Snoring can impact more than just a restful night of sleep for you and a partner. Snoring is a condition that is caused by the narrowing of the airways and relaxation of muscles in the back of the throat. When chronic, it can reduce the amount of oxygen being supplied to the body, put unnecessary stress on the heart or cause you to stop breathing.

Snoring can be an indicator of other health conditions. For example, sleep apnea—a condition that nearly half of chronic snorers have—can often be linked to cardiac and pulmonary diseases.

Alfredo Gonzalez, MD, Cardiologist at NorthShore, identifies the following symptoms to help determine if you have a sleep disorder:

• Trouble staying awake during the day (daytime somnolence). If you have a tendency to fall asleep while driving or while in a conversation, you should consider being screened for a sleep disorder. Having a hard time staying awake when doing less-strenuous activities (such as reading or watching a movie) may also be a signal.
• Feeling tired or fatigued. Not feeling refreshed and re-energized after a night of sleep can be an indicator of a sleep condition, especially if you feel this way consistently.
• Complaints by your partner that you snore either frequently or all the time at night. There is no way that you can know if you snore at night or not, so it can be helpful if another person tells you.
• Leg movement in your sleep that disturbs the other party. This can consist of involuntary movement of your limbs—often  jerky—that may or may not wake you up.

How many hours of sleep on average do you get a night? Do you know if you snore?