Post-concussive syndrome refers to long-term health problems that those who've suffered a concussion, or multiple concussions, experience.  A concussion is a soft-tissue brain injury and occurs when the head is hit and the damage surpasses the skull and actually damages the tissue of the brain.  Athletes in contact sports such as football or boxing often suffer many concussions over the course of their life.  And many wonder if snoring and post-concussive syndrome are related, as it seems that many people who suffer these injuries also start snoring incessantly as well.

Snoring and Post-concussive Syndrome

There is no definitive answer as to why snoring and post-concussive syndrome seem to be linked, however, most doctors have noted that those with recurring health problems after a concussion complain of interrupted sleep patterns.  They have an inability to sleep and chronic ringing in the ears, no doubt due to some damage to the ear canal suffered during their original injury.

Snoring and post-concussive syndrome seem to go hand-in-hand when there is added restlessness and dizziness due to the concussion, which also interrupt the sleep cycle.  Snoring can occur when a person sleeps too deeply or doesn't sleep deep enough; the breathing is not being regulated properly, the mouth drops open and the air passages close up, causing snoring.

Doctors and scientist still have much to learn about concussions and the long-term damage that they do.  As much as we know about the brain, there is still much more that we don't understand.  And how the brain regulates behavior when we sleep is still just as much a mystery – things such as sleepwalking, dreams, and the like are still greatly misunderstood.  So when it comes to snoring and post-concussive syndrome, it is theorized that perhaps parts of the brain that regulate behavior when we sleep, such as keeping the mouth closed when we breathe and breathing deeply rather than in short gasps, may be damaged due to concussions.

It's unfortunate that there is still so much that we don't know about so many functions of the body, but it is likely that snoring and post-concussive syndrome are related.  While there are no easy cures, you can of course roll the snorer on his or her side, use earplugs, make sure the room is humid enough, and other basic remedies for any other snorer.