What Causes Your Snoring & What to Do About it

Snoring is the noise caused by parts of your throat vibrating as you breath. Snoring only happens while you are sleeping because this is when the muscles are most relaxed. When the muscles are relaxed the components in your throat drop down to block the normal airflow through the passage which has been narrowed. The air moving through this narrowed passage is what causes the snoring.

Remedies for snoring are often very apparent. Other times they require extensive studies on factors that are related and can either aggravate the problem or cause the condition. Some of the more common causes along with simple ways to cure them are listed below.

1. Overweight-Its well known that many people in the United States are overweight due to not exercising enough, eating too much or a combination of both. Its common knowledge that that overweight people are more apt to snore than ones that are slimmer. The primary cause of their snoring is because their throats are fleshier and therefore have more blockages that can narrow the air passages. The simple way for an overweight person to cut down on their excessive snoring is to lose some weight.

2. Alcohol-Drinking alcohol relaxes the throat muscles which as we learned will be the immediate problem of excessive snoring. By eliminating any alcoholic beverages just before bedtime you can avoid many of the problems associated with the snoring.

3. Smoking-There are many reasons not to smoke and among them are the modification to your throat. Over time mucous will build up in the throat to ease the smoke and nicotine passing through it and reduce inflammation. A larger than normal amount of mucous can be released which will cause the small blood vessels in the lungs to swell along with the throat. When this happens the air ways are again being blocked causing the increased snoring. Sleep apnea is also a problem caused by these blockages and can cause breathing interruptions. These interruptions are caused by irregular breathing patterns. This results to snoring and poor sleep.

4. Sleep Patterns-Going to bed at the same time and getting 7 or 8 hours of sleep will help keep your snoring in check. When your sleep pattern is interrupted your breathing will become unbalanced which can cause snoring. Noises from your bed partner or other things will also cause unbalanced breathing and snoring. Try to make your sleeping area as quiet as possible. Sometimes soothing sounds or white noises from a recording will help mask other disturbing sounds.

5. Sleeping Positions-Due to gravity pulling on their tongue and throat muscles, people who sleep on their backs usually have more problems with snoring than ones who sleep on their sides. Along with the gravity the throat is in a more restful position, which causes parts of the throat and tongue to drop down and restrict the air flow cause a person to snore.

By sleeping in an elevated position there will be some relief. The recommended amount is about 30 degrees. With this elevation your diaphragm is relaxed and the tongue won't restrict the air flow through the throat area.

Medical Problems-There are a number of medical conditions that can cause snoring. Allergies for instance can cause swelling or inflammation of the air passage. Adenoids and tonsils are also cause of snoring especially if they are large. Many time a cold or sinus condition will block your nose causing you to breathe through you mouth which can cause you to snore.

If you do experience a block nasal passage you can use a spray to clear it so you won't be forced to breath through your mouth and probably end up snoring. Nasal strips are another aid that may help you breath through your nose rather than your mouth.

If you still snore after trying these things you may want to explore surgery, depending on how much snoring is affecting your life as well as those around you. Of course I would think of surgery as a last resort but sometimes it is necessary for your health.

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