The Sleep Foundation reports that nearly 60% of men and roughly 40% of women snore while sleeping. Approximately 30% of children in the United States snore as well. Almost everyone will snore occasionally, but it is much more common in some people compared to others.
Snoring can be just light and occasional, or it can be heavy and signal a severe health condition. Understanding why snoring occurs can help you take steps toward preventing it and addressing any underlying health or sleep conditions
Snoring is caused by movement and vibration of the tissues in your airway, toward the back of the throat. While you sleep, your muscles loosen, which makes the airway narrow. As you breathe, the air moves through the tissues in your throat, creating a snoring noise.
Snoring occurs more frequently in men, but there are a host of reasons that snoring might occur. For example, the size and shape of your muscles and tissues in the neck will affect whether you snore at night.
Certain health conditions and risk factors make it more likely that you will snore. Even the use of some medications can result in increased levels of snoring. Snoring is also more common in older people. Smoking and alcohol use are often associated with snoring as well.
Something as simple as having nasal congestion because of a cold or flu, for instance, can result in snoring. Obesity and pregnancy also increase the likelihood of snoring..
Sleep Apnea
Snoring is often related to a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Not everyone who snores has OSA, but it is a very common symptom.
Sufferers of OSA have a blockage in their airway while they are sleeping. This can be caused by an airway collapse as well. The blockage or collapse often results in repeated and frequent pauses in breathing.
Nasal Problems
The shape of your nasal passage can have a huge effect on whether you snore. Conditions like a deviated septum or having nasal polyps may make snoring more common. Chronic nasal congestion can also result in snoring.
Obesity
Those who are overweight are more likely to snore. Fatty tissue and low muscle tone, particularly in the neck area, will often result in snoring. Simply carrying extra weight in the neck area can lead to snoring.
Those who are overweight are more likely to develop OSA as well.
You might be able to ask a loved one to observe you when you are snoring. If you can spot patterns related to your snoring, you might be able to determine what the underlying cause may be.
Snoring related to sleep apnea is often very loud. It may sound like snorting, choking, or gasping. Those with OSA will sometimes stop breathing for a period of time while they are sleeping. If your loved ones notice these types of patterns in your sleep, it is probably a good idea to seek medical attention.
You can take action to help decrease the likelihood that you will snore while you sleep. For example, you might want to try the following lifestyle changes to help with snoring.
Sleep aids are often used to try to alleviate snoring. One inexpensive and effective sleep aid is Sleep Connection.
Sleep Connection is an anti-snore wristband designed to address snoring by helping reposition the body and jaw to reduce the probability of snoring. In addition, It will send an alert to the user when snoring occurs. Get more information about the Sleep Connection Anti-Snore Wristband here.
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