Laugh and the world will laugh with you, snore and you sleep alone :-)

It was a warm and comfortable night, I was like a snug as a bug in a rug in my cozy bed when I unknowingly dozed off and I was in a fairyland with fairies and dwarfs dancing around me and singing melodious songs. I was sitting under the shade of a tree when a fairy came very close to my ear and said (snore...…snore.....), that’s where my pleasant dream broke. That was my father, who was fast asleep snoring like an untamed lion who was ready to attack me any time.
I am sure you can relate to the sonorous, grumbling and grating sound of Snoring. You must have at least one person in your family who is a snorer.  A Research reports that one out of every four adults snore regularly and nearly half of us snore occasionally. Do you think snoring is harmless? Well, let me tell you, it is something that can have serious health issues like - risk of stroke, Heart diseases, memory difficulty, aggravating diabetes, headache etc. Besides, it is not good for your family members as it keeps them up all night. SO, BE CAUTIOUS.
 
Let me share my experience and knowledge, and tell you TWO POINTS -  the causes and the cure of snoring.
Snoring is not just a hoarse sound that occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing them to vibrate as you breathe. It is associated with obstructive sleep apnea.
Don’t you think this is getting too technical,..... let me make it simple. When we sleep, due to some blockage in our airway, maybe due to tonsils or narrow air passage, our brain does not get enough oxygen supply and we open our mouth to increase the volume of oxygen which produces a hoarse sound.
 
I have a first-hand experience of snoring and problems associated with it. My father had a snoring problem since his college days and let me tell you it was a serious one. Because of sleep deprivation he used to doze off in an important company presentation, he was always lethargic, he had difficulty in concentrating and used to sleep anytime in any posture! He jokingly used to say “Apparently I snore so loudly that it scares everyone in the car I’m driving.”
 
Three years back he realized that drowsy driving is dangerous both for him and the others and decided to take medical advice. He got his SLEEP TEST DONE.  
My father was asked to lie down on the hospital bed and a technician glued several electrodes on his face, scalp, chest and limbs and told – “Now sir, you may relax and sleep normally while we monitor your vitals”.
My father was like “Oh my God!! - how can you expect me to sleep normally with all this stuff on”.
 
As it was a serious case with his oxygen level dropping to 60% doctor recommended a CPAP machine which has an air pump and mask to deliver mild air pressure to the upper airway through the nose. 
 
After so many years my father slept like a sleepy angel as his body was now getting enough oxygen supply and so did my mother, she got a sound sleep after 5 years of her marriage and my father got less kicks on his back from my mother . However, for a few days, I couldn’t sleep!! Because, I was missing that growling sound, the sound that had been a part of my environment since my birth!
 
So, my friends, mind you it is not just an adult’s problem, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea also occurs in many children of our age group as well. I would like you all to make a note that children who are overweight or out of shape are more likely to develop sleep apnea and other health issues - now or later in life.
So, if you dozed off while reading this, it is not because my article was boring, get your sleep test done.
 
The same fairy came into my dream once again and told me to deliver this message to you all -  My friends, eat healthy, avoid sugary drinks and junk food and have at least 1 hour of physical activity everyday.
To conclude, I would like to say that the choice is yours to either sleep with these pipes and masks your whole life or lead a healthy and a happy life.
 
I am sure you would like to live, laugh and sleep with your family and not with the mask, as happiness is in sleeping next to your loved ones and not alone.