Snoring interrupts the sleep of 8-in-10 Americans

Snoring interrupts the sleep of 84 percent of U.S. adults and their bed partners but most just suffer through it instead of seeking help, a survey indicates. The Spring Harris Interactive survey sponsored by ResMed, an innovator in developing products for the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing and other respiratory conditions, found men were twice as likely as women to say their bed partner leaves the room to escape their snoring. However, neither really wants to abandon a comfortable bed -- 65 percent of respondents still choose to suffer through a sleepless night instead of leaving the bedroom or seeking solutions. Many were unaware that snoring is one of the leading symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, the general term for a group of disorders characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, the most common of which is obstructive sleep apnea. Adam Benjafield, vice president for medical affairs for ResMed Americas, said people with sleep apnea might be interrupted literally a 100 times an hour by the body fighting to breathe. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of ResMed from April 9-11 among 1,912 adults ages 30 and older. No margin of error was provided.