Snoring is common, but loud snoring with pauses, gasping or daytime sleepiness can point to sleep apnoea, which needs a proper medical assessment.
Snoring on its own is common and often harmless, but loud regular snoring with pauses in breathing, gasping or choking, or ongoing daytime sleepiness, can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea can't be diagnosed by symptoms alone and needs a proper medical assessment, usually including a sleep study. If any of the signs below sound familiar, it's worth talking to a doctor rather than putting up with it.
Why snoring happens
When you fall asleep, the muscles in your throat relax. In some people, this lets the airway narrow, and air moving through the tighter space makes the soft tissues vibrate. That vibration is the sound of snoring.
Lots of things make it more likely, including sleeping on your back, a blocked nose, alcohol in the evening, being very tired, carrying extra weight around the neck, and the natural shape of your jaw and airway. Snoring also tends to become more common with age.
When snoring becomes something more
In obstructive sleep apnoea, the airway doesn't just narrow, it repeatedly partly or fully closes during sleep. Breathing becomes shallow or stops for a short time, oxygen levels can dip, and the brain briefly rouses you to reopen the airway. This can happen many times an hour.
Most people don't remember these arousals at all. They just know they're tired. That's why a bed partner's observations are often the first clue, and why sleep apnoea frequently goes unrecognised for years.
Signs worth paying attention to
Signs that suggest snoring may be more than just noise include the following.
- Pauses in breathing noticed by someone else, often followed by a snort or gasp.
- Waking up choking or gasping, or with a racing heart.
- Loud snoring most nights, often loud enough to be heard through a wall.
- Daytime sleepiness, such as dozing off while reading, watching TV or as a passenger, or struggling to stay awake while driving.
- Morning headaches or a dry mouth on waking.
- Waking unrefreshed even after what should be enough sleep.
- Getting up to urinate several times a night.
- Poor concentration, irritability or low mood that seem to have crept in.
Not everyone with sleep apnoea snores loudly, and not everyone feels sleepy. Some people mainly notice tiredness, poor concentration or broken sleep. If your sleep isn't leaving you rested, our article on sleep quality versus sleep hours explains why.
Why it matters
Unrecognised sleep apnoea is more than a nuisance. Repeated drops in oxygen and constant interruptions to sleep put strain on the body. Sleep apnoea is associated with high blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, and the daytime sleepiness it causes raises the risk of accidents on the road and at work.
It's also one of the more commonly missed explanations for ongoing tiredness. People can spend years assuming they're just busy or getting older, when a clear explanation was there to be found. Partners often notice first, so if someone has mentioned your snoring or breathing at night, take it seriously.
Why it needs proper assessment
You can't confirm or rule out sleep apnoea yourself. Phone apps and wearables that record snoring or estimate oxygen levels might raise a flag, but they aren't diagnostic tests and can miss it or overstate it.
The standard way to diagnose sleep apnoea is a sleep study. This records your breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and other signals while you sleep, either at home with portable equipment or overnight in a sleep clinic. A doctor considers your symptoms, your history and an examination, decides whether a study is needed and arranges the referral. Once there's a clear diagnosis, a doctor or sleep specialist can talk through what's appropriate for you.
Avoid self-diagnosing, and avoid buying devices or products marketed online for snoring before you've been properly assessed. They can mask symptoms without addressing what's going on.
When to talk to a doctor
Talk to a doctor if someone has noticed you stop breathing or gasp during sleep, if you snore loudly most nights, or if you're sleepy during the day despite enough time in bed. Book promptly if you've nodded off while driving or nearly done so, and avoid driving when drowsy until you've been assessed. Mention high blood pressure, morning headaches or needing to urinate at night. If you have chest pain, trouble breathing or feel faint, call 000.
How UHD BioHealth can help
UHD BioHealth is a doctor-led telehealth service available across Australia. You start with a detailed online questionnaire covering your sleep, snoring and daytime symptoms, and an AHPRA-registered doctor reviews it within 24 hours. If a sleep study or bloodwork is recommended, your doctor will explain why and arrange the next steps, and you'll receive a written personalised plan with every cost listed before you pay, checked by a second, independent doctor. See what a doctor looks at for poor sleep.
Common questions
Is all snoring a sign of sleep apnoea?
No. Plenty of people snore without having sleep apnoea. Snoring becomes more concerning when it's loud and regular, comes with pauses in breathing, gasping or choking, or when you're sleepy during the day despite enough time in bed.
How is sleep apnoea diagnosed?
It's diagnosed with a sleep study, which measures your breathing, oxygen levels and other signals while you sleep. Depending on your situation this may be done at home with portable equipment or overnight in a sleep clinic. A doctor assesses whether you need one and arranges the referral.
Can I have sleep apnoea if I'm not overweight?
Yes. Carrying extra weight increases the risk, but sleep apnoea also occurs in people who aren't overweight. The shape of your jaw and airway, the size of your tonsils, nasal blockage, age and family history can all play a part.
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An in-depth health questionnaire covering your history, symptoms, medications and lifestyle, read by an AHPRA-registered doctor within 24 hours. Bloodwork where it's needed, and a written plan before you pay anything.
General health information only, not medical advice. Complete our questionnaire and a doctor will assess whether a consult is right for you. Individual needs and outcomes vary. In an emergency, call 000.
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