Patient FAQ’s

Snoring is noisy breathing through the mouth and nose during sleep.

This is caused by partial upper airway obstruction, and occurs during sleep when the muscles of the upper airway relax and partially obstruct.

Up to 30% of the adult population snore regularly.

Insomnia is an experience of inadequate or poor quality sleep.

It may cause daytime sleepiness and impaired concentration,lethargy and irritability.

Insomnia can include:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Feeling un-refreshed in the morning

• Age - as you get older, our muscle tone in the tissues of the throat is reduced.
• Overweight/Obesity - collections of fat may compress and narrow the throat.
• Abnormal nasal anatomy - such as deviated nasal septum and nasal polyps.
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
• Alcohol and certain medication such as tranquilisers or sleeping tablets.
• Sleeping on your back.
• Stress, overwork or overeating - Exaggerate conditions leading to snoring, producing over-relaxation of airway muscles and tissues;
• Smoking - though it is not a direct cause of snoring, smoking may contribute by producing excess mucus, which causes the membranes in the throat to swell and restrict the air passages

Initial treatments for sufferers of snoring include:

• Weight reduction (especially if BMI is excessively high)
• Quitting smoking
• Keeping the nose as clear as possible by using a pharmaceutical nasal spray or nasal/snoring strips
• Sleep with the head of bed elevated (this reduces nocturnal nasal congestion)
• Use pillows under the head end of the mattress - only two thin or one thick on top of the mattress to maximise pharyngeal size.
• Reduce or stop consumption of alcohol in the evening (at least 3-4 hours prior to sleep)
• Check Thyroid functions