Another Terrible Night of Sleep

After a long, busy day, it's finally time to get some sleep. You've relaxed in front of the TV or
with a good book, and now you're ready for bed. The lights go out but, unfortunately, a good
night’s sleep is not awaiting you or your partner . . .

You doze off and begin snoring. Intermittently throughout the night, you get a shake, a nudge,
or a prod to stop snoring. Your partner becomes frustrated, then exasperated, and ultimately
angry as your snoring continues. As they become more and more sleep deprived, snoring can
trigger a reaction like fingernails on a chalkboard.

You are sleep deprived, too, and you’re tired of being interrupted every time you fall into a deep
sleep. Ultimately, one of you leaves the bed to sleep elsewhere. The following morning you both
wake up feeling unrefreshed and frustrated.
Next night, same story . . . It seems like you are living a variation of the movie Groundhog Day,
in which you seem to replay each night’s events again and again.

Breathing at Night Occurs on a Spectrum

In the situation above the key question is: are you snoring or do you have obstructive sleep
apnea? Let’s start by clearly understanding the difference between these conditions. At night
airflow through our airway occurs across a spectrum

At the healthy end of the spectrum is relaxed, effortless breathing with the normal, smooth,
unobstructed and quiet flow of air through the airway. At the other extreme is recurrent
episodes of partially or totally obstructed airflow with associated pauses in breathing, causing
obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring, caused by turbulent airflow is in the middle of the spectrum.

How do I know if I am snoring or have sleep apnea?

There are several ways to determine where you are on the spectrum:

• The first is what you and your partner observe by asking the following questions:
  How loud is your snoring?
• Does your partner sleep in a different room?
•  Is your partner concerned about your breathing at night?
• Do they witness pauses
• in your breathing?
• Do you wake up gasping or with your heart racing?
• Do you still feel tired or groggy after a night of sleep?
• Are you excessively tired during the day?

The second is to use the STOP-BANG questionnaire (SBQ) to help determine your risk for
obstructive sleep apnea:

• The STOP-Bang Questionnaire (SBQ) (www.stopbang.ca): The SBQ uses
  observations about your snoring and basic information about you and your
  health to determine your risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Anyone with
  this basic information can use this tool. While it has been scientifically validated
  to work in clinical settings, it can work for you as well.

Why does it Matter?
Those of us who snore often experience interrupted, poor-quality sleep, which has long been
associated with diminished performance and with stress in our primary relationship. Snoring
can compromise our ability to function, reflected in:

• Poor Concentration
• Less mental energy 
• Slower reflexes
• Fatigue or chronic low energy level
• Reduced commitment to self-care
• Interruptions in memory processing
• Negativity
• Loss of impulse control
• Irritability or short temper
• Increased risk of health problems such as hypertension, pre-diabetes and weight gain 

With sleep apnea the repeated partial or complete obstructions in the airway at night cause
interrupted sleep, reduced blood oxygen levels and resultant damage to the body. A clear
relationship exists between sleep apnea and the following serious health conditions:

• Obesity
• Pre-diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Coronary artery disease
• Stroke 
• Memory loss and cognitive impairment
• Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease 

The Bottom Line:
Until we get quality sleep, we are unlikely to be aware of how much healthier, happier, and more
productive we could be if we slept well.
If there is any question, schedule a visit with a health care provider to discuss your symptoms
and to be evaluated for obstructive sleep apnea.

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