You might sleep for eight hours and still wake up feeling drained. You find it harder to concentrate, you lose your patience more quickly, and your morning coffee doesn’t give you the boost you’d hoped for. The cause may not only be stress or an excessive workload, but also snoring, which reduces the quality of sleep and can sometimes be a sign of more serious breathing disorders.
Rafał, a 35-year-old manager, had long failed to make the connection between his morning tiredness and the noises at night that his wife had been complaining about. It was only when his lack of energy began to affect his work and relationships that he decided to look for the cause. He realised that snoring isn’t always just an annoying sound. It can be a sign of problems that prevent the body from regenerating overnight.
How does snoring affect sleep quality?
Snoring It occurs when air flowing through the narrowed airways causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate. The sound itself does not always indicate an underlying condition, but if you snore regularly – particularly if this is accompanied by daytime tiredness – it is worth consulting a specialist.
Why? Because snoring may be accompanied by obstructive sleep apnoea. The condition is characterised by recurrent episodes of reduced or obstructed airflow, which may be accompanied by a drop in blood oxygen levels and brief awakenings.
Sleep becomes less restorative, even if you don’t remember waking up during the night.
The effects may be noticeable as early as the next day:
- feeling tired despite having had a good night’s sleep,
- difficulty concentrating and remembering things,
- irritability and reduced work performance,
- daytime drowsiness,
- a decline in well-being.
Not everyone who snores has sleep apnoea. However, if loud snoring is accompanied by a lack of sleep, this should prompt you to investigate the cause.
Why does snoring prevent the body from regenerating overnight?
Whilst we sleep, the body rests and the brain goes through a series of stages of sleep necessary for proper functioning. Recurring respiratory disorders can disrupt this process, making it harder to regain your energy in the morning.
The problem isn’t always just a matter of tiredness. If left untreated obstructive sleep apnoea is also associated with an increased risk of health complications, including high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.
Therefore, if you regularly wake up feeling tired, you shouldn’t just settle for another cup of coffee or treat snoring as a harmless habit. It is important to establish what is disrupting your sleep and whether the problem requires treatment.
When does snoring require medical assessment?
It is not only loud noises at night that should cause concern, but also symptoms that occur during the day. It is worth consulting a specialist if:
- if someone notices that you stop breathing whilst you’re asleep,
- you wake up feeling short of breath or find yourself gasping for air,
- even though you’ve had a good night’s sleep, you feel very drowsy,
- Do you regularly get a headache when you wake up,
- You have trouble concentrating and keeping your energy levels up throughout the day.
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend a sleep study to check whether your symptoms are caused by obstructive sleep apnoea or another disorder.
If snoring is preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep, take a look at the options available treatments for snoring and find out what solutions you might consider, depending on the cause of the problem.
How can you reduce snoring?
The course of action depends on the cause of the problem. Factors such as nasal patency, sleeping position, body weight, the anatomical structure of the airways and the presence of sleep apnoea may all play a role.
One of the methods used in selected patients is NightLase, which is a non-invasive laser procedure using the platform Fotona Dynamis SP. Controlled heating of tissues within the mouth and throat is intended to improve their tone and may help to reduce snoring.
Results depend on the patient’s individual circumstances and the cause of their snoring. Discover the options available laser treatment of snoring, and see if this method might be suitable for you.
Snoring and sleep quality – when should you seek help?
If you regularly wake up feeling tired, find it hard to concentrate, and your loved ones have mentioned that you snore loudly, don’t ignore these signs. The night should be a time for rest and recovery, not yet another source of problems.
If you want to check whether laser treatment of snoring will be suitable for you, make an appointment for a consultation. The doctor will assess the cause of the problem and check whether surgery is the appropriate course of action. Laser treatment of snoring We carry out these procedures at Wellclinic clinics in Warsaw, Gdańsk and Cracow.
Sources:
1. PubMed „Er:YAG laser for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32112250/
2. PubMed „Treatment of snoring using a non-invasive Er:YAG laser in SMOOTH mode (NightLase): a randomised ”controlled trial”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35867153/
3. PubMed „The Effectiveness of the Er:YAG Laser in the Treatment of Snoring: Based on the Results of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40566115/
4. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) „Sleep Apnoea Symptoms”
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-apnea/symptoms
5. American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) „Practice Guidelines”
https://aasm.org/clinical-resources/practice-standards/practice-guidelines/
6. MDPI „The Effectiveness of the Er:YAG Laser in the Treatment of Snoring: Based on the Results of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/14/12/4371
