Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Overview

Snoring is a major symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. But even though most people who have sleep apnea snore, not all people who snore have sleep apnea.

If you have sleep apnea:

• How loud and how often you snore changes often.
• Your snoring disturbs your sleep, such as pauses in breathing or gasping while sleeping.
• You stop breathing at times, and oxygen levels in your blood go down.

If you snore but don't have sleep apnea:

• Your snoring is steady.
• Your snoring doesn't disturb your sleep.
• You don't stop breathing, and oxygen levels in your blood don't change.