Do you sleep with a snorer?

It could be a sign that something’s wrong.

Heavy snoring is one of the most common symptoms of a sleep disorder, including a condition called sleep apnea.

People with sleep apnea actually stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. Often, the sleeper will wake up abruptly and draw breath, perhaps with a gasp.

Men are more likely to have this condition. It’s also more likely to occur in people who are overweight, those who smoke, or those who overdo it with alcohol or prescription sedatives.

If this sounds familiar, it may be time for an overnight sleep study to help diagnose the problem.

Here’s why sleep apnea can be dangerous:

• It can lead to serious fatigue and loss of focus during the day.
• It can also cause hypertension, or high blood pressure.

“Often, it’s one of the things we might suspect when we are diagnosing and treating people for hypertension,” said Dr. David Pinelli, an internal medicine specialist and Chief Medical Officer at McLaren Macomb.

“The good news is, that people can sometimes make some healthy changes on their own to improve their sleep,” he said Dr. Pinelli.

Take our Sleep Assessment

Here are a few suggestions to talk over with your primary care physician:

• Develop a weight loss plan
• A plan to quit smoking
• A healthy exercise routine
• Discuss the use of sleep aid medication

In addition, try sleeping on your stomach or side. “Sleeping on your back is the worst possible way,” said Dr. Pinelli.

If sleep problems persist, the experts at the McLaren Macomb Sleep Center can help.

The center’s expert technicians will conduct an in-lab sleep study, also known as a polysomnogram. This will record your brain waves, heartbeat and breathing as you sleep. It also charts eye movements, limb movements and oxygen in the blood.

With this data, your doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and develop the best treatment plan. Treatment may require a C-PAP machine that helps people to keep breathing at night. There are also surgical options for more severe apnea cases.

For information on setting up a sleep study, call the McLaren Macomb Sleep Center at (586) 493-2544. The hospital also has an on-line quiz to help you determine the level of your daytime fatigue

You can take the quiz by clicking here.