Why do people snore

What Is Snoring? Snoring once in a while isn’t usually a serious problem. It’s mostly a nuisance for your bed partner. But if you’re a long-term snorer, you not only disrupt the sleep patterns of those close to you, you hurt your own Snoring can itself be a symptom of a health problem like Snoring Causes Snoring happens when the flow of air through your • Blocked nasal airways. Some people snore only during • Poor muscle tone in your throat and • Bulky throat tissue. Being • Long soft palate and/or uvula. A long soft palate or a long uvula (the dangling tissue in the back of your mouth) can narrow the opening from your nose to your throat. When you breathe, this causes them to vibrate and bump against one another, and your airway becomes blocked. • • Sleep position. Sleeping on your back can make you snore. So can using a pillow that’s too soft or too large. • Snoring Diagnosis and Treatment Your partner might be the person who tells you that you snore. Your doctor will ask both of you about your symptoms. Your doctor will also ask about your medical history and do a • • Treatments for snoring include: • Lifestyle changes. Your doctor might tell you to • Oral appliances. You wear a small plastic device in your • Surgery. Several kinds of procedures can help stop snoring. Your doctor might remove or shrink tissues in your throat, or make your soft palate stiffer. • Home Remedies to Stop Snoring Try these other solutions to get a good night’s sleep. • Sleep on your side, not...

Snoring happens when air flows through your throat when you breathe in your sleep. This causes the relaxed tissues in your throat to vibrate, which leads to harsh, possibly irritating sounds. Snoring may disrupt your sleep or that of your partner. Even if it’s not bothering you too much, snoring is not a symptom to ignore. In fact, snoring may indicate a serious health condition, such as: • • • an issue with the structure of your mouth, nose, or throat • In other cases, snoring may be caused simply by Cases of snoring caused by benign factors, such as sleep position, can often be treated with simple home remedies. Certain lifestyle changes can also help treat snoring. 1. Sleep on your side Sleeping on your back sometimes causes your tongue to move to the back of your throat, which partly Sleeping on your side may be all you need to do to allow air to flow easily and reduce or stop your snoring. 2. Get enough sleep Make sure you get the Sleep deprivation may increase your risk of snoring. This is because it can cause your throat muscles to relax, making you more susceptible to airway obstruction. Snoring can also increase your risk of sleep deprivation since it leads to interrupted sleep. 3. Raise the head of your bed Elevating the head of your bed by a few inches may help reduce snoring by keeping your airways open. You can use products such as bed risers or pillows to get a little extra height. 4. Use nasal strips or a nasal dilator Stick-on nasal strips can be placed on ...

Diagnosis To diagnose your condition, your doctor will review your signs and symptoms, and your medical history. Your doctor will also perform a physical examination. Your doctor may ask your partner some questions about when and how you snore to help assess the severity of the problem. If your child snores, you'll be asked about the severity of your child's snoring. Imaging Your doctor may request an imaging test, such as an X-ray, a computerized tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging. These tests check the structure of your airway for problems, such as a deviated septum. Sleep study Depending on the severity of your snoring and other symptoms, your doctor may want to conduct a sleep study. Sleep studies may sometimes be done at home. However, depending upon your other medical problems and other sleep symptoms, you may need to stay overnight at a sleep center to undergo an in-depth analysis of your breathing during sleep by a study, called a polysomnography. In a polysomnography, you're connected to many sensors and observed overnight. During the sleep study, the following information is recorded: • Brain waves • Blood oxygen level • Heart rate • Breathing rate • Sleep stages • Eye and leg movements Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) To eliminate snoring and prevent sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. A CPAP machine delivers just enough air pressure to a mask to keep your upper airway ...

Snoring occurs when air cannot flow freely through the airway as a person sleeps. When the airway is narrowed or partially blocked, breathing causes the tissues of the upper airway to vibrate, resulting in the sound heard when someone snores. Almost everyone snores occasionally, and snoring can be caused by a person’s anatomy, lifestyle habits, or a sleep disorder called sleep apnea, which disrupts sleep and can lead to other health issues. Understanding the varied causes of snoring can help determine whether snoring is something to be concerned about, and what steps can be taken to address it. Obstructive Sleep Apnea Habitual snoring occurs in around 44% of males and 28% of females UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source in the adult population between ages 30 and 60. Not everyone who snores has repeated lapses in breathing Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source during sleep due to partial or complete collapse of the airway. People with OSA is associated with adverse health outcomes such as depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease. OSA can compromise sleep quality, and excessive sleepiness during the day can lead to accidents while dr...

