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Snoring

Snoring may affect as many as 50 percent of adult men and 30 percent of adult women. People frequently joke about snoring, but it can be a serious matter. Snorers, and their partners, often do not rest well.

All sounds, including snoring, start with vibrations. Air vibrating the soft palate, the back of the tongue, and other soft structures of the airway cause snoring sounds.

Causes

People are more likely to snore when they sleep on their back and breathe through their mouth. Overweight people are more likely to snore because they have more neck tissue. Loss of muscle tone also contributes to snoring. Muscle tone declines with disease, use of alcohol or other drugs (such as tranquilizers or antihistamines), or simply with age.

Some people are born with a long palate that narrows the opening from the nose into the throat, dangles in the airway, and vibrates during relaxed breathing. A long uvula crowds the airway even more and may also vibrate.

A person with a blocked or stuffy nose has to work harder to inhale, which creates a greater pressure to draw in throat muscles and make them vibrate. That's why some people snore when they have a cold or allergies but not otherwise.

Snoring may indicate sleep apnea, a condition where breathing is disrupted during rest. Sleep apnea deprives the body of normal blood oxygen levels, which may cause morning headaches, excessive fatigue, and--in extreme cases--high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, even strokes.

Sleep Apnea