does added bodywieght make you snore?
- Thread starter JAV
- Start date
W
WeirdAl
Guest
Yep, sure does. I snored like a banshee @285lbs, didn't snore at all @ 175 (9 months later), and snored a bit @205 (1 year after 175). Not sure what I do @190 (2 months later).
ZZZOOM
New member
Hi Jav... if you are snoring due to added body weight and especially gasping for air you could possibly have sleep apnea. I have been diagnosed with this and when I add on extra pounds I have to sleep with a machine so that I don't stop breathing at night hence the gasping for air. I have a lot of experience with this PM me if you want more info.
ZZZOOM
ZZZOOM
Yep, I have that problem too. I developed it very early (high school). It is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). It tends to develop in men with underdeveloped jawlines (jaw does not pull tongue and throat soft tissue masses far enough forward to prevent throat from collapsing while sleeping); overweight men (again, soft tissue in throat tends to collapse); larger men (that would be some of us); men who consume alcohol or other relaxants prior to sleeping (again, throat tissue); deviated septum; and also it may be caused by a CNS (central nervous system) problem which has nothing to do with your body structure. I can't talk about the CNS issue as I don't know much about it.
btw, smoking aggravates the condition (hehe, for all the smokers on here). LoL
But, for everything else, here is what I do know. I say men because OSAS strikes primarily men by a huge margin . . . don't know why. Here are the prescribed solutions, from most invasive to least invasive.
You may have a procecure called a mandibular and maxilliar osteotomy (sp?) where the surgeon and an orthodontist reconstruct your jawline. This is a two part procedure. The first step involves making a cut in the bone above your top teeth structure and moving all your teeth forward and reaffixing. The second part involves severing your bottom jaw link and moving the jawbone forward so that the bottom teeth meet up with the top teeth. You are then wired shut. This involves computer rendering and extensive orthodonty. It hurts and sucks in general. It is also hard to keep up your weight (I was very excited to learn that I could squeeze mashed potatoes through the wires with a syringe . . .)
You can have a uvulapalatopharyngoplasty (yep, that's the word) where they go in and remove soft tissue from the throat and your uvula. They may also go in through your chin and cut out a section of bone, twist it and reaffix it. The musle which holds down the tongue is attached to the back of your chinbone. This will prevent the base of the tongue from going into your throat. To get to the bone, they make an incision at the base of your lower teeth and pull your lower lip down over the base of your chin, exposing the chin bone.
You may have a deviated septum, which means you are lucky (if that is all that it is), since it is an upper airway obstruction and is easily fixed. You go under with a strong sedative and they bust through the cartilage in your nose and set you straight so that the airway is no longer obstructed.
If you don't want surgery (it is covered by insurance), you can start with a mouthpiece which is designed to help you breathe.
Finally, you can get a Continuous Pressure Air Pump (CPAP) which basically makes a sound like white noise but leaves you looking like an airforce fighter pilot while you sleep. It is minimally inconvenient and is also covered by insurance.
To get treatment, go to your doctor and tell him that you think you have OSAS. Tell him the conditions that you are experiencing, and tell him that you are always tired (whether you are or not). He will refer you to an ENT doctor who will send you to a sleep clinic for an overnight. It sucks because they glue a bunch of wires to your head, face, stomach, etc. You spend the night. The ENT doctor evaluates the results. If it shows you have OSAS (the overnight records your breathing patterns, brainwaves and blood-oxygen saturation levels), then you can discuss options. Insurance kicks in for treatment.
Finally, on OSAS in general, it is serious business. Untreated, it can lead to poor health, heart attacks, and without question, it will shorten your life. Period, no exceptions. Go see your doctor.
If you have OSAS, after receiving treatment, for the first time in a long time, you will experience a good night sleep. You don't know what one is, since you aren't getting any. It will change your life. Also, re: bodybuilding, without sleep, we are severely limited.
I had every procedure listed above, starting when I was 20 years old (my blood-oxygen saturation level was at about 72 while most normal sleepers are at 96-98). By the time that I was 26, I was on the CPAP anyway and will be for the rest of my life. You get used to it.
Hopefully this helps.
-- bg
btw, smoking aggravates the condition (hehe, for all the smokers on here). LoL
But, for everything else, here is what I do know. I say men because OSAS strikes primarily men by a huge margin . . . don't know why. Here are the prescribed solutions, from most invasive to least invasive.
You may have a procecure called a mandibular and maxilliar osteotomy (sp?) where the surgeon and an orthodontist reconstruct your jawline. This is a two part procedure. The first step involves making a cut in the bone above your top teeth structure and moving all your teeth forward and reaffixing. The second part involves severing your bottom jaw link and moving the jawbone forward so that the bottom teeth meet up with the top teeth. You are then wired shut. This involves computer rendering and extensive orthodonty. It hurts and sucks in general. It is also hard to keep up your weight (I was very excited to learn that I could squeeze mashed potatoes through the wires with a syringe . . .)
You can have a uvulapalatopharyngoplasty (yep, that's the word) where they go in and remove soft tissue from the throat and your uvula. They may also go in through your chin and cut out a section of bone, twist it and reaffix it. The musle which holds down the tongue is attached to the back of your chinbone. This will prevent the base of the tongue from going into your throat. To get to the bone, they make an incision at the base of your lower teeth and pull your lower lip down over the base of your chin, exposing the chin bone.
You may have a deviated septum, which means you are lucky (if that is all that it is), since it is an upper airway obstruction and is easily fixed. You go under with a strong sedative and they bust through the cartilage in your nose and set you straight so that the airway is no longer obstructed.
If you don't want surgery (it is covered by insurance), you can start with a mouthpiece which is designed to help you breathe.
Finally, you can get a Continuous Pressure Air Pump (CPAP) which basically makes a sound like white noise but leaves you looking like an airforce fighter pilot while you sleep. It is minimally inconvenient and is also covered by insurance.
To get treatment, go to your doctor and tell him that you think you have OSAS. Tell him the conditions that you are experiencing, and tell him that you are always tired (whether you are or not). He will refer you to an ENT doctor who will send you to a sleep clinic for an overnight. It sucks because they glue a bunch of wires to your head, face, stomach, etc. You spend the night. The ENT doctor evaluates the results. If it shows you have OSAS (the overnight records your breathing patterns, brainwaves and blood-oxygen saturation levels), then you can discuss options. Insurance kicks in for treatment.
Finally, on OSAS in general, it is serious business. Untreated, it can lead to poor health, heart attacks, and without question, it will shorten your life. Period, no exceptions. Go see your doctor.
If you have OSAS, after receiving treatment, for the first time in a long time, you will experience a good night sleep. You don't know what one is, since you aren't getting any. It will change your life. Also, re: bodybuilding, without sleep, we are severely limited.
I had every procedure listed above, starting when I was 20 years old (my blood-oxygen saturation level was at about 72 while most normal sleepers are at 96-98). By the time that I was 26, I was on the CPAP anyway and will be for the rest of my life. You get used to it.
Hopefully this helps.
-- bg
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