If you snore, you may be the last one to know. But everyone else in your house may already be aware of it. Snoring is very common, and often it is just a nuisance, and possibly a source of good-natured teasing. But sometimes it can be a sign of a serious health problem. Sometimes it's an indicator of sleep apnea.
Breathing actually stops many times a night and only resumes when the person wakes up long enough to begin to breathe again. The deep levels of sleep are a distant dream for the person with sleep apnea, and health goes downhill accordingly.
Mary Kyle has some helpful information about sleep apnea. She describes some signs and symptoms, and details the risks to heart and cardiovascular health.
"Although anyone may develop sleep apnea, it is more common in men with one in 25 middle-aged men and one in 50 middle aged women suffering from the disorder. Age also plays a factor with the numbers jumping to one in ten after age 65. You’re more likely to develop sleep apnea if you have a family history of the disorder or if your racial heritage is African-American, Hispanic or Pacific Islander."
https://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2010/04/05/woman-s-heart-sleep-apnea-and-heart-disease