The upper airway resistance leads to
snoring and resulting arousals during sleep. Use of sedative or alcohol
and poor sleep hygiene also contribute to snoring. Patients predisposed to this disorder are generally overweight or obese and may have a short thick neck. Sleep apnea is associated with hypertension, diabetes and other cardiac abnormalities. Other conditions to rule out may be sleep deprivation, depression, narcolepsy, medications and hypothyroidism.