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Is snoring intensity responsible for the sleep partner’s poor quality of sleep?

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to determine if the intensity of breathing noise (including snoring) and/or the presence of abnormal breathing events (ABE) are factors that trigger arousal/awakening of a snorer’s bed partner.

Methods

We conducted a prospective multicenter study investigating couples where the male had a chronic disturbing snoring. We simultaneously recorded the male’s respiration and snoring and the female’ sleep. We counted the number of arousals and awakenings during N2 sleep and randomly took nine of each. Then, for periods before, during, and after each arousal and awakening, we observed on the respiratory tracings what was happening in terms of breathing noise intensity and presence/absence of snoring and/or ABE.

Results

Thirteen couples were analyzed. The intensity of breathing noise and the presence/absence of snoring and/or ABE were comparable before and at initiation of arousal/awakening and between arousal and awakening. However, breathing volume intensity was lower and the presence of snoring and/or ABE was less frequent when the bed partner returned back to sleep from awakening compared to the other periods (p always <0.001).

Conclusions

The intensity of breathing noise or the presence of ABE does not seem to be essential to trigger an arousal or an awakening. However, the persistence of noise or events may prolong the duration of wakefulness during the sleep period and could be one factor that explains the bothersome snoring.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was received from ADEP Assistance for renting the recording equipment.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors has any conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. APHP, Raymond Poincaré Teaching Hospital, Université Versailles St Quentin en Yvelines, Physiology, Functional Testing, and Technological Innovations Centre, 104 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, 92380, Garches, France

    Marc B. Blumen, Maria Antonia Quera Salva, Isabelle Vaugier, Frédéric Barbot & Frederic Lofaso

  2. Centre Médical Veille-Sommeil, 59 Avenue de Villiers, 75017, Paris, France

    Marc B. Blumen

  3. AP-HP, Bichat-Claude Bernard Teaching Hospital, Université Denis Diderot-Paris 7, Physiology-Functional Testing, Paris, France

    Marie-Pia d’Ortho

  4. Association d’Entraide des Polios et Handicapés (ADEP assistance), 92380, Puteaux, France

    Karl Leroux

  5. ENT Head Neck Surgery Department, Foch Hospital, Université Versailles St Quentin en Yvelines, France, 40 rue Worth, 92150, Suresnes, France

    Marc B. Blumen & Frederic Chabolle

Authors
  1. Marc B. Blumen
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  2. Maria Antonia Quera Salva
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  3. Isabelle Vaugier
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  4. Karl Leroux
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  5. Marie-Pia d’Ortho
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  6. Frédéric Barbot
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  7. Frederic Chabolle
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  8. Frederic Lofaso
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marc B. Blumen.

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Blumen, M.B., Quera Salva, M.A., Vaugier, I. et al. Is snoring intensity responsible for the sleep partner’s poor quality of sleep?. Sleep Breath 16, 903–907 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-011-0554-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-011-0554-5

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