A global survey released ahead of World Sleep Day, March 17, sheds light on the prevalence of snoring among respondents studied in the US, UK, and Australia.
The 2023 Snoring and Sleep Report, commissioned by Mute in partnership with WebMD and One Poll, polled 2,000 adults in each of the three countries and found that 57% of respondents were affected by snoring. Mute is a brand of nasal dilator that can help alleviate snoring.
The report revealed that men were more likely to snore than women, with 44% of male respondents reporting snoring compared to one-third of female respondents. Older respondents were most likely to snore, with 77% of 55- to 64-year-olds admitting to snoring, compared to 41% of 18- to 24-year-olds.
Those who were overweight also were more likely to snore. In America and Australia, people classified as obese were nearly twice as likely to be snorers (57%) than those who were a healthy weight (29%) according to their BMI. The percentages were slightly different in the UK but nevertheless demonstrated a relationship between weight and snoring, with 42% of “obese” people snoring compared to 27% with a “healthy” BMI.
Respondents reported a willingness to go to “extreme measures” to stop snoring. Nearly half said they “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” that they “would do anything” to stop their own or their partner’s snoring. Nearly one in five said they had considered surgery but hadn’t looked into it yet, while 14% said they had looked into surgery options. Men were almost twice as likely to look into surgery (19%) than women (10%).
“Snoring is, of course, a significant issue for more than half of the people taking part in our report. 57% are affected by snoring, their own or someone else’s. Some are so disturbed by it, they’ve explored surgery, either for themselves or a partner,” says a summary of the report. “And in their bid to find a cure, they’re also spending significant amounts of money—and would spend even more if they could find a permanent solution.”
The report also found that one-third of respondents have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder that may impair their sleep. Over one in 10 say they’ve been diagnosed with insomnia (US 17%, UK 7%, Australia 9%), while 9% report being diagnosed with restless legs syndrome (US 13%, UK 6%, Australia 7%) and 8% with obstructive sleep apnea (US 14%, UK 5%, Australia 6%).
Nearly 10% of respondents also reported other sleep disorders. These include parasomnias, such as sleep terrors, nightmare disorder, sleepwalking, or sleep paralysis (7%); circadian rhythm disorders, such as non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder or shift work disorder (6%); and central sleep apnea (6%).
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