What Is Catathrenia?

Catathrenia is the medical term for groaning during sleep. Persons with this condition emit long, sometimes loud groans on exhalation or out-breathing, most commonly during REM or deep sleep. Catathrenia is, in this sense, the opposite of snoring, which occurs on inhalation or in-breathing. Researchers increasingly categorize catathrenia as a sleep-related breathing disorder, akin to sleep apnea, though there remains some debate on the subject. Catathrenia doesn’t appear to correlate with any known health risk, nor does it reflect a disturbed emotional state or physical discomfort during sleep.

Catathrenia is relatively rare. A 2017 study suggested that only one out of 200 sleep-clinic referrals involved sleep groaning. Though individuals with catathrenia are often well-rested, their bed partners may not be. If you or a loved one is troubled by catathrenia, a primary care physician or sleep specialist at Baptist Health can help you cope.

What Are the Symptoms of Catathrenia?

Catathrenia is marked by the following symptoms:

• Long groans or moans on the out-breath while sleeping
• Periods of slowed breathing, known as bradypnea
• Occurrence in single or multiple phases, most frequently but not always during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep.

Catathrenia is only occasionally associated with poor-quality sleep. It is more likely to have a negative effect on the sleeper’s bed partner, who will suffer from a lack of nighttime rest. Knowing this can lead to psychological discomfort on the part of the sleeper, including embarrassment, self-consciousness, and anxiety over the partner’s condition. 

What Is Catathrenia?

Catathrenia is the medical term for groaning during sleep. Persons with this condition emit long, sometimes loud groans on exhalation or out-breathing, most commonly during REM or deep sleep. Catathrenia is, in this sense, the opposite of snoring, which occurs on inhalation or in-breathing. Researchers increasingly categorize catathrenia as a sleep-related breathing disorder, akin to sleep apnea, though there remains some debate on the subject. Catathrenia doesn’t appear to correlate with any known health risk, nor does it reflect a disturbed emotional state or physical discomfort during sleep.

Catathrenia is relatively rare. A 2017 study suggested that only one out of 200 sleep-clinic referrals involved sleep groaning. Though individuals with catathrenia are often well-rested, their bed partners may not be. If you or a loved one is troubled by catathrenia, a primary care physician or sleep specialist at Baptist Health can help you cope.

What Are the Symptoms of Catathrenia?

Catathrenia is marked by the following symptoms:

• Long groans or moans on the out-breath while sleeping
• Periods of slowed breathing, known as bradypnea
• Occurrence in single or multiple phases, most frequently but not always during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep.

Catathrenia is only occasionally associated with poor-quality sleep. It is more likely to have a negative effect on the sleeper’s bed partner, who will suffer from a lack of nighttime rest. Knowing this can lead to psychological discomfort on the part of the sleeper, including embarrassment, self-consciousness, and anxiety over the partner’s condition. 

What Causes Catathrenia? 

The cause of catathrenia is unknown. Medical research has found possible links between sleep groaning and small jaw size, childhood orthodontia, and a personal or family medical history of sleep-related breathing disorders or parasomnias, such as sleep talking.

How Is Catathrenia Diagnosed?

There are several steps in the diagnosis of catathrenia:

• Documentation of symptoms: Your physician will make a record of your symptoms, including the frequency and intensity of groaning and any secondary characteristics, such as daytime fatigue or decreased alertness. 
• Physical exam: A physical exam will include inspection of your nose, mouth, and throat cavities for possible obstructions to breathing. It may also involve the use of an imaging technology, to obtain a clearer picture of your internal anatomy.
• Questioning an observer: Since you’re unconscious when you groan, your physician may want to question your spouse or another relevant observer who’s been kept awake by your sleeping. 
• Sleep study: Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be asked to undergo a sleep study. Your groaning and other physiological behaviors will be monitored and recorded during a period of rest. Sleep studies are conducted at home or in specialized medical facilities. 

How Is Catathrenia Treated?

Depending on the degree of discomfort experienced by you or a bed partner, your physician may recommend:

• A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device: A CPAP is a breathing apparatus that you wear over your face while sleeping. It is connected to a pump, which keeps your breathing passages open by gently forcing pressurized air into them. CPAP has been shown effective at stopping groaning.
• An oral appliance: An oral appliance is a customized mouthpiece that helps keep your jaw, tongue, and palate in their proper position during sleep, reducing the possibility of partial obstruction. 
• Surgery: In some cases your medical team may opt for a surgical procedure to remove excess tissue from your breathing passages. For example, a procedure known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) involves the excision of tissue from the throat canal. Airway surgery is another possible option. 

The success of these treatments can vary a great deal, based on the cause of groaning and the degree of commitment displayed by the patient to nightwear technologies.

How Can My Bed Partner Sleep Better?

As already noted, it is often the bed partner of someone with catathrenia who suffers most from this relatively harmless condition. Options for better sleep include:

• Running a fan or white-noise machine at night, to help mask the sound of groaning
• Wearing earplugs
• Sleeping in another room, if the groans become too much to manage

Learn More About Catathrenia from Baptist Health

Catathrenia can be conquered. Start by scheduling an appointment with a Baptist Health primary care or sleep specialist today.