Chronic mouth breathing at night may cause bothersome symptoms or lead to health complications. While most people breathe through their nose during sleep, people may sleep with their mouths open for a variety of reasons. Sleeping with the mouth open may be a temporary response to nasal congestion, a learned habit, or a symptom of an underlying health condition. Risks of Sleeping With Your Mouth Open Occasionally sleeping with the mouth open, such as during a common cold, may not lead to significant health issues. However, chronic mouth breathing may cause several complications. Chronic dry mouth due to sleeping with the mouth open can cause dental and other health complications. People with chronic dry mouth have higher risks of cavities National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , gum disease, and loss of tooth enamel. Because saliva is important to keep the mouth clean and healthy, people with dry mouth can get frequent yeast infections Medscape Medscape is on online destination for healthcare professionals worldwide, offering expert perspectives, drug and disease information, and professional education. View Source inside the mouth. People with severe dry mouth may also have difficulty speaking and eating. Some studies have noted changes to the face and mouth UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around t...

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes the airways to collapse or become blocked while you’re asleep. It can cause you to stop breathing for 20 to 30 seconds at a time, numerous times throughout the night. Untreated apnea can increase the risk of a number of diseases, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some headache syndromes. Yet many people with sleep apnea don’t know they have it. Could you be one of them? Watch out for these warning signs. 1. You’re a Noisy Sleeper Snoring, snorting or gasping: Noisy sleep is a warning sign that your upper airway might be obstructed. Not all snorers have apnea, but the two often go hand-in-hand. As snoring gets louder, chances of having sleep apnea are greater and greater. If you have apnea, your bed partner might notice that the snores are punctuated by pauses in breathing. Those are apnea episodes, and they can recur hundreds of times a night. 2. You’re Restless During Sleep People with apnea often toss and turn and otherwise show signs of restless nighttime sleep. If you find yourself kicking, thrashing, jerking or waking up under a twisted pile of disheveled sheets, apnea might be a possible cause. When you’re struggling to breathe at night, your sleep becomes disrupted. Sleep apnea is hardly the only issue that interferes with sleep. Experts have described more than 70 different sleep disorders. Other common culprits include: • Restless legs syndrome: RLS causes unpleasant sensatio...

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Snoring can be disruptive to a bed partner and cause health problems, though, so it’s worth examining what’s going on when your ZZZs are noisy. And it turns out there are several possible causes for snoring, some more serious than others, says sleep medicine specialist Is snoring normal? Snoring is quite common. Experts When your upper airway is weak and floppy, it can become narrower. That means the path your air takes as it flows through your mouth and nose can become obstructed. “Snoring is caused by the muscles that support your upper airway getting weak and floppy at night,” explains Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer. “And so snoring is the sound your airway makes when it’s unstable.” Snoring can be an occasional occurrence — for example, during spring allergy season or if you have a sinus infection — or something that happens on a regular basis. The causes of snoring Causes of snoring vary from person to person, and can differ depending on your age and any health problems you might have. Obstructive sleep apnea In many cases, snoring is one of the first signs of obstructive Symptoms of sleep apnea include daytime sleepiness or fatigue, gasping for air or choking episodes at night, and a bed partner witnessing your breathing pause while sleeping. “Many people withsleep apnea are not aware that they stop breathing...

Snoring occurs in roughly 57% of adult men and 40% of women. Of these, one quarter ENThealth.org Developed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), ENThealth.org offers a roadmap for consumers seeking health-related information about the ear, nose, throat, and head and neck. View Source are considered habitual snorers. About 10-12% of children American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) AASM sets standards and promotes excellence in sleep medicine health care, education, and research. View Source also snore. Snoring on its own is usually considered a harmless – albeit highly disruptive – phenomenon, but for some people it indicates a more serious underlying medical condition or sleep disorder. When To See a Doctor About Snoring blocked or restricted Merck Manual First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, the Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. View Source in the nasopharynx National Cancer Institute (NCI) The NCI is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training. View Source , an area of the upper airway located behind your nose. Tissues in the airway flutter and strike each other to produce the telltale snoring sound, which can range from light and barely audible to heavy and disruptive. For some people, heavy snoring indicates the presence of Roughly 2-9% of adults M...