Common

Surveys show that 40% of American adults snore frequently. The same factors that promote obstructive sleep apnea also promote snoring. These include weight gain, alcohol use, and certain types of jaw anatomy.

Snoring can be a sign that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is present. Thus, snoring should not be viewed lightly, nor treated as a joke.

• 25% of snorers have OSA
• 75% of snorers do not have OSA

• 70% of persons with OSA snore
• 30% of persons with OSA do not snore

Snoring can also disrupt sleep in people nearby the snorer. The "snoring spouse syndrome" affects 20% of women in the United States.

Treating snoring can improve sleep in the bed-partner. After studying women sleeping with their snoring husband, researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that treating the husband's snoring resulted in:

• 62 extra minutes of sleep each night for the wife.
• half as many awakenings for the wife during the night.

A separate page reviews snoring treatments in adults.