KEY POINTS:
Snoring ruins relationships, destroys sex lives and can have serious health consequences.
As many as 15 million people in the UK live with a partner who snores, depriving them of an average of two hours sleep a night, according to a survey.
The study by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association (BSSAA) was conducted in partnership with the Ideal Home Show, which opened in London yesterday and features an anti-snore bedroom, the centrepiece of which is the "cleanest bed in the world".
In place of a traditional mattress, the Ammique has a "body suspension system", every part of which is washable to help people who are affected by dust and suffer from nasal congestion.
Marianne Davey, co-founder of the BSSAA, said: "Snoring can have a negative impact on the people who have to live with it."
In the survey of 2000 people, more than eight out of 10 of those affected said their relationships would be better if their partner stopped snoring, and over half said it had affected their sex lives. Many also admitted to feeling irritable, frustrated and upset with their partner and complained about making errors at work after disturbed nights.
Rising levels of obesity and binge drinking, and increasing levels of allergy are contributing to a growing incidence of snoring in younger people of both sexes.
Snoring is caused by the vibrations of the soft palate and other tissues in the nose, mouth and throat triggered by turbulence when air is drawn into the lungs.
- THE INDEPENDENT
