What Causes Snoring And Some Factors That Might Contribute To It

I love to be loved, am fluent in silence and…

Snoring – this common and annoying nighttime issue that has been worrying us for so long. Ever asked why it happens? The easiest theory is that when we sleep, the muscles of our throat and neck area relax and this causes our airways to partially block. Then when air flows past relaxed tissues in our throat, it causes the tissues to vibrate as we breathe. These vibrations appear in harsh sounds to us and we find them quite annoying.

Some of the mouth areas that might cause vibration or snoring to happen are the tongue, soft palate, uvula, and tonsillar pillars. Although snoring is common and it happens to women and men, the bulk of it usually happens to men.

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However, one should be aware of other factors that contribute to snoring. Simple factors like sleep position might be an indicator to it. Next are lifestyle changes like alcohol consumption before sleep, smoking, or if you take some kinds of medications can also cause snoring to happen. In other rarer cases, snoring is also caused by health issues such as sleep apnea. In addition, snoring can also be a nuisance not only for you but for the people you share the room with. Depending on whether you’re an occasional or habitual snorer and the decibel of your snoring, there are some devices and other treatments that might help you deal with snoring. Anyway, not everybody needs these devices, as in most of the cases you just have to adjust to some new lifestyle changes to prevent snoring.

Since people snore for different reasons, it’s important for one first to detect the causes that lead to snoring.

Causes of Snoring

Older Age

We can’t prevent the process of aging but it’s a general fact that as we grow older our body goes through some changes. Our sleep habit changes as well. Some might fall asleep as they are having a conversation in a cozy place, others might find it hard to sleep at night. However, when we get older our throat becomes narrower and the muscle and the tongue tend to relax more. That’s why snoring might be caused. Doing some throat exercises before falling asleep might help to prevent snoring and ensure a night of quality sleep.

Sleep Position

The way you sleep might influence snoring as well. If you usually sleep on the back at night then that might trigger snoring. You should consider that sleeping on the sides since it might help you silent snoring forever. When you sleep flat on your back the flesh of your throat relaxes and partially blocks the airway, thus leading to snoring. You can either take a tennis ball and attach it with tape to your back. Thus when you sleep at night, the ball won’t let you lie on back and you will turn on your sides. Also, make sure to sleep 7-8 hours every night.

Nose and Throat Conditions

Certain conditions occurring in your nose and throat can cause snoring to happen. These might be a deviated septum, nasal polyps, enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Anything that in some way blocks the airway and makes inhalation difficult might lead to snoring. Also, different allergies that you might have and colds (like a stuffy nose) can lead to vibration or snoring at night.

Alcohol Consumption

Drinking alcohol before bedtime increases the likelihood of snoring, studies find. This because alcohol intake can increase muscle relaxation resulting in vibration when you breathe. Along the same lines, if you take certain medications, such as tranquilizers it may contribute to more snoring at night. If you suspect that you are snoring because of these medications, consult your doctor for a possible alternation of medication. As for alcohol, try and avoid drinking alcohol 3 to 4 hours before you sleep.

Being Overweight

The excess weight around your neck or throat can cause snoring. “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.” says Daniel P. Slaughter, MD, an otolaryngologist and snoring expert in Texas. Try and lose some pounds as it might even contribute to a good quality sleep.

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Other causes of snoring are health issues(sleep apnea), seasonal allergies, eating too much at night, pregnancy etc.

Some risk factors that may contribute to snoring:

Being a man. (Men have narrower air passages than women. The narrower the air passage the more likely you are to snore)

Being overweight. (Excess fatty tissue on your throat and mouth area might lead one to snore)

Drinking alcohol or smoking. (Alcohol intake before bedtime can relax throat muscles and make them more prone to snoring)

Having nasal problems. (Any nasal congestion (stuffy nose) or other conditions in your throat contribute to snoring)

Having sleep apnea. (One of the symptoms of this condition is that it develops heavy snoring that leads to having a disruptive sleep)

So, since time to time everybody snores, usually, the condition is not something to worry about. However, if you are a regular snorer and you notice that snoring is affecting the quality of your sleep and you’re feeling fatigued the next day, it is probably because there might be any problems going on with your health. To detect it, visit your doctor. Whereas to treat mild snoring you can head over to our other article Snoring Home Remedies: 3 Simple Ways To Stop Snoring.

Hopefully, you will find the cure and have a good quality sleep soon!