Sleeping Without Snoring

Overview

Sleeping Without Snoring forms part of Canada’s Sleep Calendar, a coordinated program of national public education presented by The Sleep Society to improve sleep health awareness across Canada.

Snoring is common and is often dismissed as little more than an inconvenience or source of humour. For the bed partner, however, it can become a source of stress that is almost unbearable. Habitual snoring is far from benign and can have important consequences for both the person who snores and the person (who is trying) to sleep beside them. For the bed partner, repeated noise and sleep disruption may contribute to sleep deprivation, daytime fatigue, impaired concentration, irritability, anxiety and reduced quality of life.

Snoring may also be a sign of an underlying sleep-related breathing disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea. By encouraging people to take persistent snoring seriously, this initiative aims to improve awareness, encourage appropriate assessment and help individuals and their partners achieve healthier, quieter and more restorative sleep.

Why it matters

Not everyone who snores has obstructive sleep apnea, but snoring is one of its most common symptoms. When snoring is accompanied by witnessed pauses in breathing, choking or gasping during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness or other symptoms, appropriate assessment becomes particularly important.

The consequences of snoring can also extend beyond the individual. A bed partner repeatedly awakened by snoring may experience fragmented sleep and its associated effects on mood, concentration, daytime functioning, relationships and quality of life.

There is also emerging research investigating whether the mechanical vibration associated with heavy, long-term snoring may contribute to changes in the carotid arteries and potentially influence cardiovascular risk. This remains an evolving area of research and should not be presented as an established consequence of snoring. What is already clear is that persistent snoring deserves greater recognition, particularly when other symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing are present.

Background

Sleeping Without Snoring is observed throughout October as part of Canada’s Sleep Calendar. The initiative promotes greater public understanding of snoring, its impact on individuals and their partners, and its potential relationship with sleep-related breathing disorders.

Historically, snoring has often been regarded as embarrassing, amusing or simply something a bed partner has to tolerate. Sleep medicine has changed that perspective. Snoring occurs when airflow through the upper airway causes surrounding tissues to vibrate during sleep. In some people it occurs without significant airway obstruction; in others, it may form part of a spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing that includes obstructive sleep apnea.

The important message is not that every person who snores has a medical disorder, but that persistent or disruptive snoring should not automatically be ignored. Appropriate assessment can help determine its significance and, where necessary, guide evidence-based treatment.

Current activities

The Sleep Society and SleepSafeCanada are currently working to:

• Promote greater public understanding of snoring and its potential effects on sleep, health, relationships and quality of life.
• Increase awareness that habitual snoring may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea or another sleep-related breathing disorder.
• Encourage recognition of warning signs including witnessed breathing pauses, choking or gasping during sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Increase awareness of the effects that disruptive snoring can have on the sleep and wellbeing of bed partners.
• Promote informed, evidence-based assessment and treatment of persistent snoring and sleep-disordered breathing.
• Support and encourage research into the possible relationship between long-term snoring vibration, vascular changes and cardiovascular health.
• Develop educational resources for the public, healthcare professionals and community organizations.
• Support annual awareness activities throughout October as part of Canada’s Sleep Calendar.
• Encourage collaboration with healthcare organizations, universities, professional associations, governments and industry.
• Build partnerships and national support to improve awareness of snoring and sleep-disordered breathing across Canada.

Resources

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