Heavy snoring may be a symptom of a sleep-disorder known as sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea stop breathing again and again during sleep. These interruptions in normal breathing last 10 seconds to three minutes and can occur several hundred times a night. Signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include excessive daytime sleepiness, heavy snoring, high blood pressure and irritability. Narcolepsy People who are too sleepy during the day and feel weakness when they get surprised, amused or angry may have narcolepsy.
Narcoleptics can experience terrifying dreams or hallucinations as they fall asleep.
Narcolepsy often develops in young adults and may be a lasting health problem. When people have chronic breathing problems or lung disease, their symptoms frequently get more pronounced when they sleep. A thorough evaluation of such respiratory diseases sometimes requires measurement of blood oxygenation during sleep. Nightmares or night terrors can be experienced by people of all ages and may be a sign of an unrecognized and often treatable, underlying disorder. Other conditions, such as grinding teeth or talking during sleep can lead to medical problems.