Doctors have warned that if your snoring is loud enough to wake your partner, it could be a sign of serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Specialists say that heavy snorers who wake up gasping for breath may have sleep apnoea, a condition that affects approximately 1 billion people worldwide but often goes untreated.
What Is Sleep Apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is an obstructive sleep disorder where throat muscles relax during REM sleep, blocking the airway and reducing normal breathing. This drop in oxygen levels can strain organs such as the heart. Left untreated, it increases risks for cardiovascular diseases like coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke, and is also linked to a significantly higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Spotting the Signs
Partners may be the first to notice symptoms, including pauses in breathing, choking episodes, and gasping for air during sleep. Other daytime symptoms include excessive sleepiness, fatigue, brain fog, mood disturbances, and difficulty concentrating. Untreated sleep apnoea also raises the risk of road traffic accidents—affected drivers are up to ten times more likely to crash due to impaired reactions.
Dr Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, consultant ENT and sub-specialist sleep surgeon, noted: "In the past, we would look at sleep deprivation as a badge of honour. But the culture has shifted to prioritise sleep as a foundation of health. Snoring used to be dismissed, but now there is more awareness that troublesome snoring can be a sign of serious or deadly conditions."
Dr Alanna Hare, consultant in sleep and ventilation at Royal Brompton Hospital, London, added: "Patients themselves aren’t necessarily aware of the signs and think it’s part of normal ageing to be tired or forgetful. Many are embarrassed by snoring and reporting it to a GP might feel difficult."
Who Is at Risk?
Sleep apnoea can affect anyone, but it is twice as common in men as in women. After age 69, prevalence increases. Risk factors include obesity, menopause, smoking, and alcohol consumption. In women, especially peri- or post-menopausal, sleep apnoea may present as insomnia and fatigue, often misdiagnosed as depression.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you suspect sleep apnoea, Dr Hare recommends speaking to your GP. Online questionnaires like STOP-BANG can help evaluate your sleep. Diagnostic options include medical-grade devices to track oxygen levels during sleep or drug-induced sleep endoscopy for a personalised assessment. Treatments range from CPAP machines that deliver pressurised air to keep airways open, to dental appliances that reposition the jaw, or surgical nerve implants that move the tongue forward.
Dr Cheong, who works at Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, emphasised: "Sleep health is the greatest return on investment you can make on your health. Everything else builds upon good sleep. Good sleep is the foundation of all health."
Both doctors urge anyone with concerns about their sleep to seek medical attention promptly.
