Zzz: Dangers and solutions of snoring

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(NECN) - Snoring is known for creating annoying sleeping patterns and bed separation between couples, but it can also lead to serious health problems.

The problem is not just a concern for adults - it's also a serious problem among children.

Larry Twersky is a snoring expert and CEO of 1-800-Snoring. He is on the Board of Directors for Oral Health America and is a member of the National Periodontal Disease Coalition.

He shared the following hidden dangers of snoring, both in children and adults:

New studies have revealed just how crucial sleep is to proper brain development in infants and toddlers. Sleep-disordered breathing, such as snoring, mouth breathing, and sleep apnea, are extremely dangerous for children. 

According to new research, sleep-disordered breathing in infants and children is linked to an increase in behavioral problems later in childhood.

The study assessed the sleeping habits of over 11,000 children from birth to 7 years of age. Researchers found infants and toddlers who experienced recurrent instances of sleep-disordered breathing were 40-percent more likely to have behavioral problems at 4 and 60-percent more likely to have behavioral problems at age 7, with hyperactivity being the area most affected. 

Other behavior problems: Emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression, peer problems, problems including aggression and rule breaking, social cooperation with sharing, helpfulness, etc. 

Snoring and sleep apnea has links to several serious health complications, such as high blood pressure, fatigue and higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Approximately 80-percent of couples that has one partner who snores regularly sleep in separate bedrooms. Almost nine in 10 people interviewed said that their relationship, and sex life, would be better if their spouse's snoring stopped. Sleeping in separate bedrooms can have a domino effect in that not sharing a bed can lead to decreased closeness, increase tensions on the relationship and therefore decreased sex.

Treatment of snoring is easy and pain-free. Many doctors specializing in dental sleep medicine can give you a temporary device to open the airway and stop your snoring the same day you visit. Once the patient starts breathing better at night, many of the symptoms and health problems will begin to go away.

Watch the attached video to see some of the products Larry recommends for curing snoring.