How to find out if you snore during sleep

Do you snore when you sleep? Some of us are aware that we do, but there are some who suspect but are not too sure. Snoring is more sinister than most people think. It can severely strain relationships between sleeping partners and can signal major health problems. Specifically, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious medical condition whereby patients stop breathing for prolonged periods of time while sleeping. As you can imagine, this lack of oxygen is terrible for your body and can lead to poor health. So, how can you figure out if you snore while you sleep? Think you know a lot about snoring? You may be surprised by some of the myths about snoring here.

Ask your bed partner!

This is the simplest way if you sleep with someone. Your sleeping partner will clue you in on your snoring pattern, how severe it is and if it’s affecting your sleep. Provided they are not terribly heavy sleepers, your bed mate is the best person to help you answer this question. Questions to ask your bed partner include if your snoring is intermittent or consistent, and how loud your snoring is. Breath holds, gasping for air and choking sounds are red flags that point to a more serious problem. Being aware of your snoring patterns will provide you with invaluable information that can be shared with your doctor.

Record yourself while you sleep

With advancements in technology, smart phones have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. All of us have smartphones so why not put it to good use while charging it next to our bedside at night? Utilize a voice recording app such as SnoreLab that will let you record your nighttime snoring activity. This will provide you and your physician with very useful information that can objectively gauge the severity of your snoring problem. Moreover, this is also a good way to monitor improvement after treatments such as the Fotona NightLase®.

Watch out for symptoms

If you suffer from snoring, there are many symptoms that you can catch on. Look out for the following:

1. The constant mouth breathing can cause dry mouth and sore throat in the morning.
2. You may snore so loud that it wakes you from your sleep.
3. If you constantly feel tired, even after a sufficient night’s sleep, you are very likely snoring and also suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
4. Other OSA symptoms include difficulty concentrating, frequently dozing off, gasping and choking sensation while asleep.

The last few symptoms on the list point towards OSA, which is more sinister as it is associated with long term health problems. This should be shared with your doctor as soon as possible so that appropriate treatment can be instituted early.

Summary

In summary, awareness is the first step to solve a problem. If we are already aware that we snore, we should seek help. If we are not sure, we probably should ask our bed partner or do a few nights of recording to be sure. Don’t despair if you snore. There are effective treatments such as NightLase which can help you with your snoring.

[7 Dec 2020] A blog post by Dr. Gabriel Wong

Having graduated from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine – Dr Gabriel Wong worked in several hospitals in Singapore where he honed his medical acumen.

Fate was at work when he met Dr Kelvin Chua, which sparked his interest in aesthetic medicine.

Growing from strength to strength under the tutelage of Dr Chua, Gabriel developed an eye for detail and beauty – perfectly in tune with aesthetic medicine, a confluence of art and science.

He applies this in a range of non-invasive procedures such as Botox treatments, soft tissue augmentation (Dermal Fillers with the Cannula Method), skin rejuvenation with lasers, and effective acne and acne scar treatments (Fractional CO2 Laser, subcision).

In his free time, Gabriel loves to travel in search of that perfect snapshot. His works of art have won praises by many patients.

For more information, write to contact@slclinic.com.sg.
To contact Dr Gabriel Wong, write to gabriel@slclinic.com.sg.