22/08/2026
Things you've normalised that you probably shouldn't - 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏: 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠.
I'm starting a series looking at seemingly innocuous things that men over 40 commonly accept as part of getting older, but which can sometimes be clues that something isn't working as well as it should.
𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩: 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠.
You might think it's just an irritating habit your wife has learned to tolerate.
(and she may have a different view)
But persistent, heavy snoring can be a sign of sleep apnoea, where your airway repeatedly becomes restricted while you're asleep.
That means broken sleep and repeated drops in oxygen, even though you have absolutely no recollection of the multiple wakes.
Sleep apnoea is associated with lower testosterone in men, particularly when the condition is more severe (𝘚𝘶 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭., 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸).
Low testosterone can lead to a host of problems, but one that frustrates most men I speak to is the stubborn belly fat.
Sleep apnoea has also been associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. The evidence doesn't prove that sleep apnoea directly causes dementia, but the association is significant enough that it's not something to casually dismiss as "just snoring" (𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭., 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻).
So if you're snoring regularly, waking up tired, relying on caffeine to function and wondering why your energy, cognition and performance aren't what they used to be...
Perhaps the problem isn't that you're getting older.
More likely it's that you're not actually recovering while you're asleep.
That's the point of this series.
Your body is constantly giving you data. The question is whether you're paying attention.
Any questions, just send me a direct message and I'll be happy to discuss
