Claudia Peschiutta
GLENDALE ADVENTIST MEDICAL CENTER -- Victims of nighttime elbow jabs
and teasing from bleary-eyed spouses may finally feel appreciated.
The Sleep Disorders Center at Glendale Adventist is holding a contest
to find the area's loudest snorer.
"You use something fun and catchy to raise people's attention," said
center coordinator Kathy Cavander. "Snoring is not a normal phenomenon.
We should be sleeping quietly."
Participants have until May 31 to submit audio or video tapes of
the snorer, which are then judged by Dr. David Thompson, medical director
of the center, and others.
"For some of these people, the snoring is so loud that the walls
vibrate," Thompson said.
The winner will receive a free sleep evaluation package, valued at
about $2,000, Cavander said.
Thompson said if a person snores loudly and irregularly and stops
breathing while sleeping, it could be a sign of a serious problem.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing is blocked while
sleeping and could be associated with heart disease and high blood
pressure, he said. It can affect anybody at any age.
Past winners of the snoring contest have discovered they had sleep
apnea serious enough to require professional attention, Thompson said.
"It really isn't funny," he said.
Anywhere from 4 to 10% of Americans suffer from sleep apnea.
People are often surprised when they find out their snoring is a medical
condition, she said.
Loud snoring can also cause other problems.
"We have people who haven't taken vacations in years because the
husband's snoring keeps them awake," Cavander said. "There are couples
who have gotten divorced over snoring."
SNORE TO SCORE
* WHAT: Glendale Adventist Sleep Disorders Center's Snoring Contest.
* WHEN: Contest entries are accepted through May 31.
* INFO: To enter, participants must send an audio or video tape of the
snorer to the Glendale Adventist Medical Center Sleep Disorders Center,
1509 Wilson Terrace, Glendale, 91206.
* CALL: For more information, call 409-8323.
