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 Symptoms

Snoring is often associated with a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Not all snorers have OSA, but if snoring is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, it may be an indication to see a doctor for further evaluation for OSA:

Witnessed breathing pauses during sleep
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Difficulty concentrating
Morning headaches
Sore throat upon awakening
Restless sleep
Gasping or choking at night
High blood pressure
Chest pain at night
Your snoring is so loud it’s disrupting your partner’s sleep
In children, poor attention span, behavioral issues or poor performance in school
OSA often is characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence when breathing stops or nearly stops. Eventually, this reduction or pause in breathing may signal you to wake up, and you may awaken with a loud snort or gasping sound.

You may sleep lightly due to disrupted sleep. This pattern of breathing pauses may be repeated many times during the night.

People with obstructive sleep apnea usually experience periods when breathing slows or stops at least five times during every hour of sleep.

When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you have any of the above symptoms. These may indicate your snoring is associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

If your child snores, ask your pediatrician about it. Children can have OSA, too. Nose and throat problems — such as enlarged tonsils — and obesity often can narrow a child’s airway, which can lead to your child developing OSA. You can read more in our source

How common is snoring?

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,” says Johns Hopkins sleep expert Alan Schwartz, M.D. “Sleep apnea is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It should be found and treated as early as possible.”

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. “You get a surge of the stress hormone adrenaline,” Schwartz explains. “It’s as if someone is shaking you awake every few minutes throughout your sleep. Your heart and cardiovascular system have to work harder. And you miss out on deep, restful sleep.”

As a result, people with sleep apnea face serious health consequences that include:

An irregular heartbeat
High blood pressure
Higher risk for heart attack and stroke
Higher risk for diabetes
Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents due to daytime sleepiness
Johns Hopkins research has shown that severe sleep apnea in middle or old age can up your risk of dying prematurely by up to 46 percent. The good news: Treatment with a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) device that gently blows air into your throat to keep airways open can help reverse the health risks.

Sleep Deprivation
Snoring may interfere with the quantity and quality of your sleep. That’s significant beyond just feeling fatigued the next day. Sleep is a key part of good health. Getting enough sleep may help the body recover from illness and injury. Not getting enough sleep over a period of time is linked to health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The mental benefits of sleep are also important. Sleep problems can make daily life feel more stressful and less productive. Some people with chronic trouble sleeping (insomnia) are more likely to have mental health problems. Sleep problems are also tied to depression. In a research survey, people who had trouble getting enough sleep had trouble doing tasks involving memory and learning.

Sleep needs vary from person to person, but most healthy adults should get about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. You can read more in our source

Snoring causes

Snoring can be caused by a number of factors, such as the anatomy of your mouth and sinuses, alcohol consumption, allergies, a cold, and your weight.

When you doze off and progress from a light sleep to a deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth (soft palate), tongue and throat relax. The tissues in your throat can relax enough that they partially block your airway and vibrate.

The more narrowed your airway, the more forceful the airflow becomes. This increases tissue vibration, which causes your snoring to grow louder.

The following conditions can affect the airway and cause snoring:

Your mouth anatomy. Having a low, thick soft palate can narrow your airway. People who are overweight may have extra tissues in the back of their throats that may narrow their airways. Likewise, if the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula) is elongated, airflow can be obstructed and vibration increased.
Alcohol consumption. Snoring can also be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and decreases your natural defenses against airway obstruction.
Nasal problems. Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum) may contribute to your snoring.
Sleep deprivation. Not getting enough sleep can lead to further throat relaxation.
Sleep position. Snoring is typically most frequent and loudest when sleeping on the back as gravity’s effect on the throat narrows the airway.
Risk factors
Risk factors that may contribute to snoring include:

Being a man. Men are more likely to snore or have sleep apnea than are women.
Being overweight. People who are overweight or obese are more likely to snore or have obstructive sleep apnea.
Having a narrow airway. Some people may have a long soft palate, or large tonsils or adenoids, which can narrow the airway and cause snoring.
Drinking alcohol. Alcohol relaxes your throat muscles, increasing the risk of snoring.
Having nasal problems. If you have a structural defect in your airway, such as a deviated septum, or your nose is chronically congested, your risk of snoring is greater.
Having a family history of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. Heredity is a potential risk factor for OSA.
Complications
Habitual snoring may be more than just a nuisance. Aside from disrupting a bed partner’s sleep, if snoring is associated with OSA, you may be at risk for other complications, including:

Daytime sleepiness
Frequent frustration or anger
Difficulty concentrating
A greater risk of high blood pressure, heart conditions and stroke
An increased risk of behavior problems, such as aggression or learning problems, in children with OSA
An increased risk of motor vehicle accidents due to lack of sleep. 

