The audience watching Avatar at the Eden Century Cinema recently got more than the spectacle of alien extravaganza. Right before the start of the movie, in a well-received stunt to promote nasal snoring strips, the audience was treated to a short movie about a couple under stress due to snoring.

The actress burst on stage and pleaded with the audience for any kind of snoring aid. Cinema patrons willingly obliged and showered her with nasal strips that had been distributed on entry.

The snoring stunt may have brought the house down but, for millions across the world, it is no laughing matter. Even in mild cases, snoring can be very disruptive.

Recent surveys by GlaxoSmith-Kline suggest that about 80 per cent of snoring couples regularly sleep in separate bedrooms and almost nine in 10 say their relationship would be better if the snoring was solved.

Other surveys by the British Snoring Association indicate that 55 per cent of snorers admit their snoring has a detrimental effect on their sex lives - presumably because their partners are sleep-deprived and exhausted most of the time.

This seems to be the case locally as well. Snoring is a frequent condition as confirmed by feedback received by pharmacists.

"It's mostly women complaining they haven't slept a wink in ages because of their husband's snoring. They would be quite desperate and come in with a give-me-whatever-you-have plea," pharmacist Francesca Busuttil said.

Statistics confirm that men are two-and-a-half times more likely to snore as women. This is mainly due to the male facial physiognomy - male nasal canals tend to be different to those of a female.

The cry for help can be quite seasonal. Ms Busuttil said: "We get asked for over-the-counter remedies mostly in the allergy seasons, September to October and March to May when sinus inflammation and hay fever tends to increase the snoring."

"December also tends to be a problem for snorers but that's perhaps because people tend to drink more alcohol, which, in turn, relaxes the nasal muscles," she said.

Snoring should not be taken lightly. Paul Falzon, a GP, said it was not normally the patient who sought advice but the partner who had to endure night-time disruptions.

"It can get very bad. Snoring can be the cause of very serious marital problems, especially if snorers refuse to be treated," Dr Falzon said.

He speaks from experience as he himself was a snorer and his wife endured many a sleepless night till he was diagnosed and treated for bad sinusitis.

Ideally, snorers should always consult a GP who investigates the cause to determine whether the snoring is due to nasal problems or to general body or lifestyle problems such as obesity, consumption of excessive alcohol or smoking.

A GP can then recommend simple measures such as a change in lifestyle or the application of the drug-free nasal strips that widen the nostrils to increase the intake of air.

"But in some cases we have to refer the snorer to specialist care. For example, snoring caused by adenoids or a deviated septum (canal distortion) has to be treated by surgery," Dr Falzon said.

Snoring is something that might at some point affect anyone of us as, in both sexes, it increases with age as the throat muscles weaken. Now that's something to look forward to, assuming you stay married into old age.

It is perhaps a consolation that couples withstand the snoring test: in the UK, Britain's loudest snorer, Jenny Chapman, has been married for 20 years despite making more noise than a jet aircraft during her sleep. It would have been enough to bring down the whole army in Avatar.

What's happening when you're sleeping?

Snoring is defined as a "coarse sound" made by vibrations of the soft palate and other tissue in the mouth, nose and throat, collectively known as the upper airway.

Although it tends to be seen as a sleep problem, it is a respiratory complication highlighted by sleep. We don't snore when we're awake because the muscle tone in our upper airway is maintained.

During sleep, the tone is reduced and the narrowed airway is more likely to vibrate. Alcohol reduces the muscle tone further, as do sedatives and sleeping pills, so snoring gets louder after a few drinks. Other factors include being overweight, lack of exercise, allergies and nasal catarrh.

People who breathe through their mouths are likely to snore, as are those who sleep on their backs and anyone whose tongue tends to fall backwards and block their airway.