Positive nasal airway pressure eliminates snoring as well as obstructive sleep apnea

Nine men who were habitual snorers were studied during a control and a treatment night (in random order) to assess the effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on snoring, sleep-disordered breathing, and nocturnal oxygen desaturation. Four subjects had symptoms suggestive of the sleep apnea syndrome, but the other five were asymptomatic. Polysomnography and recordings of snores were obtained on both nights. On the treatment night, the subjects wore a customized infant anesthesia mask over their noses, and CPAP was applied and adjusted upward from 4 cm H2O to a level that obliterated snoring. Nasal CPAP (range 4 to 13 cm H2O) reduced the mean number of snores per night from 1,015 per subject to 23 per subject (p less than 0.01). Mean numbers of episodes of apnea, hypopnea, and desaturation were also significantly reduced. Analysis of sleep structure showed no significant differences in sleep period time, total sleep time, or the percentages of stages 3 and 4 sleep. The percentage of stages 1 and 2 was significantly greater on control nights, and the percentage of REM sleep was greater on treatment nights. On the control nights, snoring was common in stages 3 and 4 and least common during REM sleep.