My Partner Says I Snore. Should I Be Worried?

By Lydia Lim, Dentist at Carlton Dental Care, Merivale, Christchurch

Snoring is one of the most common things partners bring up in the lead-up to an appointment at our Merivale clinic – sometimes only half-jokingly. But it’s worth taking seriously, because while snoring is often harmless, it can sometimes be a sign that something more significant is going on.

Why do we snore?

Snoring happens when the soft tissues at the back of your throat relax during sleep and partially narrow your airway. As you breathe, air moving through those tissues causes them to vibrate – and that vibration is the sound your partner is losing sleep over.

Occasional snoring after a big meal or a few drinks is usually nothing to worry about. Loud, frequent snoring is a different matter.

When snoring might signal sleep apnoea

Loud or persistent snoring can be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) – a condition where your breathing repeatedly stops or becomes restricted during sleep. It’s more common than most people realise, and it often goes undiagnosed because the person snoring is, by definition, asleep when it happens.

These are the questions I’d ask a patient who came in concerned about their snoring:

• Do you ever wake up gasping or choking?
• Has your partner noticed you stop breathing during sleep?
• Do you wake up with a dry mouth or a headache?
• Do you feel unrefreshed even after what seems like a full night’s sleep?
• Are you tired or drowsy during the day for no obvious reason?

If several of those sound familiar, it’s worth investigating further rather than dismissing it as just snoring.

The first step: a sleep study

If sleep apnoea is suspected, a sleep study is usually the starting point. This can often be done at home – you don’t necessarily need to spend a night in a clinic. The study records what’s happening with your breathing while you sleep and determines whether you have sleep apnoea and, if so, how significant it is.

Your GP can refer you for a sleep study, or we can point you in the right direction from our end.

What treatment looks like

Treatment depends on what the sleep study shows and your individual circumstances. Options include lifestyle changes, positional therapy, CPAP (a machine that keeps your airway open during sleep), or an oral appliance.

At Carlton Dental Care, we offer assessment and fitting for a mandibular advancement splint (MAS) – a custom-fitted oral appliance that gently repositions your lower jaw during sleep to keep the airway open. For mild to moderate sleep apnoea, and for patients who find CPAP difficult to tolerate, a MAS can be an effective and far more comfortable alternative.

When to come and see us

If your partner has started sleeping in another room, or if you’re waking up tired despite going to bed at a reasonable hour, it’s worth a conversation. A MAS isn’t right for everyone – but an assessment at our Merivale clinic will tell you whether it’s a viable option for you, and we can help you understand what the next step looks like.

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