Snoring..? Listen to Viv's talk to the Nelson Original's BNI Group, August 2012
Snoring
Being able to breathe through your nose is vital for a refreshing sound nights sleep, so having a blocked nose often causes poor sleeping patterns. Snoring is the sound of the volume of air a person is pushing in and out while breathing at night. Dental devices attempt to help (such as Mandibular Advancement Appliances), but are often uncomfortable, expensive and can stretch the lower jaw permanently.
The snoring noise reduces within the first days of a Buteyko course and drops even more as the person's breathing permanently returns to normal. Most people are familiar with snoring and the negative effects it can have on relationships with partners and other members of the household. Unfortunately snoring often leads to the onset of the more serious condition of sleep apnoea. From the Buteyko perspective, both sleep apnoea and snoring occur due to incorrect breathing, specifically over breathing or hyperventilation
People exert most control of their breathing and also breathe smaller volumes of air when upright. The closer a person becomes to the horizontal position the deeper the breathing volume becomes and the greater the loss of carbon dioxide (CO2) there is from the lungs. The worst way to sleep is on the back with the mouth open without the use of a pillow. In this position the breathing volume increases significantly and so does the snoring.
Normal sleep occurs in five stages: Stages 1,2,3,4, & REM (rapid eye movement).
Stages 3 & 4 are the most restful and deepest sleep but when a person is over breathing, or hyperventilating, they are prevented from easily reaching these stages and primarily remain in the light and easily disturbed sleep of stages 1 & 2. The Buteyko Institute Method of breathing retraining (BIM) successfully reduces over breathing (hyperventilation) and normal sleep patterns return. Physiologically, hyperventilation lowers the arterial and alveolar carbon dioxide (CO2) to the point where the breathing reflex is depressed - interpreted as an apnoea or hypopnoea to an observer. During cessation of breathing the CO2 slowly accumulates until it triggers the body to take the next breath. By correcting the breathing pattern the body no longer needs to suppress the breathing reflex as the CO2 level is maintained within normal limits
The snoring noise reduces within the first days of a Buteyko course and drops even more as the person's breathing permanently returns to normal. Most people are familiar with snoring and the negative effects it can have on relationships with partners and other members of the household. Unfortunately snoring often leads to the onset of the more serious condition of sleep apnoea. From the Buteyko perspective, both sleep apnoea and snoring occur due to incorrect breathing, specifically over breathing or hyperventilation
People exert most control of their breathing and also breathe smaller volumes of air when upright. The closer a person becomes to the horizontal position the deeper the breathing volume becomes and the greater the loss of carbon dioxide (CO2) there is from the lungs. The worst way to sleep is on the back with the mouth open without the use of a pillow. In this position the breathing volume increases significantly and so does the snoring.
Normal sleep occurs in five stages: Stages 1,2,3,4, & REM (rapid eye movement).
Stages 3 & 4 are the most restful and deepest sleep but when a person is over breathing, or hyperventilating, they are prevented from easily reaching these stages and primarily remain in the light and easily disturbed sleep of stages 1 & 2. The Buteyko Institute Method of breathing retraining (BIM) successfully reduces over breathing (hyperventilation) and normal sleep patterns return. Physiologically, hyperventilation lowers the arterial and alveolar carbon dioxide (CO2) to the point where the breathing reflex is depressed - interpreted as an apnoea or hypopnoea to an observer. During cessation of breathing the CO2 slowly accumulates until it triggers the body to take the next breath. By correcting the breathing pattern the body no longer needs to suppress the breathing reflex as the CO2 level is maintained within normal limits
Sleep Apnoea
Sleep apnoea is a condition characterised by 'stopping breathing' for more than 10 seconds at a time while asleep. There are two types of sleep apnoea; obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and the less common central sleep apnoea (CSA). Diagnosis is confirmed by a polysomnograph or 'sleep study'.
Typically persons with Sleep Apnoea will display:
Apnoeas of between 10 sec and 2 minutes or more
Snoring (though not always with CNS)
Restlessness, excessive movement/ kicking while asleep
Mouth breathing
Dry mouth/throat on waking
Thirst overnight and/or on waking
Waking unrefreshed and daytime tiredness/ foggy thinking
Tendency to fall asleep in meetings and in front of the TV
Breathlessness on exercise
Normal sleep occurs in five stages: Stages 1,2,3,4, & REM (rapid eye movement).
Stages 3 & 4 are the most restful and deepest sleep but when a person is over breathing, or hyperventilating, they are prevented from easily reaching these stages, and primarily remain in the light and easily disturbed sleep of stages 1 & 2.
A person with sleep apnoea has the added difficulty of 'arousal' occurring each time an apnoea finishes with a gasping breath dragging the person near to consciousness though often they remain asleep. This explains why it often takes a long time for a person to accept that they have a problem needing investigating, often much to the frustration of others!
The Buteyko Institute Method of breathing retraining (BIM) successfully reduces over breathing (hyperventilation) and normal sleep patterns return. Physiologically, hyperventilation lowers the arterial and alveolar carbon dioxide (CO2) to the point where the breathing reflex is depressed -interpreted as an apnoea or hypopnoea to an observer. During cessation of breathing the CO2 slowly accumulates until it triggers the body to take the next breath.
By correcting the breathing pattern the body no longer needs to suppress the breathing reflex, as the CO2 level is maintained within normal limits
Typically persons with Sleep Apnoea will display:
Apnoeas of between 10 sec and 2 minutes or more
Snoring (though not always with CNS)
Restlessness, excessive movement/ kicking while asleep
Mouth breathing
Dry mouth/throat on waking
Thirst overnight and/or on waking
Waking unrefreshed and daytime tiredness/ foggy thinking
Tendency to fall asleep in meetings and in front of the TV
Breathlessness on exercise
Normal sleep occurs in five stages: Stages 1,2,3,4, & REM (rapid eye movement).
Stages 3 & 4 are the most restful and deepest sleep but when a person is over breathing, or hyperventilating, they are prevented from easily reaching these stages, and primarily remain in the light and easily disturbed sleep of stages 1 & 2.
A person with sleep apnoea has the added difficulty of 'arousal' occurring each time an apnoea finishes with a gasping breath dragging the person near to consciousness though often they remain asleep. This explains why it often takes a long time for a person to accept that they have a problem needing investigating, often much to the frustration of others!
The Buteyko Institute Method of breathing retraining (BIM) successfully reduces over breathing (hyperventilation) and normal sleep patterns return. Physiologically, hyperventilation lowers the arterial and alveolar carbon dioxide (CO2) to the point where the breathing reflex is depressed -interpreted as an apnoea or hypopnoea to an observer. During cessation of breathing the CO2 slowly accumulates until it triggers the body to take the next breath.
By correcting the breathing pattern the body no longer needs to suppress the breathing reflex, as the CO2 level is maintained within normal limits