5 Reasons to Stop Snoring Now

Is your bedpartner bruising your ribs with an elbow, telling to you roll over onto your side because of your loud, obnoxious snoring? Do people hate traveling with you because you sound like a chainsaw in the middle of the night? Can your relatives hear you snore throughout the entire house, rattling the walls? Snoring is all too commonly portrayed as something that's funny or something to be laughed at.

What most people don't realize is that the person that's snoring is not able to breathe properly at night and is suffering from a potentially deadly medical disorder. If this describes you or someone you care about, here are 5 important reasons why you should take care of your snoring problem ASAP.

1. Snoring significant increases your chances of having obstructive sleep apnea, where you literally stop breathing for 10 to 40 seconds at a time. This prevents proper flow of oxygen to the heart and brain and can cause potentially serious long-term damage. It's estimated that about 24% of all men and 9% of all women have obstructive sleep apnea in this country, and about 80-90% are not diagnosed. Not all snorers have sleep apnea, but a significant number will, so testing for this condition is important.

2. Long before you develop the late complications of untreated obstructive sleep apnea such as heart attack or stoke, you may develop various other medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, diabetes, obesity, sexual dysfunction, or chronic fatigue. Poor quality sleep for any reason promotes weight gain, leading to increased fat cells in the throat, leading to further narrowing in the throat.

3. The vibrations from snoring alone has been found to narrow the carotid arteries, leading to plaque build-up, and possible increased risk of stroke.

4. Your bed-partner and friends will love you more for taking care of this problem. Your bed-partner will also sleep better, enhancing your mutual relationship.

5. You'll be healthier and live much longer, and you'll be able to enjoy life better, since you'll have much more energy and vitality. You'll also be much more productive at work, which can be better for your financial outlook as well.