What causes snoring as people who do might be eligible to earn up to £156 a week due to condition
Whether you're the snorer or the snoree (a made-up term for the person who is subjected to someone else's snoring), snoring can be extremely annoying.
As of last year, it was found that 41.5 percent of the British population snores, and a whopping 30 million people were affected by it.
In some cases, it may be nothing to worry about and you just happen to be one of the unlucky people who are serial snorers, but it can sometimes be a sign of more serious health problems - sleep apnea included.
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As to what snoring actually is (aside from loud and inconvenient), snoring is defined as 'the sound produced while you sleep by the vibration of soft tissues in the upper airway', according to sleeptest.co.uk.
There are numerous side effects that come with snoring, and if you're diagnosed with sleep apnea, then you could be entitled to compensation from the government amounting to as much as £156 a week.
According to Full Fact, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have said that a person's ability to claim up to £156 'entirely depends on someone’s condition and how it affects their life'.
It'd come to you in the form of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is for people who have long-term physical or mental health conditions due to disabilities.
"You don’t receive PIP just by having a condition, it’s how that condition affects your everyday life," they said.
So basically, you can't just send a soundbite of yourself snoring to the DWP and expect £156 to land in your account each week.
But what actually causes snoring?
According to the NHS, 'snoring is caused by things such as your tongue, mouth, throat or airways in your nose vibrating as you breathe'.
It adds: "It happens because these parts of your body relax and narrow when you're asleep."
Apparently you're more likely to snore if you're overweight, smoke, drink too much alcohol or sleep on your back.
But the key difference between sleep apnea and snoring is the fact that sleep apnea can cause your airways to temporarily close off.
It's reported that around 1.5 million in the UK are affected by the condition.
There are an array of treatments for both standard snoring and sleep apnea.
For snoring - depending on why you snore - you might wear a mouth guard, wear a chin strap to keep your mouth closed, or use nasal dilators to hold your nose open.
Meanwhile for sleep apnea, you might have to wear a CRAP machine while you sleep (yes, you read that correctly), wear a gum shield-like device, or even undergo surgery.
Niamh Shackleton