What Causes Snoring?

Here is an extensive list of the causes of snoring. Bear in mind, as long as the substance or habit causes the relaxation of the throat muscles while asleep, snoring will occur as this is the fundamental principal of why it occurs.

Overeating and/or Lack of Exercise
Overeating and/or lack of exercise lead to an increase in fat around the throat. Obese individuals may not have the muscle tone needed to keep the airway open sufficiently at night to allow normal breathing, and if you have read my previous articles, increases the risk of the airway collapsing (thus leading to snoring). Both men and women who have excess body fat are at risk of snoring, though women are less likely to snore than men (this changes following menopause, as thereafter, women are just as likely to snore as men). As women get older their muscle tone tends to diminish and they put on more weight. By the time women have reached the age of 70 they are just as likely to be snorers as men of the same age.

Being overweight by just a few kilograms can be the cause of your snoring. If you have fatty tissue around your neck, you airways will be squeezed during sleep due to reduced muscle tone. This prevents air from flowing in and out freely.
Weight loss with accompanying fat reduction will certainly help to alleviate snoring. However, weight loss cannot be achieved by diet alone; it must be accompanied by a exercise program with realistic and sensible objectives.

Alcohol and Sleeping Pills
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and slows the brain’s responses, causing the muscles to relax even more than during a normal night’s sleep. Alcohol also acts as a depressant. The added relaxation of the musculature causes the throat flaps to collapse more easily, hence causing snoring.
Alcohol causes nasal irritation and congestion. It can damage heart tissue and elevate blood pressure. It also has high caloric content, and people who are heavy drinkers are often overweight.
If you must drink, do so 4 hours before bedtime as this will give your body sufficient time to metabolize the alcohol and help you to sleep without snoring.

Smoking
Cigarette smoke irritates the lining of the nasal cavity and throat causing swelling. It becomes difficult to breathe with inflamed throat and nasal linings. The more you smoke, the higher your chances of snoring. Even passive smoking can cause inflammation of the nose and throat passages, thus increasing the risk of snoring. Children of parents who smoke are more likely to be affected by snoring than children of non smoking parents, as this is likely due to influence. Like alcohol, you can modify the effects by having your last cigarette at least 4 hours before you go to bed. This will give your body sufficient time to reduce the effects of the cigarette smoke and help you to sleep without snoring.

Sleeping Position
While sleeping on your back, your tongue, your chin and any excess fatty tissue under your chin will probably relax back and squash your airway. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs prevents this.
Allergy

The most common symptoms include: nasal congestion and sneezing.
Studies have found that subjects with nasal congestion were almost twice as likely to have moderate to severe sleep disordered breathing as normal subjects. With allergies, the sleeper resorts to breathing through the mouth and this increases the probability of snoring greatly. Both nasal congestion and rhinitis were significant factors in sleep disruption, especially when sleeping on the back, with all symptoms being worse in the early morning hours.

Mouth Breather
If you are a ‘mouth breather’ and sleep with your mouth open you will probably snore. This is why it is important to handle your allergies with appropriate medication. When we breathe in through the nose the air passes over the curved part of the soft palate in a gentle flow into the throat without creating unnecessary turbulence. When we breathe in through the mouth however, the air hits the back of the throat ‘head on’ and can create enormous vibrations in the soft tissue.