Sleep apnoea: Whanganui specialist nurse explains why loud snoring could be due to this condition

Whanganui Sleep Wise clinic specialist Lynda Aplin says loud snoring is often the sign of an underlying health condition. Photo / Bevan Conley

Snoring like a freight train or a jackhammer going off in the night? It might be the sign of an underlying sleep condition.

That’s the case for the 300 patients who have sleep apnoea that Whanganui sleep nurse specialist Lynda Aplin sees each year.

Sleep disordered breathing or sleep apnoea is when the upper airway blocks off during sleep, which often leads to a person waking in the night due to a lack of oxygen.

It affects about 10 per cent of the population and is relatively common, but around 80 per cent of cases aren’t diagnosed.

Aplin said many people would not realise they have a condition.

“Often people come to me because they’re not able to sleep in the same room as their partners because their snoring is so intrusive. Or they’re reluctant to go away on trips and sleep in the same room as other people because their snoring is so heavy.

“It’ll be happening for years and they just won’t realise.”

People who live with sleep apnoea often do not feel refreshed after a night’s rest and can get very sleepy during the daytime.

“There’s a really strong correlation with other cardiac conditions and people gaining weight, or having workplace and driving issues because they’re so sleepy.”

Treatments for sleep apnoea include weight loss and surgery, but the gold standard treatment is CPAP therapy (continuous positive airway pressure).

CPAP therapy is a little pump machine that blows air into a mask and splints the airway open with pressure.

“I’m treating people who are 10 years old up to 90 - so the whole age range.”

Advancements in sleep technology mean people can get tested for sleep apnoea without having to stay the night in a sleep clinic.

Aplin can remotely monitor people’s breathing during sleep.

Treatment for sleep apnoea has a high success rate and patients are able to function much better in their daily lives.

“People’s oxygen levels get very low so if they’re breathing better and their oxygen levels come up, there’s better wound healing and their blood pressure can come down.

“If you sleep well everything gets better.”

Prolonged periods of less than seven to nine hours of sleep a night can lead to long-term health issues and can also trigger depression or mental health issues.

“Sleep is one of those things you can trade off for a bit, but there will be a consequence if you chronically have short sleep and don’t give yourself the opportunity.”

People who snored loudly should definitely get checked, as chances were they had a health condition, Aplin said.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.