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.
*Symptoms of Snoring*
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
*Causes of Snoring*
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
*Conditions that can cause snoring*
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.
*Treatment of Snoring*
1. *Change Your Sleep Position*
Lying on your back makes the base of your tongue and soft palate collapse to the back wall of your throat, causing a vibrating sound during sleep. Sleeping on your side may help prevent this.
"A body pillow (a full-length pillow that supports your entire body) provides an easy fix," "It enables you to maintain sleeping on your side and can make a dramatic difference."
2. *Lose Weight*
Weight loss helps some people but not everyone. "Thin people snore,
If you've gained weight and started snoring and did not snore before you gained weight, weight loss may help. "If you gain weight around your neck, it squeezes the internal diameter of the throat, making it more likely to collapse during sleep, triggering snoring,"
3. *Avoid Alcohol*
Alcohol and sedatives reduce the resting tone of the muscles in the back of your throat, making it more likely you'll snore. "Drinking alcohol four to five hours before sleeping makes snoring worse," "People who don't normally snore will snore after drinking alcohol."
4. *Practice Good Sleep Hygiene*
Poor sleep habits (also known as poor sleep "hygiene") can have an effect similar to that of drinking alcohol. Working long hours without enough sleep, for example, means when you finally hit the sack you're overtired. "You sleep hard and deep, and the muscles become floppier, which creates snoring,"
5. *Open Nasal Passages*
If snoring starts in your nose, keeping nasal passages open may help. It allows air to move through slower. "Imagine a narrow garden hose with water running through. The narrower the hose, the faster the water rushes through."
Your nasal passages work similarly. If your nose is clogged or narrowed due to a cold or other blockage, the fast-moving air is more likely to produce snoring.
A hot shower before you go to bed can help open nasal passages. Also, keep a bottle of saltwater rinse in the shower. "Rinse your nose out with it while you're showering to help open up passages," .
A neti pot could also be used to rinse out the nasal passages with a salt-water solution.
Nasal strips may also work to lift nasal passages and open them up -- if the problem exists in your nose and not within the soft palate.
6. *Change Your Pillows*
Allergens in your bedroom and in your pillow may contribute to snoring. When did you last dust the overhead ceiling fan? Replace your pillows?
Dust mites accumulate in pillows and can cause allergic reactions that can lead to snoring. Allowing pets to sleep on the bed causes you to breathe in animal dander, another common irritant.
"If you feel fine during the day but obstructed at night, these things may be contributing to your snoring,"
Put your pillows in the air fluff cycle once every couple weeks and replace them every six months to keep dust mites and allergens to a minimum. And keep pets out of the bedroom.
Beware before spending money on special pillows designed to prevent snoring, . "They may work if it props up your head, which fixes nasal issues, but can cause neck pain."
7. *Stay Well Hydrated*
Drink plenty of fluids. "Secretions in your nose and soft palate become stickier when you're dehydrated," "This can create more snoring." According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should have about 11 cups of total water (from all drinks and food) a day; men require about 16 cups.
Overall, get enough sleep, sleep on your side, avoid alcohol before bedtime and take a hot shower if nasal passages are clogged, "These simple practices can make a huge difference in reducing snoring."
*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