Aging and Snoring: What to Review When Sleep Changes

Snoring can change as you get older, but it should not automatically be dismissed as normal aging. A change in sleep, health, medicines or daily routine is worth understanding, particularly when the noise is new or your daytime alertness has changed.

Age is one part of the picture

The risk of sleep apnea increases with age, and changes in tissues around the airway can contribute. However, age alone does not establish the reason for someone’s snoring. Some younger adults need treatment, while some older adults have little disturbance.

It is more helpful to compare your current sleep with your own earlier pattern than with an age-based average.

Build a short timeline

• When was the change first noticed?
• Did it begin around an illness, medicine change or different sleeping arrangement?
• Has your weight or evening routine changed?
• Are there nasal symptoms, waking episodes or new daytime sleepiness?

Bring this timeline and your medicine list to a review. Include non-prescription sleep aids and supplements. A clinician or pharmacist can assess whether anything needs adjusting; avoid making changes to prescribed medicines yourself.

Make practical changes comfortable

A suggestion to sleep on your side is not useful if it aggravates an existing shoulder or hip problem. Explain comfort and mobility limitations when discussing options. The same applies to a mouthpiece that is difficult to manage or a device that disrupts sleep.

Ask for instructions in a format you can use easily, and involve a partner or relative in the discussion if you want their help. An acceptable plan should fit your daily life.

Do not overlook a breathing problem

Tell a clinician about witnessed pauses, choking or gasping, or significant sleepiness. These symptoms should not be explained away by a birthday, retirement or being a “deep sleeper”. If you already have sleep apnea, report a return of symptoms even if the treatment once worked well.

Keep the aim specific

Decide whether the immediate concern is noise, interrupted sleep, difficulty using treatment or a new symptom. This helps the appointment stay focused. There is no universal anti-snoring product that can account for every medicine, health condition and anatomical difference simply because it is sold without a prescription.

Keep reading

• Snoring around menopause

Sources and further reading

• NHLBI: Sleep apnea causes and risk factors

Published by TannerMedico A/S, the manufacturer of Asonor. This article provides general information for adults and does not replace individual medical advice.