About 100 million Americans snore on a regular basis, and over one half of those people have sleep apnea, which is characterized by the cessation of breathing multiple times within a single hour of sleep. But what really causes snoring and how far-ranging are the effects?

On today’s episode, dentist and sleep and snoring expert, Dr. Jay Khorsandi, explores this question and says that there are two primary factors involved: weight and age.

He explains that as people fall asleep, the muscles in the airway relax and gravity kicks in, which causes the tongue to fall further back into the throat, thereby restricting or altogether preventing breathing. As people age, the muscles become increasingly weak and therefore increasingly susceptible to collapse, which causes airway obstruction.

Dr. Khorsandi also discusses how weight gain only worsens the problem.

So, what’s the solution? In his work with patients, Dr. Khorsandi begins by acquiring as much data as possible during the course of a three-night at-home sleep study. This allows him to develop a deep understanding of a person’s source and extent of breathing issues and create an individualized plan for addressing them.

On today’s episode, you will learn:

• Why people tend to dream more when they breathe better during sleep
• How a laser can be used to treat snoring and breathing problems in a non-invasive, quick, and effective way
• How snoring progresses through stages to ultimately become sleep apnea
• Why certain types of treatment for snoring work better for some than others

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed