Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Abstract

Breathing disorders during sleep are best described as a spectrum of disorders. Normal quiet regular breathing lies at one end of the spectrum. In between there are worsening levels of snoring with progressively increasing levels of upper airway resistance culminating in obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) at the most severe end of the spectrum. The prevalence of OSAHS is 1–4% in middle-aged individuals and it is suggested that it is twice as common in men compared to women.