Why snoring deserves a workup
Loud, habitual snoring affects roughly one in three adults. For many it is benign. For a clinically significant subset — perhaps one in four snorers — it is the signal of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that fragments sleep and silently strains the heart and brain.
Our snoring clinic does one thing first: distinguish benign snoring from sleep apnea. That distinction shapes every treatment decision that follows.
Who should be evaluated
- Loud snoring audible from another room
- Witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep
- Morning headaches that resolve by mid-morning
- Daytime sleepiness despite seven or more hours in bed
- Hard-to-control hypertension or new arrhythmia
- Difficulty concentrating or short-term memory complaints
- Frequent nighttime bathroom visits
- Family history of sleep apnea
How we evaluate
Diagnosis rests on an in-lab polysomnogram. Across one overnight, we record more than twenty physiological channels — brain activity, airflow, oxygen saturation, sleep stages, leg movement, cardiac rhythm — to identify and stage what is happening during your sleep.
We do not rely on home tests alone for adult diagnostic evaluation. Home tests are useful for screening; they do not capture sleep architecture, parasomnia patterns, or movement disorders that often coexist with snoring.
Treatment pathway
Once we know what we are treating, options follow the diagnosis — not the other way around.
Behavioral and positional first-line
Weight, alcohol timing, supine sleep, and nasal patency are addressed before any device. Positional therapy →
CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)
For moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, CPAP is the most evidence-supported long-term therapy. CPAP →
Oral appliance
For mild to moderate cases — or when CPAP is not tolerated — a custom mandibular advancement device. Oral appliance →
Surgery
For specific anatomic causes or as a salvage option after first-line failure. Surgical options →
Recurrence and jaw-skeletal cases
For patients whose snoring has returned after prior surgery — or whose skeletal anatomy requires advanced intervention. Recurrence clinic →
What follow-up looks like
A diagnosis is the beginning, not the end. We schedule three-month, six-month, and annual reviews to verify that the treatment remains effective and to adjust as your situation changes. Many patients who relapse without follow-up could have stayed well with a single adjustment.
The most important variable in long-term sleep care is not the device or the medication. It is the follow-up. — Dr. Han Jin-Kyu