ZZZZZZZZZZZ

Originally Posted on August 13, 2005

It happens every time I sleep.  I snore.

Apparently, it’s not a bad thing.  Or, is it?  Over five years ago, I used to visit a close friend of mine down in Columbus, Ohio on a regular basis. However, after a few nights of sleeping in the same bed with him, I was banished to the futon in the living room.  Why?

Because, I snored loudly.

Not all of my experiences with my snoring are that extreme.  A former roommate in Madison, Wisconsin had resigned to the fact that we both snored loudly.  He is still a friend and we sometimes travel. Even on the road, we’re used to our snoring patterns as well as our different sleeping times.

So, I ask, is it normal for big men to snore?


Yahoo! Health defines snoring as “to breathe during sleep with hoarse or harsh sounds, caused by the vibrating of the roof of the mouth” or the soft palate. Those of us who snore are not aware that we are snoring at all. In fact, it is quite normal for anyone to snore since there is no indication of some sort of disease or physical disorder.

However, a good number of us have a serious sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. This occurs when we snore, then end up with a lack of air in our system to recover our normal breathing and lung activity.  This is also known as chronic hypoxia, which means that the blood oxygen level in our body is not enough for air and oxygen circulation.

Without getting too clinical for this column’s good, many health care providers suggest that a loss in weight will help your snoring problem.  Let me clarify that by saying that if you are at a weight that is unhealthy for you to carry, this may apply to you.  But, I make it a rule never to tell a fellow bear or chub to lose weight, unless he is at a very unhealthy situation physically.

Sometimes, alcohol and sedatives at bedtime are factors in snoring.  Well, that’s easy.  Be careful what you take before bed and the levels you take them. If you can’t control your alcohol and your sedatives, don’t take them anymore.  Another thing that many health professionals’ point out is that as much as we love to sleep on our backs, it induces snoring. They suggest that we sleep on our sides. Anyone want to cuddle?

If you have a snoring problem and want to resolve it, I heard that the nose strips that allow for easier breathing through the nose do help.  There are other ways to help ease your snoring, but the best remedy of all is common sense.  Talk to your date, lover, host, or friend on whether they have a problem with your snoring or not. They might even help by accommodating to make your sleeping experience a pleasant one for everyone involved.

Instead of freaking out when your date brings a portable C-PAP machine along for the night or when he fills your sweet dreams with a loud chorus of “z’s,” love the man for he is dreaming a sweet dream of you. Hmmm…I think I’ll do a little astral traveling while I snore…Barcelona anyone?