Snoring, Sleep Apnea and Sex life.

Snoring can ruin your sex life

The quality of sleep can affect ones sex life. Sleeping in separate bedrooms causes a lack of intimacy, and couples may stop having sexual encounters. The irritability of sleep deprivation and the isolation of sleeping alone can ultimately bring you both to resent each other.

I have seen many snoring patients with sexual dysfunction .Many newly married youngsters working in IT like jobs often come to me not only with poor performance in the job place but also in bedroom. It is causing lot of strain in their married life, some thinking of even separation.

Understanding the problem of Snoring and Sleep Apnea:

Heavy snorers often struggle to get their breath when they are asleep, and their oxygen levels can plummet so low that they turn blue. The lack of oxygen triggers a survival response in the brain that wakes them briefly to prevent suffocation – a cycle of snoring, obstruction and wakening that can be repeated hundreds of times a night. This results in an awful night’s sleep, and predisposes the snorer to a range of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

Sex and Snoring:

Snoring and sleep apnea have been linked to sexual dysfunction. It could be that people who snore are generally not sleeping as well and, therefore, are more tired. It could be that partners of heavy snorers are also not sleeping well, or they may feel less desire for intimacy because of nightly snoring-related stress.

Snoring and OSA will reduce the secretion of male hormone testosterone levels in the body which can lead to male impotence and sexual dysfunction.

How to solve the problem:

First get help- Understand that it is a serious medical problem.

Get a sleep study done. It can be done at your own home

Any Treatment ?

Treatment depends on the severity of the condition. At the milder end of the spectrum, where snoring is not associated with any change in blood-oxygen levels, self-help measures may be all that is required – the triad of losing weight, stopping smoking and avoiding too much alcohol often works wonders.

If that fails-You have 2 options:

1-Use a CPAP– This blows a gentle stream of air in through the nose via a small nasal or face mask to prevent their airway from collapsing and obstructing.

2-Surgery-Laser surgery, RF, Coblator surgery etc.