When Power Snoring Exceeds A Power Saw

Think you've got it bad putting up with a snoring bed partner? Well, think again. This month a British woman has been recorded as one of her country's loudest snorers. Her snore is so loud that from a decibel standpoint, it's louder than a jet plane!

Impossible? Not at all. Though snoring rarely exceeds 85 decibels, sixty-year-old Jenny Chapman comes in at 111.6 decibels, which could drown out a spinning washing machine, diesel truck, and speeding express train.

People confuse decibels all the time, because they aren't "units" per se. A decibel is literally one-tenth of a bel--the number of bels (named after Alexander Graham Bell) being the common logarithm of the ratio of two powers. In other words, they measure a ratio of powers. Decibels do measure loudness, but it's best to think of them in terms of percentages because they aren't quantities of anything. Here's a list of common sounds and their associated decibels:

So what can Jenny do to tone down the volume (and invite herpoor husband back into bed who sleeps in another room)? She's been working on living a healthier life--cutting back on alcohol and food intake at night, and exercising more.

Though snoring is a multi-factorial problem, studies have long proven that excess weight, alcohol use, and being too sedentary can trigger or exacerbate the problem. When Jenny manages to gain better control of her snoring, she won't just make her husband happy. But she'll also make herself happier. Less ferocious snoring means more restful sleep.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

This article about snoring is also available at Dr. Breus's official blog, The Insomnia Blog.