Snoring may not bother the individual who is snoring, but it's a major issue to those around them.
Apnea is defined as 'want of breath'.
Sleep Apnea is a condition wherein a sufferer experiences periods of breathlessness during sleep. These periods are in excess of 10 seconds and may typically occur up to 300 times per night. The blockage is formed of flaccid or redundant pharyngeal tissues. Once oxygen levels in the brain drop below acceptable norms, the sleeping individual partially wakens and clears their airway, typically with a deep gasp. In these cases the snoring is simply an effect of air passing over those flaccid tissues, causing them to vibrate.