My snoring doesn’t worry me – however, my wife finds it a pain in the neck. And while it might be stopping her from getting a good’s night sleep, it could be doing me more harm if it’s a sign that I’m suffering from sleep apnea – a condition in which patients pause during breathing while asleep, denying themselves oxygen. For US$2.99 snorers (or their long-suffering partners) can purchase a new iPhone app developed by Remote Analysis Ltd, a telemedicine provider from Finland, that analyzes snoring and advises if the patient should seek medical help.
The app works by comparing the patient’s snoring to a bank of pre-recorded snores captured in the app.
“This application is very easy to use. Just place the iPhone on your night stand, click ‘Record’ and go to sleep. In the morning click ‘Wake up’. After this you can browse a graph based on the night time recording and listen to audio clips revealing your snoring. The app includes sample audio clips of regular snoring and sleep apnea. You can compare your own recording with the samples and conclude whether you might have sleep apnea”, says CEO Ossi Tiihonen.
“We have developed the application with Qvik Ltd and medical doctors who specialize in sleep apnea diagnostics. The application can be used to screen sleep apnea or, for example, to gather evidence of your husband’s snoring”, says Tiihonen.