Eight warning signs your partner's snoring is actually a cause for concern
If you snore a lot it could just be that you're a noisy sleeper, or it could be the sign of something much worse and more dangerous.
Snoring can be a warning sign of a condition called sleep apnoea, which can have catastrophic effects on your ability to live a normal life.
However, you can't really tell by yourself if you snore since you'll be asleep at the time, so it's often up to a partner to tell you, and you can be sure that if you snore they'll tell you about it.
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Sleep specialist Rebecca Robbins told CNN that there are eight warning signs to watch out for if you want to know whether your partner's snoring is just a snore or the sign of something worse.
Pretty much everyone is going to snore at some point in their lives, but she said that if it's 'loud, raucous snoring, or it’s interrupted by pauses in breathing' then you should start to worry.
The first and most obvious sign is the snoring itself, it would most likely be incredibly loud, the sort of thing that sounds like a 'dying bear' according to fellow sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta.
If that's happening then it's time to look out for the other signs, and the second is tiredness during the day.
If sleep is not refreshing you and you feel like falling asleep during the day that is another check on the list of warnings.
Warning sign number three is spotting that someone has stopped breathing for seconds at a time, people won't know this happens as they sleep so it's up to a partner to listen out for it.
They'll probably be awake due to the snoring anyway, and if they hear you stop breathing or start gasping for air in your sleep that's really worrying.
Sleep apnoea can lead to high blood pressure, so sign number four is that and if you have it along with the other signals it's worth acting on.
The sleep experts said that sign number five was a person's BMI (body mass index), as those with a BMI of over 35 were found to suffer more frequently from sleep apnoea.
Sign number six is being over 50, as the experts say that by then your muscle tone is weakening, though research suggests that sleep apnoea in older people is usually more moderate than it is in younger sleepers.
Another thing to watch out for is the size of your neck, as the experts say that could obstruct you while you sleep.
If your collar size for wearing a shirt is more than 17 inches (43cm) in a bloke or 16 inches for a lady you are in the territory for a higher risk of sleep apnoea.
As for the final warning sign, sorry lads but if you're a man your risk of having sleep apnoea is just higher.
According to the experts if you're ticking off five or more of these warning signs then your snoring could be an indicator of something other than being a noisy sleeper.
Joe Harker