What it means
When the muscles of the throat relax in sleep, the airway narrows and the soft tissues flutter. Snoring is common and often harmless, but loud snoring with pauses in breathing and gasping can point to obstructive sleep apneaub-STRUK-tiv SLEEP AP-nee-uhA sleep disorder in which the upper airway closes again and again during sleep, stopping or reducing breathing.a- without-pnea breathingFull entry . In a client recovering from anesthesia or sedation, snoring sounds mean the tongue is partly blocking the airway.
For the nurse
For a sedated client who starts snoring, reposition the head and jaw to open the airway and check oxygen saturation and how easily they wake. Ask about snoring and daytime sleepiness in sleep and pre-surgery assessments.
Related terms
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.
sedation
A calm, relaxed or sleepy state brought on by drugs, or the use of drugs to cause it.
obstructive sleep apnea
A sleep disorder in which the upper airway closes again and again during sleep, stopping or reducing breathing.
sleep apnea
A sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts again and again during sleep.