Sleep

Sleep apnea: why strong, heavy people should not ignore loud snoring

Loud snoring, gasping at night and constant tiredness can point to sleep apnea, which is more common in people with a thick neck or higher body weight, including muscular ones.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the upper airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep. Each pause in breathing briefly wakes the brain to reopen the airway, often without the person noticing, so sleep becomes fragmented even if it seems long enough. Typical signs are loud snoring, pauses or gasping noticed by a partner, waking with a dry mouth or headache, and feeling sleepy during the day despite spending enough time in bed.

Risk rises with body weight, neck circumference, age and male sex, and with alcohol or sedatives taken in the evening. That means the condition is not limited to people with obesity: heavyweight lifters, rugby players and other athletes with large necks and high body mass can be affected too. Untreated apnea is linked to high blood pressure, heart rhythm problems and accidents caused by drowsiness, and it quietly undermines recovery, mood, appetite control and training quality.

If these signs sound familiar, speak to a doctor. Diagnosis is usually made with a sleep study, which can often be done at home. Effective treatments exist, including CPAP machines that keep the airway open with gentle air pressure, mouthpieces that hold the jaw forward, weight loss when appropriate and sleeping on your side. Many people who start treatment describe feeling more rested than they have in years. Snoring that is loud and regular is worth checking rather than joking about.

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