Six researchers at Case Western Reserve University have used the shape of a person's head as one indicator of potential problems with sleep apnea, a chronic form of snoring. Round-headed individuals tend to interrupt a good night's sleep with snoring more than long, thin-faced people. Prior to the study such factors as age, sex and obesity were used as predictors for chronic snoring, according to Mark Hans, chair of the Department of Orthodontics at the CWRU School of Dentistry. As an orthodontist, Hans studies face shape and how it can be used in a variety of ways from forensic dentistry to the shape of the head's snore reduction deep sleep disorders role in overall good health. Chronic snoring, also known as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), is a medical condition characterized by the blockage of the air passage at the back of the mouth during sleep. This blockage can cause a person to stop breathing hundreds of times a night-from a few seconds to as long as two minutes-and intermittently wake up. Chronic snoring can lead to cardiovascular problems or accidents associated with inattention due to sleep deprivation. Hans was lead researcher for the study, "Subgrouping Persons with Snoring and/ or Apnea by Using Anthropometric and Cephalometric Measures." Sleeping and Breathing, the international journal of the Academy of Dental magnetic snore free deep sleep disorders Sleep Medicine, published the article in a recent issue. In the first phase of the two-part study, researchers examined craniofacial characteristics of 60 known snorers and compared their features with 60 individuals with little history of snoring or a low respiratory disturbance index. The researchers examined 25 different parts of the face and did measurements from the front teeth to the esophagus, the length from the tip of the nose to the rear of the nasal passage and the distance from the top of the cheek bone to the bottom of the jaw. Coupled with other characteristics of a snorer, these measurements formed the new craniofacial risk sleep apnea dizziness deep sleep disorders index
