188: The Relaxback UK Show with Mike Dilke - Episode 188188: The Relaxback UK Show with Mike Dilke - Episode 188
UK Health Radio Podcast
Mike Dilk talks with Nigel Clark about the causes and risks of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, and a chin-worn device designed to reduce tongue and throat-based snoring. The conversation highlights health impacts, relationship strain and current medical research into alternatives to CPAP.
34:49•27 Oct 2026
Snoring, Sleep Apnoea and a Tiny Device That Could Save Your Nights
Episode Overview
- Snoring is extremely common, affecting an estimated 45–50% of adults, and is not limited to stereotypical middle-aged men.
- Obstructive sleep apnoea can cause people to stop breathing up to 100–150 times an hour, increasing risks of obesity, cardiac issues and daytime accidents.
- There are different types of snoring (nasal, tongue-based and throat-based), and simple measures like side-sleeping or using positional aids can sometimes help.
- Zeus’s chin-mounted device uses gentle electrical nerve stimulation to activate tongue muscles and keep the airway more open during sleep, particularly for tongue and throat-based snorers.
- Long-term clinical work with hospitals and a large upcoming NHS-backed study aim to provide an alternative for people who cannot tolerate CPAP masks for sleep apnoea.
“"They reckon there's eight to 10 million people in the UK that suffer from sleep apnoea... the major statistic is those that are given a CPAP mask, 50% of them are not wearing it within a year."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This time the focus shifts to something many households quietly put up with: snoring. Host Mike Dilk chats with Nigel Clark, CEO of Zeus, about why snoring is more than just a punchline and how it can seriously affect health, relationships and quality of sleep. Nigel starts by busting a few myths. Snoring isn’t just about “middle-aged men that drink at night and eat cheese before bed”.
He cites research suggesting “between 45 and 50% of adults snore” and notes a high percentage of women snore too, with menopause increasing the risk. They move quickly from jokes to the heavy stuff: obstructive sleep apnoea, where “you can stop breathing 100 to 150 times an hour” and starve the brain of oxygen, raising risks of obesity, heart problems and daytime accidents.
You’ll hear a breakdown of the different types of snoring – nose, tongue and throat – and some surprisingly low-tech fixes, from side-sleeping to the classic tennis ball sewn into a pyjama top. Then the conversation shifts to Zeus’s chin-worn device, which uses gentle electrical nerve stimulation to keep the tongue slightly forward during sleep. Nigel explains how it “works on night one” for many tongue and throat-based snorers by activating the genioglossus muscle under the chin.
There’s plenty here for anyone whose drinking history, weight changes or ageing body have left them snoring more than they’d like. Nigel talks through 15 years of research, multiple hospital-led trials and a major upcoming NHS-supported study on sleep apnoea, all aimed at finding a realistic alternative for those who can’t tolerate CPAP masks.
If snoring is wrecking your sleep, your partner’s patience, or even forcing a so-called ‘sleep divorce’, this conversation might be the nudge you need to take it seriously and seek proper help. Could tackling snoring be one more step towards a calmer, healthier alcohol-free life?
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