Snoring therapy

Many snoring treatments are available over-the-counter in pharmacies, but most do not cure snoring. There are, however, a number of steps you can take to put an end to your snoring. Here are some tips for the occasional snorer:

Lose weight and improve your eating habits.
Avoid tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines before you go to bed.
Avoid alcohol and heavy meals (or snacks) at least four hours before you sleep.
Establish regular sleeping patterns. For example, try to go to bed at the same time every night.
Sleep on your side rather than on your back.
Raise the head of your bed up four inches. Raise the whole bed, not just pillows.
Try nasal strips: Flexible bands that you stick to the outside of your nose and keep nasal passages open.
Wearing an oral appliance when you sleep keeps your jaw in the proper position so air can flow. Your healthcare provider might call it a mouth device or mouth guard. A mouth guard used for other purposes, like sports, won’t resolve snoring
If none of these tips helps, talk to your doctor. There are a variety of medical treatments that may reduce or eliminate snoring.

Medical Treatments for Snoring
For mild forms of snoring caused by swelling of the lining of your nose, a doctor may prescribe a steroid nasal spray to take before going to sleep. They may also suggest dental appliances or nasal strips. For more severe forms of snoring due to sleep apnea, surgical procedures or continuous positive airway pressure may be prescribed.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a treatment in which a mask is worn over the nose and/or mouth while you sleep. The mask is hooked up to a machine that delivers a continuous flow of air into the nostrils. The pressure from air flowing into the nostrils helps keep the airways open so that breathing is not impaired. Other PAP machines are also available, including the BiPAP, which has two levels of air pressure, and the VPAP for varying levels of air pressure.

Surgery

Surgery may be needed to correct a physical problem that is causing you to snore. Surgical options include:

Somnoplasty: A minimally invasive procedure to reduce the soft tissue in the upper airway or back of the throat
Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy: Removing the tonsils and/or adenoids may be needed to prevent snoring.
Palate surgery: Your doctor may recommend removing certain tissues of the soft palate that may be obstructing your breathing.
Upper airway stimulator: This device, called Inspire, is a treatment for people who have sleep apnea. It consists of a small pulse generator placed under the skin in the upper chest. A wire leading to the lung detects the person’s natural breathing pattern. Another wire, leading up to the neck, delivers mild stimulation to nerves that control airway muscles, keeping them open. A doctor can program the device from an external remote. Also, the user has a remote to turn it on before bed and turn off upon waking in the morning. Read more in our source

 

 

Briefly

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 and is not usually caused by anything serious. There are things that can help if it’s a problem.

Things you can do to help you stop snoring
Simple lifestyle changes can help stop or reduce snoring.

Do
try to lose weight if you’re overweight

sleep on your side – try taping or stitching a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear, or buy a special pillow or bed wedge to help keep you on your side

consider asking your partner to use earplugs if your snoring affects their sleep

Don’t
do not smoke

do not drink too much alcohol

do not take sleeping pills – these can sometimes cause snoring

See a GP if:
lifestyle changes are not helping
your snoring is having a big impact on your or your partner’s life
you feel sleepy during the day, or make gasping or choking noises while you sleep – you may have sleep apnoea, which can be serious if not treated.

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,” says Johns Hopkins sleep expert Alan Schwartz, M.D. “Sleep apnea is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It should be found and treated as early as possible.”

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. “You get a surge of the stress hormone adrenaline,” Schwartz explains. “It’s as if someone is shaking you awake every few minutes throughout your sleep. Your heart and cardiovascular system have to work harder. And you miss out on deep, restful sleep.”

As a result, people with sleep apnea face serious health consequences that include:

An irregular heartbeat
High blood pressure
Higher risk for heart attack and stroke
Higher risk for diabetes
Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents due to daytime sleepiness
Johns Hopkins research has shown that severe sleep apnea in middle or old age can up your risk of dying prematurely by up to 46 percent. The good news: Treatment with a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) device that gently blows air into your throat to keep airways open can help reverse the health risks.

Sleep Deprivation
Snoring may interfere with the quantity and quality of your sleep. That’s significant beyond just feeling fatigued the next day. Sleep is a key part of good health. Getting enough sleep may help the body recover from illness and injury. Not getting enough sleep over a period of time is linked to health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The mental benefits of sleep are also important. Sleep problems can make daily life feel more stressful and less productive. Some people with chronic trouble sleeping (insomnia) are more likely to have mental health problems. Sleep problems are also tied to depression. In a research survey, people who had trouble getting enough sleep had trouble doing tasks involving memory and learning.

Sleep needs vary from person to person, but most healthy adults should get about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.

Steps Toward Better Sleep and Health
If snoring is a problem for you or a loved one, don’t hesitate to bring it up with a health care professional who can develop an individualized treatment plan.

Possible cause Treatments
Tongue partially blocking the back of your throat a device you wear in your mouth to bring your tongue forward (mandibular advancement device)
Mouth falling open when you’re asleep a chin strap to hold your mouth closed, or a device you wear in your mouth to make you breathe through your nose while you sleep (vestibular shield)
Blocked or narrow airways in your nose special devices (nasal dilators) or strips that hold your nose open while you sleep, or sprays to reduce swelling inside your nose

Causes of snoring
Snoring is caused by things such as your tongue, mouth, throat or airways in your nose vibrating as you breathe.

It happens because these parts of your body relax and narrow when you’re asleep.

You’re more likely to snore if you:

are overweight
smoke
drink too much alcohol
sleep on your back
Sometimes it’s caused by a condition like sleep apnoea, which is when your airways become temporarily blocked as you sleep.