The Bard himself, William Shakespeare, seemed pretty forgiving in King Henry IV, Part 1when he said of the king’s snoring, “Hark, hear how hard he fetches breath.” The British writer and composer Anthony Burgess who gave us the classic film A Clockwork Orange, wasn’t so willing to forgive and forget when he commented, “Laugh and the world laughs with you; snore and you sleep alone.”

Husbands and wives willingly tolerate a lot of each other’s personal quirks over the course of a marriage —knuckle cracking, toenail clipping, off-key singing, leaving the toilet seat up—but it takes a very strong bond to deal with snoring, one of the most annoying and profound threats to married bliss besides ESPN. One thing about snoring is that it’s everywhere. 40% of us are snorers, and 25% of us are considered heavy snorers. That’s a lot of nighttime noise across America.

What is snoring and why do we do it?

Snoring is the unmistakable snorting or rattling sound that happens when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the upper air passage at the back of the mouth and nose while sleeping. The area at the back of the throat narrows when the muscles there relax during sleep. The air trying to move through the narrowed space causes the tissues to vibrate causing the snoring sound.

Some of the most common causes of snoring are:

• sleeping on one’s back which causes the tongue to drop to the back of the mouth and block the free flow of air
• nasal congestion from colds, allergies, or some deviation in the nasal structure that affects air flow (deviated septum, broken nose, etc.)
• drinking alcoholic beverages or taking certain medications like sleeping pills or muscle relaxants before bedtime which cause the throat muscles, the tongue, and air passages to over- relax, allowing them to vibrate
• being overweight or pregnant which may account for excess tissue in the airways
• genetic factors like long tonsils, large adenoids, long soft palate, or long uvula
• a history of smoking which tends to relax the throat and tongue muscles
• the natural aging process

The physical effects of sleep deprivation can be extremely serious, something not all of us sufficiently appreciate. Research has indicated that extended bouts of sleep loss can cause diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and even obesity. Lack of sleep can cause the body to enter a constant state of being stressed, something which can lead to poor decision making when it comes to matters of diet, exercise and general healthy living.

The mental manifestations of sleep loss are equally profound, impacting mood, outlook, ambition and emotional responses to events. Focus can be severely hindered by exhaustion, making almost every type of task more difficult to complete. The result is often decreased performance on the job, at home and in all other realms of daily life. When it comes down to it, there really is no substitute for quality sleep, and all of us need to do everything within our power to assure that we get it.

Why are we sleeping so poorly?

Time spent sleeping represents roughly a third of our entire lives, making it a substantial investment of what is an extremely rare and valuable resource. As mentioned before, countless of us fail on a regular basis to get a healthy amount of quality sleep. For some, this is because too much activity is packed into an already hectic schedule. For others of us, however, there may be more fundamental reasons we do not get the sleep we need. Common causes of disrupted sleep include:

• Improper support of the body
• Uncomfortable ambient temperatures
• Constant tossing and turning
• Partner disturbances
• Sagging or uneven mattress

These frustrating, yet correctable issues are responsible for more hours of lost sleep than anything else, but they need not persist for those in the know. One of the lynchpins of a great night of sleep is a mattress able to provide the necessary support to the body while also limiting the transfer of motion created by a shifting sleep partner. To that end, modern mattress manufacturers have developed advanced coil systems designed

Snoring can be more than just noisy

Snoring can go from annoying to dangerous in the case of obstructive sleep apnea, a common but serious sleep-related breathing disorder. Sufferers of sleep apnea literally stop breathing while they’re sleeping for as long as thirty to forty seconds because their airways become blocked by the collapse of the tissue in the back of their throats while they sleep.

The muscles of the upper airway relax naturally when we fall asleep. If we sleep on our back, the tongue falls backward into the airway, narrowing the flow of air and causing the tissues to vibrate which causes the snoring. A sleep apnea sufferer’s airway becomes blocked while asleep, cutting off the supply of oxygen. This can happen to someone with sleep apnea several times a night or several hundred times.

The constant struggle for steady oxygen flow becomes exhausting, and the apnea victim often wakes up tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate at work the next day. The long-term implications for sleep apnea victims can be high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression unless controlled.

Can the right mattress help certain types of snorers?

Since one of the most common causes of snoring is sleeping on your back, the answer is absolutely yes. If you’re a back sleeper, you may simply need to find the type of mattress that is specially designed to allow you to get a great night’s sleep while sleeping on your side. One mattress that fits that bill perfectly is a latex or memory foam type mattress.

A side sleeper will likely find that the surface of a conventional firm mattress is not cushioned enough for the pressure points of the shoulder, upper arm, elbow, hip, and knee. One of our expert Mattress Warehouse Sleep Specialists will point out that a latex or memory foam mattress will provide cushioned support for those pressure points while cradling the natural contour of the body from head to toe. Ask to try out a plush mattress, designed to give the support of a firm mattress while having an inner layer of one to four inches of convoluted foam just under the mattress top.

If you’re a back sleeper and a snorer, you’ll find a whole new world of comfort sleeping on your side on a latex or memory foam mattress. You may also find that your spouse begins to wake up every morning with a smile, well rested after a quiet and serene night’s sleep.

We are Oregon’s leading mattress provider with eleven Mattress Warehouse stores located throughout the state in Portland, Canby, Salem, Clackamas, Wilsonville, Beaverton, and Gresham. Stop by one of our stores today and ask one of our Sleep Specialists to show you how you can begin to enjoy sleeping again.

Requirements for truly great sleep

Even those who have resigned themselves to the notion that they will never get truly great sleep need to realize that there are steps they can take to greatly improve matters. Following a few simple steps can get even the most volatile sleeper back on track to getting the rest necessary for happy, productive and healthy days. Some essential techniques include:

• Maintaining a consistent sleep-and-wake schedule, even on weekend days so that the body’s internal clock stays in rhythm.
• Developing a nighttime ritual designed to relax and disengage from the stresses of the day.
• Getting sufficient exercise, even if only light-to-moderate intensity.
• Remove electronic devices and other distractions from the bedroom.
• Maintaining an ambient room temperature of 60-67 degrees when sleeping.
• Eliminating excess noise and light in the sleep environment.
• Perform an honest evaluation of your mattress and pillows, making timely replacements when needed.

Optimal sleep starts with the right mattress

At Mattress World Northwest, we are committed to helping each and every customer determine the sleep surface best suited to their specific set of needs and considerations. Unfortunately, most shoppers know very little about the critical differences among mattress structures and materials, and that is why we believe strongly in the importance of consumer education. Our highly-trained staff members are ready and willing to help determine the proper mattress for you, your sleep partner and each member of your family. From memory foam to latex, crib mattresses to California Kings, we offer the finest selection anywhere in Oregon and invite you to explore our vast inventory. The differences in your health, disposition and overall productivity that will come from night after night of high quality sleep are certain to amaze you. With locations across the region, including stores in Gresham, Clackamas, South Salem and Beaverton, it is easier than ever to start getting the sleep you deserve.