Snoring and sleep apnea (apnoea) are symptoms of a dysfunctional breathing pattern. A dysfunctional daytime breathing pattern will carry over into night-time presenting a range of possible symptoms including snoring, sleep apnoea, insomnia, restless legs, night-time trips to the bathroom, bruxism (teeth grinding), and night-time thirst.
It is important to realise that if you snore you are potentially breathing 2–3 times the physiological norm. In short you are massively over-breathing.
For anyone that has a partner that snores that should be obvious, but this seems to be overlooked by many sleep specialists whose primary focus is the apnoea, or stop-breathing phase of the cycle.
This is why snoring and sleep apnoea treatments focus on devices or procedures (CPAP, Bipap, mandibular splints and – a last resort – surgery) to open up the breathing tubes. These interventions are at best uncomfortable, at worst painful and in most cases, more disruptive than the symptoms they aim to fix.
The Buteyko approach is to recognise that snorers are over-breathing and that sleep apnoea is the body compensating for this. Most of our clients experience a significant reduction in their snoring and improvement in sleep by the third session of the programme. As the breathing pattern normalises, restful snore and apnea-free sleep returns. Read on to better understand the physiological basis for this.
The image below demonstrates how snoring (over-breathing) in your sleep can reduce the oxygen supply to your brain. No wonder you wake up tired and groggy!
Functional MRI scan of a human brain showing oxygen saturation levels from Litchfield 1999
The image on the left-hand side shows normal oxygen saturation levels in a healthy breather’s brain. The image on the right-hand side shows the dramatic reduction in the flow of oxygen to the brain that can occur at repeated intervals through the night in a snorer or sleep apnoea sufferer. This explains why snorers and sleep apnea sufferers often wake up groggy and/or with a headache.
Sleep Apnoea Symptoms 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)...
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Sleep Apnea Treatment The Buteyko Breathing Clinic programme successfully reduces over-breathing (hyperventilation) and normal sleep patterns return...
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He says he found it difficult to stick with the six-week programme of exercises but the suggestion to sleep with a strip of tape on his mouth helped him control his sleep apnoea. However, breathing through the nose is not the full answer to a complex and potentially serious health issue like sleep apnoea.
The exercises do take commitment: forty-five minutes of breathing exercises a day for six weeks will help overcome sleep apnoea, reduce the snoring, and make a noticeable improvement to overall health.
Unfortunately most people are unaware that snoring and sleep apnoea may be the result of a faulty breathing pattern and that learning a breathing technique like Buteyko can help resolve the problem.
Hopefully articles like this will encourage some to try this natural drug-free alternative to CPAP machines, mandibular splints and surgery. The solution is right under your nose.
Phone us at the Buteyko Breathing Clinic, Auckland on 09-360 6291 if you would like to book a private consultation or course with Glenn or to learn more about the programme.
[Note: Apnoea / Apnea used interchangeably on this site for Search Engine purposes.]
Snoring and sleep apnea (apnoea) are symptoms of a dysfunctional breathing pattern. A dysfunctional daytime breathing pattern will carry over into night-time presenting a range of possible symptoms including snoring, sleep apnoea, insomnia, restless legs, night-time trips to the bathroom, bruxism (teeth grinding), and night-time thirst.
It was pleasing to read John Roughan’s article, 
