So, Who Snores?

Studies show that it often becomes more prevalent after the age of 30. As many as 59 percent of adults admit to it and until the point when a woman reaches menopause, her male counterparts are twice as likely as she is to start snoring.

Snoring is a fairly common affliction, affecting 40 percent of men and 25 percent of women. Older people are particularly prone to snoring: About one-third of people ages 55 to 84 snores. Though commonly dismissed (and laughed at) as a harmless habit, snoring could be an underlying symptom of something more malicious, like sleep apnea.

Apnea sufferers are often diagnosed as depressed, when really they are simply exhausted and cannot function properly. Sleep apnea raises your blood pressure, reduces the flow of oxygen to your brain and can, at worst, lead to stroke, heart attack and death. In other words, this is not something you can ignore.

Pediatricians even report that at least 5 percent of children snore habitually as well. If your child snores, ask your pediatrician about it. Children, too, can have obstructive sleep apnea, though most don’t. In children, obstructive sleep apnea may increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nose and throat problems, such as enlarged tonsils, and obesity often underlie habitual snoring in children. Treating these conditions could help your child sleep better.

As you can see, snoring affects both young and old (though more commonly found in the latter). For something that you spend 1/3 of your life doing, I’m sure you would agree that eradicating it once and for all and taking control of your life is the best thing to do!