The full moon rises into the dark sky, highlighting a deep, purple glow around low floating clouds. An almost loquacious wind rattles the empty branches of the trees, ripping away what's left of its leaves.
Soon a howl - loud, melodious, bellowing - escapes into the night.
Is it a werewolf - half man, half beast? Releasing an uncontrollable cry into the night sky?
A werewolf transforms in the night, when a full moon fills the sky, into a hairy canine-like creature whose yips, barks, and howls could pierce your eardrums. Not unlike the 50-65 decibels the average snorer reaches.
We may never know just how many werewolves are walking our streets…
But we do know, snoring is much more common! On average 37 million
American adults snore regularly, yet only 59% will actually admit it. Now, what's a bigger secret to hide: your ancient curse that turns you into the Wolf Man or a broken airway that causes you to snore?
While werewolves and other creatures of the night are much less of a threat, snoring is a very real terror that will keep you up at night.
About 50% of people who snore loudly have obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring doesn't always necessarily mean sleep apnea but around 73% of habitual snorers may also suffer from this common disorder.
Snoring can drastically influence and affect your well-being and livelihood.
Physically: Habitual snorers have a five-time higher risk of heart disease than those who snore only occasionally. Daytime dysfunction is one of the most common adverse effects of snoring.
And socially: Snoring can affect your relationships. In fact, it is to blame as the third leading cause of divorce in the U.S. If your partner doesn't leave altogether, there's a high likelihood they may at least end up sleeping in another room.
Other side effects and risk factors include hypertension, increased risk of stroke, heightened anxiety and depression, frequent headaches, sexual dysfunction, and daytime fatigue. Many folks deal with these illnesses and disorders, yet remain unaware-wolf of their correlation.
Puns aside, whether it's a werewolf howling at the moon, or it's your broken airway causing a raucous nighttime chorus… these afflictions are equally as terrifying.
At ADVENT, we can do our best by recommending to werewolves a good flea and tick treatment, and maybe do "Werewolves of London" with them on karaoke night…
But it's probably best you let us help you where we can have the greatest impact. And that's identifying and treating the root causes of your breathing issues.
Snoring and sleep apnea don't have to keep you up at night… let the monsters do that. Happy Howl-ween!