Snoring affects a wide range of people - studies have shown as many as 40% of American adults suffer from it. The following statistics show how much of a problem snoring can be.

- As many as 30% of people age 30 and up snore. By the time they reach middle age, the number increases to 40%.

- Men are roughly twice as likely to snore as women, but this ratio decreases after women reach menopause.

- Children are not immune either - 5.6% of children snore regularly.

- 66% of married adults say they have a partner who snores.

- When asked whether they snore or not, 59% of those same married people said they do.

- Between 20 and 40 percent of adults who snore may actually be suffering from sleep apnea.

- Roughly 9% of men and 4% of women from the ages of 30 to 60 have sleep apnea.

- Children deal with sleep apnea as well - studies show up to 10% of children suffer from it.

- People who suffer from sleep apnea are up to 4 times more likely to have a stroke and 3 times more likely to have a heart attack

- People who are affected by sleep apnea are up to 6 times more likely to have a serious car accident compared to those who are not, due to the fact that they are drowsy from a lack of quality sleep.

- Drowsy driving leads to at least 100,000 car crashes and 1,550 deaths each year, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

- Partners of snorers and people with sleep apnea lose roughly 1 hour of sleep every night, waking up to 21 time an hour.

You can see from these statistics that snoring is a more serious problem than many people think. No matter how healthy you may be, you should get your snoring checked by a health care professional. Remember that it can affect other people as much or more than it affects you.