 Snoring happens when air doesn’t flow fluently through the air passages. It may also occur when the soft tissues or muscles in your air passages oscillate. During deep sleeping, the muscles in your tongue, throat and roof of your mouth (soft palate) weaken. Such muscle relaxation causes your throat tissues to sag.
During your breathing, the sagging tissues constrict your airway and oscillate or flutter, producing the sound of snoring. The narrower your airway becomes, the greater the oscillation and, consequently, the louder your snoring.
25% of the population suffers from snoring habitually and 45% of people suffer from it from time.
There are many causes why you may snore.
- Age: with age our throat muscles become weaker. Weak throat muscles lead to the sagging of the surrounding tissues and to their oscillation.
- Excessive weight: if you are overweight, your throat tissues are more inclined to oscillate when you breathe.
- Mouth anatomy: if you have a low, thick soft palate or enlarged tonsils or tissues in the back of your throat, this can narrow your airway. Longer uvula than normal can restrict airflow and intensify oscillations as you breathe.
- Nasal problems: allergies or a deviated septum can cause nasal blockage. This can limit airflow through your nose. That’s why in such cases people try to breathe through their mouth where more flabby tissue is placed.
- Alcohol consumption: it affects your central nervous system, contributing to total relaxation of your muscles.
- Sleeping on the back: while sleeping on the back, your tongue falls backwards into your throat. It narrows your airway and partly blocks airflow.
- Cold: when you get cold, your nose is stuffed. That’s why less air can go through the nasal passage so the throat has to pull air in through the mouth with extra force.
- Asthma and smoking: they lead to the irritation and constriction of the air passageways which is brought about.
- Sleep apnea: in case of this serious condition, your throat tissues obstruct your airway, preventing you from breathing. Sleep apnea is recognized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence that can lasts 10 seconds or more. In the end, the shortage of oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide wake you up.
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