“I want my wife to sleep with me again.” This was a recent subject line from a client. Upon reading the email, however, this man’s dilemma was snoring related, not an interpersonal relationship issue.
This man had been relegated to the guest room for the past several months due to the fact that his snoring (a rough snorting sound when inhaling caused by the vibrating of the soft palate and the uvula) had escalated to mild sleep apnea due to his recent weight gain.
What started as a twenty pound increase due to a recent change in professions, where he was suddenly sedentary for much of the day, had grown to a fifty pound weight gain and an increase in snoring.
He wanted to know if his weight gain had caused the sleep apnea (a decrease or complete cessation of breathing several times during the night) or if his snoring and sleep apnea had caused the weight gain.
We’re back to the “chicken versus the egg” scenario. While being overweight or obese is one of the main risk factors for developing snoring and sleep apnea, these conditions can lead to an increase in weight.
As in my client’s case, his initial twenty pound weight gain added fat to the throat and neck area, which led to his airway being partially obstructed and the start of his snoring.
He was in turn, tired all of the time and the thought of exercise when so tired seemed impossible, hence, the additional weight gain.
Side effects of snoring include headache, daytime tiredness and a lack of energy. As with my client, this led to daytime naps (longer than ten to twenty minutes), eating to replace his energy (due to an increase in hormones which increase appetite and a decrease in hormones which decrease appetite) and a few beers at night in order to “get tired.”
Before long, he had gained an additional thirty pounds, bringing his overall weight gain to fifty pounds. This led to the development of mild to severe sleep apnea. While men over the age of forty are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, it can affect anyone.
Most people who suffer from sleep apnea also snore but not everyone. Your doctor can order a sleep study to determine if you suffer from mild to severe sleep apnea.
Contributing factors to snoring and sleep apnea include the aforementioned weight factor but also includes alcohol consumption, certain muscle relaxation medicines, jaw anatomy, and body position when sleeping (sleeping on one’s side can reduce or eliminate snoring for some).
Snoring and sleep apnea are more than just an annoying sleep habit. The added stress to the heart for those who snore and especially those with sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and recent evidence indicates an imbalance in insulin.
Treatments include sleeping on one’s side, elevating one’s head (for mild snoring), breathing machines to keep the airway open like a CPAP and surgery for severe sleep apnea. Weight loss, however, is still the best thing to ensure immediate improvement.
If you suffer from snoring and/or mild sleep apnea, I highly recommend both my all natural Stop Snoring program and my Weight Loss Breeze program. It’s easy to do (especially if you feel you have little to no energy to invest initially) and best of all, it works!
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