20 Facts About Sleep & Snoring

1. There are 15 million snorers in the UK alone and an estimated 37 million Americans.

2. Snoring is common, but it is not ‘normal’.

3. The 3 main reasons for snoring are: being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol.

4. The snoring ‘sound’ is air turbulence vibrating the structures in the ‘upper airway’.

5. Snoring sounds range from 50dB to 100dB – the equivalent of a pneumatic drill.

6. Snorers are 3 times more likely to suffer adverse health conditions than non-snorers.

7. Snoring can be hereditary – nearly 70% of snorers have a familial link.

8. Bed partners of snorers report they have just 3 – 5 hours sleep per night.

9. Bed partners of snorers visit their GP more frequently than bed partners of non-snorers.

10. Snorers and their bed partners are more likely to be hard of hearing than non-snorers and their partners.

11. Over one third of couples report disharmony within their relationship due to snoring.

12. Sleep quality rather than quantity is more of an issue. Poor sleep quality exacerbates poor health.

13. Sleep loss affects newly learned skills more than well known skills.

14. Bed partners of snorers physical and mental health improves significantly once the snorer has been treated.

15. Despite evidence to the contrary, bed partners report better sleep quality when sleeping with their snoring partner, than when sleeping alone...

16. The louder one snores, the more likely one is to be overweight.

17. More than 50% of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) have high blood pressure, whereas only 25% of patients with high blood pressure have OSA.

18. Regular snorers are 5 times more likely to develop hypertension, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol than occasional snorers.

19. In 1910, we were sleeping for approximately 9 hours per night. In 2009, research shows we sleep for around 6 to 7 hours per night.

20. More than 1000 studies of sleep deprivation have been published over the past 100 years.