When Matt Hillier was in his 20s, his nurse friend told him his snoring was shockingly loud. Now 32, he recalls dismissing it as a joke. It took until age 30, after waking with a racing heartbeat, to seek help. Despite being young and healthy, he was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnoea, a condition that causes breathing to stop during sleep.
Experts warn that chronic snoring is often dismissed as a joke but can signal obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association estimates 15 million UK snorers, and around 8 million adults may have OSA. Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, an NHS sleep surgeon, calls snoring the 'tip of the iceberg' for this dangerous condition, which raises risks of high blood pressure, stroke, and even dementia.
Snoring occurs when airways are blocked during sleep, causing throat tissues to vibrate. While not all snorers have apnoea, Professor Ama Johal of Aerox Health warns that loud, regular snoring is an 'early warning light'. The difference is whether breathing pauses occur, often with gasping or choking. Risk factors include obesity, genetics, and environmental factors like pollution and rising temperatures.
Hillier's story highlights a common misconception: that snoring and sleep apnoea only affect older, overweight people. His condition is supine-related, likely due to throat anatomy. He hopes others will take snoring seriously: 'I thought I was too young and healthy.' Left untreated, sleep apnoea can lead to fatigue, car accidents, and a lower quality of life.
