Snoring can lead to a condition known as Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS). In UARS, the soft tissues of the throat relax, narrowing the airway and requiring increased breathing effort. In UARS, the brain arouses from deep sleep throughout the night when increased effort is needed to breathe, resulting in frequent awakening throughout the night. The restorative processes that typically happen during normal sleep cycles, allowing the body to repair and rejuvenate itself, are disrupted in UARS, leading to daytime fatigue, weight gain and insomnia.

So, what's the difference between sleep apnea and UARS? Frequently, though not always, people with obstructive sleep apnea are often overweight or obese, but those with UARS tend to be of average weight. Additionally, the pauses in breathing seen with sleep apnea are either absent or very low in those with UARS. Neither condition should be ignored, however, as untreated UARS often progresses to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a dangerous health condition related to many long-term health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and heart failure.