What is snoring?
Snoring is the hoarse or harsh sound that occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe. Nearly everyone snores now and then, but for some people it can be a chronic problem. Sometimes it may also indicate a serious health condition. In addition, snoring can be a nuisance to your partner
Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime or sleeping on your side, can help stop snoring.
In addition, medical devices and surgery are available that may reduce disruptive snoring. However, these aren’t suitable or necessary for everyone who snores.
Snoring is very common. Anyone can snore at some point in their life. It’s more common in men over 50 who are overweight or obese.
Who is more likely to snore?
Nearly everyone snores from time to time, including babies, children and adults. Some people are more likely to snore than others. Snoring risk factors include:
Age: Snoring is more common as we age because muscle tone decreases, causing airways to constrict.
Alcohol and sedatives: Alcoholic beverages and certain medications relax muscles, restricting airflow in the mouth, nose and throat.
Anatomy: A long soft palate (the back of the roof of the mouth), enlarged adenoids, tonsils or a large tongue can make it hard for air to flow through the nose and mouth. A deviated septum (displaced cartilage in the nose) can block the flow of air.
Gender: Snoring is more common in men.
Family history: Snoring runs in families. If you have a parent who snores, you’re more likely to snore too.
Overall health: Nasal stuffiness due to allergies and the common cold block airflow through the mouth and nose. Pregnant women are more likely to snore due to hormonal changes and weight gain.
Weight: Snoring and sleep-related breathing disorders are more common in people who are overweight or have obesity. You can read more in our source
From gentle snuffles to loud rasps and snorts, snoring is common. An estimated 45 percent of adults snore occasionally, while 25 percent snore regularly—often disturbing their bed partner’s slumber and possibly their own, too.
You’re more likely to snore if you’re overweight, are a middle-aged or older man, or are a postmenopausal woman. These night noises seem to worsen with age.
Why do people snore? Snoring is the sound of obstructed breathing, which can be caused by some basic factors, such as poor muscle tone, bulky throat tissue, or a long soft palate or uvula. It may also be a red flag that you have a treatable health condition that is interfering with breathing while you sleep—such as nasal congestion caused by a sinus infection or allergy, nasal polyps (noncancerous growths in the nose) or a deviated septum.
But in some cases, snoring may be connected to more serious, even life-threatening, health concerns.
Sleep Apnea
Snoring—especially loud snoring broken up by pauses in breathing and loud snorts or gasps as the sleeper takes a breath again—can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnea have brief interruptions in breathing throughout their sleep. These pauses may happen up to 20 to 30 times every hour. As a result, oxygen levels in the blood fall and the brain jolts you out of deep sleep so that you take a breath.
