself is caused by vibrations of tissues in the back of the throat as air passes through during sleep. The sounds produced can vary widely, from heavy breathing to whistles and rattles. What constitutes “loud” snoring is subjective, but it becomes a concern when it’s audible through closed doors or disrupts sleep for the snorer or their partner.
The key difference between snoring and sleep apnoea isn’t the volume of the noise, but whether breathing actually stops. Sleep apnoea involves pauses in breathing, often followed by gasping or choking sounds, as described by bed partners. Diagnosis typically involves a sleep study, which can be conducted at home using equipment to monitor heart rate, airflow, and oxygen levels.
Interest in snoring and sleep apnoea has increased recently, fueled by the growing focus on sleep’s importance for overall health and longevity. This has led to a surge in consumer products, from nasal dilators to mouth tape, and tracking devices like Oura and Whoop, as well as apps like SnoreLab, which monitor and rate snoring sounds. However, experts caution that the increase in reported snoring may not solely be due to increased awareness, but a genuine rise in the condition.
Several factors contribute to snoring and sleep apnoea. Genetics play a role, influencing nasal passage size, jaw shape, and throat muscle relaxation. Age is also a factor, as the function and tone of upper airway muscles diminish over time. By age 70, nearly half of people snore. Increasing rates of obesity also contribute, as excess weight can narrow the airway. However, it’s important to note that many non-overweight individuals also snore.
Environmental factors may also play a role. Emerging evidence suggests a link between air pollution and snoring, with pollutants irritating the upper airway and causing inflammation. Higher temperatures, and the resulting heatwaves, can also exacerbate snoring by drying and irritating the nose and throat. A recent study from Flinders University in Australia predicts cases of sleep apnoea could double over the next 75 years due to global warming, as higher temperatures lead to poorer sleep quality.
Ciara Bowdler, 32, discovered her snoring was more significant than she realized after a housemate alerted her. Using the SnoreLab app, she scored in the top 15% of users, prompting her to investigate lifestyle factors. She found that red wine, social smoking, and late-night takeaways were major contributors. By making adjustments to her habits, and using nasal strips, she was able to significantly reduce her snoring score.
Despite the prevalence of snoring, an estimated 90% of cases in the UK remain undiagnosed, costing the NHS an estimated £28 million annually. Many individuals don’t recognize their symptoms as indicative of a medical condition, attributing fatigue, headaches, and irritability to modern life. Women, in particular, are often underdiagnosed, as their symptoms can be less stereotypical and more subtle.
Treatment options for sleep apnoea include surgery to optimize airflow, though Here’s reserved for specific cases. The most common treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which involves wearing a mask that delivers pressurized air during sleep. While effective for many, CPAP can be uncomfortable and is not tolerated by all. Newer treatments include a hypoglossal nerve stimulator, an implantable device that moves the tongue forward to open the airway, and mandibular advancement devices, custom-fitted mouthguards that shift the jaw forward.
For those seeking to address snoring, lifestyle modifications can be helpful. Sleeping on one’s side, adjusting bedroom temperature, and avoiding alcohol and smoking before bed can all reduce snoring. Myofunctional therapy, involving exercises to strengthen throat muscles, and positional therapy, using wearable devices to prevent sleeping on the back, are also emerging options. If snoring is loud, regular, or accompanied by other symptoms, seeking medical evaluation is crucial.
The rising rates of snoring and sleep apnoea serve as a broader warning about the impact of environmental factors and lifestyle choices on our health, highlighting the importance of prioritizing sleep and addressing underlying health concerns.
