Intensity of snoring in patients with sleep-related breathing disorders.

The intensity of snoring was measured in 73 patients with snoring or sleep apnea using a noise meter. The mean intensity of snoring at 50 cm in front of the mouth was 61.7 dB in the supine position and 53.7 dB in the lateral position. There existed a definite correlation between the logarithmic transformation of the intra-esophageal pressure amplitude and the intensity of snoring in the supine and lateral decubitus positions. These findings suggest that the intensity of snoring may be a useful index for sleep-related breathing disorders.