Is It Snoring?

I make intermittent breathing noises through the night but is it snoring? When is a sound made while sleeping considered snoring and when should it be addressed or ignored?

For many people the problem with snoring is their partner. That is their partner makes various sounds throughout the night that keeps them awake. If you want to have a harmonious relationship in this instance then whether the sound is considered snoring or not it is probably better to address the issue.

When my nosed gets clogged at night I occasionally snort to clear it with a snoring type sound, is it snoring?

At night I’m told I hold my breath after I inhale and then exhale with an annoying huff. Is it snoring?

For me snoring isn’t all about the noise but more importantly about incorrect breathing or disordered breathing. Disordered breathing has been linked to a multitude of health problems so it’s not the sound in itself that is the problem but the type of breathing of the snorer that has long term effects on their health over and above the annoying noise.

Normal night breathing should not be labored and should not be spaced with pauses of greatly varying lengths. It should be even, light, and easy. If this is not the case for you, then you should look at some breathing techniques that focus your breathing in correct manner,

Night breathing noises (snoring) that are temporary in nature due to things like a change in climate, a change in season, a change in diet or temporary sickness, are far less serious as the change in breathing is often not a permanent change. A change to a cooler climate can lead to a blocked nose and mouth breathing. Central heating can have an opposite drying effect on the sinuses but this also promotes mouth breathing.

On the other hand - although sleep apnea is normally associated with loud snoring some sleep apnea sufferers make very little noise. Sleep apnea is characterized by long pauses of no breathing and medically speaking, is considered a serious condition with life threatening consequences if left untreated. A sleep apnea sufferer may not snore but his condition should be addressed.

So from the snorer’s point of view the question is not, is it snoring? But is health effecting? If the snoring is a long term condition then it should be addressed. It is not the volume of noise generated but the style of breathing. Having an even, light and easy breathing style through the night is indicative of good health and disordered breathing is an indicator of the opposite. Long term breathing changes usually require changes to the way you breathe and the way you live. You can’t create a healthy breathing technique without having a healthy lifestyle, they go hand in hand. A healthy lifestyle requires exercise and a balanced healthy diet.

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