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Medical Author:

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.

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Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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In this Article

• What is snoring?
• How common is snoring?
• What are the causes of snoring?
• How do medications and alcohol affect snoring?
• Why is snoring a problem?
• What is the clinical importance of snoring?
• What are different levels of snoring?
• How should someone with snoring be evaluated?
• How is it determined if snoring is a medical problem?
• What are some objective tests to measure sleepiness?
• What are the treatments for snoring?
• What are some non-surgical treatments for snoring?
• What are the surgical options for snoring?
• What is the success of surgery for snoring?
• Snoring At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Snoring - Treatments
• Find a local Sleep Specialist in your town
• Snoring Index

For someone who reports being sleepy during the day, it is sometimes helpful to measure how sleepy he or she is. Also, after treatment of sleep problems, we sometimes want to measure improvement in daytime sleepiness.

Sleepiness can be measured with a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). Basically, the MSLT measures how fast someone falls asleep during the day. It must be done after an overnight sleep study (polysomnography) has documented adequate opportunity for sleep the night before. The test is composed of four to five "naps" that last 20 minutes each and are spaced two hours apart. The person is instructed to "try to fall asleep." The average time to fall asleep is calculated for all four or five tests. A normal time would be greater than ten minutes needed to fall asleep. Excessive sleepiness is defined as falling asleep in less than five minutes.

The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) also measures daytime sleepiness. The person taking this test is instructed to "try to stay awake." This is repeated for four 40-minute sessions, two hours apart. Not falling asleep in all four tests is the strongest objective measure of the absence of daytime sleepiness.

Some businesses use these tests to ensure that their employees are not excessively sleepy while at work. Specifically, airline pilots and truck drivers who experience sleepiness need to have a test to ensure public safety and productivity at work. Unfortunately, there is no test that will guarantee that someone will not fall asleep at his or her job or while driving.

The goals for the treatment of surgery may be difficult to determine. The problem of snoring usually is a problem for the bed partner or roommate. Therefore, successful treatment should also include the goal of achieving a successful night's sleep for the bed partner or roommate. This makes treatment of snoring a difficult challenge. For example, someone may have a successful treatment if his or her snoring decreases from a jackhammer level to that of a passing truck. If their bed partner is happy, then the snoring problem is "cured." However, another person whose snoring decreases from a mild sound to the level of heavy breathing may still have an unhappy bed partner.

It is wise to look at the "success" reports for various treatments with a critical eye. If the number of nights that a bed partner has to leave the room decreases from seven nights per week to one night per week, is that success? Some would say that it is. However, the bed partner (or snorer) still has to leave the room one night per week. It is important to know what the expectations for a "cure" are before considering any treatments.