Changes in snoring during natural sleep identified by acoustic crest factor analysis at different times of night

Abstract

Sleep nasendoscopy can be used to identify the site of snoring but questions remain about how well a short assessment during drug-induced sleep reflects the natural condition. To investigate the uniformity of snoring during natural sleep we studied five patients (three men, two women) referred by their GPs for treatment of their snoring. A digital audio tape recorder captured the free-field snore sound at different times of night in hospital. Acoustic Crest Factor values were calculated on the 15 recordings made, having previously demonstrated that high crest factor values distinguish palatal from non-palatal snoring at sleep nasendoscopy. Some recordings showed reproducibility, but others showed substantial changes between recordings an hour apart. We infer that the snoring mechanism may change in some individuals during the night, with or without a change of snore site. We conclude a single recording, as in sleep nasendoscopy, may not be representative.

Interventional Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy: A Novel Technique to Guide Surgical Planning for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

“…Although DISE has been shown to be reliable, some critics of the technique suggest that sedative-induced sleep only provides a small window into the complex and variable patterns of natural sleep. [25][26][27] The present study demonstrates a more dynamic approach to DISE. The surgeon actively manipulated the upper airway with a NPT to better understand the interplay of the different sites of obstruction.…”

Continuous analysis and monitoring of snores and their relationship to the apnea‐hypopnea index

“…The probability of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is 3.2 times higher in snorers than in nonsnorers,4 and a snoring analysis system could help to provide further indication of level of risk. Several studies have shown differences in acoustic snoring characteristics between patients with OSAS and simple snorers 5–8. Usually a few manually isolated snores are analyzed, with an emphasis on postapneic snores in OSAS patients.…”

Drug‐induced sleep endoscopy versus Müller maneuver in patients with retropalatal obstruction

“…However, endoscopies under a propofol‐induced sleep have become highly preferable due to the absence of deleterious side effects of midazolam such as vomiting, headache, and respiratory depression . Although there are supporters of drug‐induced nasal endoscopy, there are many discussions regarding the notion that a drug‐induced state does not reflect the patient's normal sleep and that this procedure might lead to errors in the determination of the obstruction localization due to excessive muscle relaxation …”