Conducted by Dr V K Vijayan, director of the reputed Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, the study points out that snoring, medically termed as the vibration of respiratory apparatus and the resulting sound due to obstructed air movement, can lead to serious psychological and social damage, including Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

OSA is a sleep disorder characterised by pauses in breathing during sleep.

Of 15,000 people screened for the study in Delhi, a good 14 per cent were found to be “regular snorers” — people snoring for a minimum three to five nights a week. Among snorers, 4.4 per cent men and 2.5 per cent women in urban Delhi were found to be suffering from OSA. In rural Delhi, prevalence of OSA was found to be higher: 6.6 per cent among men and 4 per cent among women.

“Compared to other studies, 15.6 per cent of men in Sweden in the age group of 30-69 are found snoring. The figure is, respectively, 23 per cent men and 15 per cent women in the same age group in China,” Dr Vijayan said. “The numbers seem to be lower in Delhi. But still, it’s quite a high rate.”

People afflicted with obesity, hypertension, diabetes and old age are more likely to snore, he said.

Excessive tobacco could also trigger sleep disorders, Dr Vijayan said. “Our study found prevalence of sleepless symptoms and snoring higher among smokers. Of the people screened, 41.4 per cent men and 7.5 per cent women were regular smokers.”

And, you need to take better care of cold, for the study also found people who cough at night snore more.

The most vulnerable age group, however, is those in the bracket of 41-60 years. In urban Delhi, for example, 18 percent of people in this age group were found to be snoring. A good 21 per cent of male snorers and 11 per cent of female snorers in the same age group also suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness in rural Delhi.

In urban Delhi, the numbers are much lower: 11 per cent men and 7 per cent women were found to be afflicted with snoring and daytime drowsiness.

The study is yet to be published and is funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It recommends that snoring be considered a “serious public health concern” in Delhi. Patients, the study advises, could get help from Continuous Positive Airwave Pressure (CPAP), a device that helps ease out oxygen flow in the body.