Self Help

Does chronic snoring problems only occur in men? Up to a certain age, this is true, as more than 60% of all men from ages thirty-five to sixty-five snore. Men are more prone to snoring for a variety of reasons, from hormonal effects on the upper-airway muscles, differences in the distribution of body fat between men and women, and certain differences in the anatomy and function of the upper airways.

However, the statistics change at around age sixty, with the number of women snorers greatly increasing because of hormonal changes at menopause and body fat distribution. The incidence of snoring sometimes diminishes in men after age sixty-five, yet it remains stable in women.

While the snorer may sleep seemingly undisturbed by the noises she emits, the sound levels of snoring, recorded to be as high as 88 decibels, can be as loud as the diesel engine one hears when sitting in the back of an old bus. These sounds not only are an annoying nuisance to the sleepless bed partner, but also can interrupt one’s sexual relationship.

For bed partners, how fun is it to lie in bed and listen to your mate continually make thunderous roars, gasps, and sighs throughout the night, and then to have both of you suffer with the consequences of sleep loss, fatigue, and an inability to concentrate on love making?

More than 42% of men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are impotent. Studies have consistently revealed that men who snore heavily and have OSA may lose their sexual urges because of fatigue or depression, or both, just as some depressed people lose their appetite for food.

Problems maintaining a penile erection can be the result of fatigue or coincidental vascular or neurologic abnormalities in men who have OSA. These men may also have other medical problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, or increased age. Some men taking medications for hypertension or depression may experience impotence. Treatment of the OSA, a possible underlying cause of the high blood pressure or depression, may get rid of or reduce the need for these drugs and improve sexual function.

Chronic snoring is a serious social and public health hazard and may cause poor quality of sleep, changes in the sleep-wake cycle, and lower levels of oxygen in the blood as a result of OSA. Because of restless sleep and frequent awakenings, there is diminished daytime alertness, resulting in dramatic changes in mood, effectiveness, and energy.