Silent Night From the Snore-Chestra

Snoring has been called many things, but rarely if ever has it been considered musical! British natural snoring remedy company Helps Stop Snoring hopes to fix that.

The company has recruited snorers from around the UK to contribute their wheezes, rumbles and roars to form a so-called "snore-chestra". Graham Carr-Smith of Helps Stop Snoring said:

We know that snoring can be a real nuisance, and no one suffers more than the person who is sleeping next to a culprit. We’re launching the UK’s first snore-chestra to put a smile on the faces of hacked off partners

The first snorechestra recording has now been released. Appropriately enough it's a rendition of Silent Night which you can download here. Will it be this year's Christmas Number One?

Grandmother Snores Louder Than A Jet Plane

A UK grandmother of 60 has been declared Britain's loudest snorer - with a snore louder than a jet plane!

Jenny Chapman's snoring reaches a massive 111.6 decibels, louder than a spinning washing machine and as loud as the sound of a low flying jet. By contrast the average snorer reaches around 50-60 decibels with loud snoring registering a "mere" 80-90 dB.

Mrs Chapman's snoring was measured at a two day snoring "boot camp" run by Helps Stop Snoring.

So, will Mrs Chapman now be able to stop snoring? Perhaps. She said:

[The experts] recommended tips for healthy living but I won't be giving up alcohol totally just yet - that's too much to ask

Sleep Apnea Snoring Linked to Brain Damage

Snoring can sometimes be caused by Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a serious condition. Now new research suggests that apnea related snoring could also cause brain damage.

The University of New South Wales Brain Sciences Institute found brain chemistry changes in sleep apnea sufferers that were comparable to those in people who have had a severe stroke. The biochemical changes are thought to be a reaction to the reduction in oxygen intake experienced by sleep apnea sufferers.

Professor Caroline Rae of UNSW Brain Sciences said:

"It used to be thought that apnoeic snoring had absolutely no acute effects on brain function but this is plainly not true"

Sleep Apnea May Result in More Sick Days

For many years Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - a serious condition which can be a cause of snoring - was little known outside the medical world. However its profile may well be set to rise following suggestions that it might harm something far more precious to our society than mere health: company profits.

New research from the University of Bergen, Norway, has found that workers with sleep apnea take more time off work. Over a four year study, workers with symptoms of OSA were far more likely than others to take more than eight weeks of sick leave. They were also more likely to go onto permanent work disability. These correlations remain after adjusting for factors such as lifestyle and other medical conditions.

Of all the OSA symptoms studied the one most commonly associated with time off sick was daytime sleepiness.

If you suspect that you suffer from sleep apnea then you should consult your doctor.

Adkins Snoring Aid

Just as there are many different reasons people snore, so there are many different snoring cures to buy. A British company has just released a new one called the Adkins Snoring Aid.

Whereas as many snoring remedies on the market try to increase the flow of air through the nostrils, the Adkins Snoring Aid takes the opposite approach: it reduces the flow. Apparently this can help reduce snoring in those people the company describe as "nose snorers". The new product essentially consists of a pair of joined latex balls made from medical grade materials and is available to buy in different sizes to fit different people.

According to sleep deprivation expert Chris Grant, the man behind the product:

"The restricted airflow through the nose encourages mouth breathing which reduces the incidence of snoring in those whose snoring is caused by excess airflow across the soft tissues at the back of the nose."

Note: According to Adkins, this product "is not suitable for those under 18 years of age and those that suffer with nose bleeds, asthma, epilepsy, while suffering a cold, flu or Sleep Apnoea".

Snoreplasty Offers Hope for Snorers

The Telegraph reports on new research that could offer hope of a new snoring cure for some people.

The treatment is known as snoreplasty (or snore-plasty) and involves an injection into the soft palate of the mouth. In some cases (not all) a fluttering of this palate can be the cause of snoring.

The new research carried out by the Mansoura University in Egypt tested the method on 34 patients with a fluttering palate and found that it was effective in 32 cases.

Not everyone is convinced by the potential of injection snoreplasty. The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Society notes that in previous trials: "Many of the patients relapsed after 1 year as the scar tissue softened"

Sleep Apnea - Not All Bad?

A well-known cause of snoring is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This condition is potentially life-threatening and has been linked with higher chance of heart attack and stroke.

Now the Telegraph reports on surprising new research that suggests OSA might actually be associated with longer life in some older people.

The study followed people aged over 65 for four years and found that people with moderate sleep apnea were actually more likely to still be alive. For light and serious OSA sufferers mortality rates were the same as for the general population.

The reason for this surprising result is unknown. One suggestion is "ischemic reconditioning": the experience of dealing with minor system shocks induced by sleep apnea trains the body to better resist major shocks such as heart attack.

It's important to remember correlation does not necessarily imply causality, there could be other factors at work. However the research does suggest that perhaps in some people medical treatment for sleep apnea might not always be the best option.

As always your first step should be to consult your doctor.

Jet Noise Could Harm Sleepers

We all know that living near an airport - especially right under the flight path - can keep you awake at night. Now it seems that even when you do get to sleep the noise could be damaging your health.

New research published in the European Heart Journal has shown that jet noise can cause a rise in blood pressure (BP) whilst asleep. The BP of volunteers was measured remotely and showed an average increase of 0.62 mmHg in systolic blood pressure during aircraft noise. The researchers conclude:

"Effects of noise exposure on elevated subsequent BP measurements were clearly shown. The effect size of the noise level appears to be independent of the noise source."

The "independent of source" comment is interesting. The research showed that increased blood pressure was associated not just with aircraft noise but also from traffic noise - and snoring.