Common Causes of Snoring

When it comes to finding the most common causes of snoring, you'll find that there are quite a few to pick from!

Research indicates that about 50% of adults in the United States snore occasionally, and approx half of them snore on a regular basis.

The percentage of people who snore increases with age, and it is significantly more common in men than in women (although no one knows exactly why!).

'Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone'

Although the causes of snoring can vary, the results are always pretty similar.

A dictionary definition of snoring reads something like this....Snoring - 'a snorting or grunting sound made during sleep'

Having slept beside a chronic 'snorer' for many years, I'm not certain that description conveys the level of noise and disruption than snoring creates.

In fact, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), some snorers produce a noise that is higher (in decibels) than is considered safe according to working environment standards.

Occasionally the decibel level from snoring can even be high enough to cause damage to the human ear. OUCH!

Most common reasons for snoring

• Nasal Congestion
  A 'stuffed-up' nose is usually the result of a cold or allergies, and makes it difficult (or sometimes impossible) to breath through your nostrils. That means you have to breathe through your mouth and this causes you to snore. Other possible causes of nasal congestion are injuries to, or malformation of, the septum. This is the strip of cartilage that separates your nasal passages, and if it's 'off center' it can cause one nostril to be partially blocked.


• Mouth/Throat Problems
  Your tonsils or adenoids can become enlarged due to an infection, and if this happens it partially blocks your airway and causes snoring. Structural problems such as an extra-large soft palate, or a larger than average uvula (the fleshy, pendulum type piece of tissue that you see hanging down at the back of your throat) can also be a reason for snoring.


• Being Overweight
  You may wonder how your weight can be one of the causes of snoring, but it's really quite logical. When you put on excess pounds, the fat can be deposited pretty much anywhere on your body (and of course it always ends up where you need it the least!). Your throat and neck are not immune from finding themselves home to some extra fat and these fat deposits can narrow your breathing passages. This may either cause, or significantly increase, your chances of snoring.


• Smoking Cigarettes or Drinking Alcohol
  Smoking cigarettes (or cigars for that matter) causes irritation to your nose and throat, and a dry scratchy airway can lead to snoring. Drinking alcohol relaxes your muscles, including those around your tongue and throat. This low muscle tone may cause the soft tissue in your throat to collapse inwards (narrowing your airway) or to vibrate. Either, or both, of these effects are common causes of snoring.


• Taking Certain Medications
  Some pills that you take can be a reason for your snoring. Antihistamines and nasal decongestants dry out your airways, and this may lead to snoring. Sedatives and tranquilizers, or sedating painkillers, work on your throat muscles in a similar way to alcohol. By relaxing these muscles, causing the collapse of soft tissue, or vibration, they may induce snoring.


• Getting Older
  Now, this in one reason for snoring that you can't really avoid, getting older happens to everyone! However, the aging process can cause us to lose muscle tone naturally (including the muscles of the throat/neck) and this can contribute to snoring. However, controlling that age-related weight gain may help.


• Sleeping Position
  One of the causes of snoring that you can control, at least to some degree, is what position you sleep in. Research has shown that if you sleep on your back then you're much more likely to snore. The reason behind this is two-fold. Firstly, the force of gravity may make your mouth fall open, and whenever you breath through your mouth you increase your risk of snoring. Secondly, gravity also works on the soft tissue in your throat, making it 'hang' more loosely and therefore be more likely to vibrate. This may cause (yep, you guessed it...) snoring!

What next?

You can find a whole range of remedies for snoring on both my How To Stop Snoring and Snoring Cures pages.

However, if after making adjustments such as cutting out cigarettes and alcohol, sleeping on your side, losing those extra few pounds etc., you still find yourself sawing logs all night, then it's time to seek out some more treatment options. These might include....

• Nasal Strips or Sprays


• Snoring Mouthpiece


• Snore Pillow


• Sleep Apnea Pillow

If your snoring is severe, you wake up gasping for air during the night, or you are constantly tired even after a full nights' sleep, then talk to your doctor. You may be suffering from a more serious sleeping disorder called Sleep Apnea (see yellow box below).

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