Question:  Why do black widow spiders kill their males after mating?

Answer:  To stop the snoring before it starts.

Hello Fellow Sleepers,

Without meaning to sound risqué, recently I was in the company of those who, shall we say, “power breathe” when they sleep.  That’s right, they snore. 

During my late-night “power-breathing” listening experience, I remember thinking how painful or harsh the noise sounded to me.  Eventually, I began to wonder if snoring, excuse me, “power-breathing” could be considered dangerous to one’s health.

After doing some research on the web, I located the following information that discusses some very common causes and cures for snoring.  Oh, one more thing, at the bottom of this post, you will find one more joke; I just couldn’t resist.  (Smile)

Please note that I merely copied the following information so if there are any typos, it’s not my fault. 

Enjoy,

Mark 

Is Snoring Dangerous?

Snoring is not a disease. In fact, it is so common that one could argue that it is almost normal.

Sleep apnoea. Loud snoring, however, may be a sign that the relaxed throat muscles are allowing the throat to become excessively narrow during sleep, and not enough air is getting through with each breath (Chest 2003;124:2309–23). Sometimes breathing stops altogether for 10 seconds or more, until the body’s arousal system makes it start again – this is called sleep apnoea syndrome. It is nine times more common in men than in women, particularly those who are overweight, and most sufferers are loud snorers. Men with a collar size of 43 cm (17 inches) have a 30% chance of suffering from sleep apnoea syndrome.

In sleep apnoea, you may wake up quickly with a feeling of choking or shortness of breath, or you may hardly wake at all, but just enough for the throat muscles to tone up and pull the throat open again. This can happen hundreds of times a night without you being aware of it. Not surprisingly, you will feel tired during the day because of the disturbed sleep and may be aware that sleep is not a refreshing experience. Your bed partner may notice that you are very restless during your sleep or that you seem to stop breathing for a few moments, with resumption of breathing signaled by sudden loud snoring.

To see if you are excessively sleepy in the day, check your score on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. A total score between 0 and 8 is normal.

Epworth Sleepiness Scale

For each situation:

Score 0 if you would never doze off
Score 1 for a slight chance of dozing
Score 2 for a moderate chance of dozing
Score 3 for a high chance of dozing
Situation
 Chance of dozing score
Sitting reading ………………………………….
Watching TV ………………………………….
Sitting (inactive) in a public place
(for example, at the theatre, at a meeting) ………………………………….
As a passenger in a car for an hour ………………………………….
Lying down to rest in the afternoon
if circumstances would permit ………………………………….
Sitting talking to someone ………………………………….
Sitting quietly after lunch (no alcohol) ………………………………….
In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic ………………………………….

If you think sleep apnoea syndrome is a possibility, consult your doctor, who may refer you to a laboratory that has equipment for assessing disordered breathing during sleep.

High blood pressure (hypertension)and heart disease are more likely in people who snore – both men and women (Journal of American College of Cardiology 2000;35:308–13). This may partly be because many snorers are overweight. Another reason may be that with even moderate snoring your breathing is obstructed and you are not getting quite enough oxygen during sleep, and this has a knock-on effect on your cardiovascular system. Whatever the reason, if you are a snorer ask your doctor to check your blood pressure.

Daytime functioning. If you snore, you may be disturbing your own sleep (as well as the sleep of others). This can affect how well you function in the day. For example, students who snore tend to do badly in exams (Student British Medical Journal 1998;6:182).

Headache. People who have daily headaches are more likely to be snorers (Neurology 2003;60:1366-8). The reason for this is not clear.

FACT:
Some retired deputy sheriffs went to a retreat in the mountains. To save money, they decided to sleep two to a room. No one wanted to room with Daryl because he snored so badly. They decided it wasn’t fair to make one of them stay with him the whole time, so they voted to take turns.

The first deputy slept with Daryl and comes to breakfast the next morning with his hair a mess and his eyes all bloodshot.

They said, “Man, what happened to you?”

He said, “Daryl snored so loudly, I just sat up and watched him all night.”

The next night it was a different deputy’s turn. In the morning, same thing–hair all standing up, eyes all blood-shot.

They said, “Man, what happened to you? You look awful!”

He said, “Man, that Daryl shakes the roof. I watched him all night.”

The third night was Frank’s turn. Frank was a big burly ex-football player; a man’s man.

The next morning he came to breakfast bright eyed and bushy-tailed. “Good morning,” he said.

They couldn’t believe it! They said, “Man, what happened?”

He said, “Well, we got ready for bed. I went and tucked Daryl into bed and kissed him good night. He sat up and watched ME all night long.”

(Smile)