Causes of Snoring

Wanted to find out the causes of snoring?

When we fall asleep and go from a lighter to deeper sleep, the muscles in the rook of our mouth, throat and tongue relax. The tissue in our throat can relax so much as to vibrate and partially obstruct our airways. The airflow becomes more forceful the narrower our airway is. Snoring can be a regular occurrence or an infrequent one. If you ask my wife how often I snore, she will tell you too often and too loudly! I snored almost every night.

There are many factors that contribute to snoring; I have taken the opportunity to compile them for you.

Your own mouth can contribute to snoring. If the back of your throat has a low, thick soft palate or an enlarged tonsils or tissues, your airway can be narrowed. Being overweight can also narrow your airway causing snoring.

I like a few cocktails, here and there, or even a glass of wine, but I found out that alcohol is a great way to get someone to start snoring. It is a great muscle relaxant, and consuming too much before bedtime can bring on the noise. The alcohol decreases your natural defenses against airway obstruction and relaxes throat muscles.

Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils can be another culprit that causes snoring.

Sleep apnea is another cause of snoring. Sleep apnea snoring can be very obstructive to sleeping and can be a serious condition, as it can obstruct your airway and prevent you from breathing. Sleep apnea snoring can be characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence. These periods can last up to 10 seconds or more. This eventually causes the airway to become so small that airflow becomes inadequate for your needs. A lack of oxygen occurs, then an increase in carbon dioxide which signals you to wake up.

People with snoring sleep apnea are woken up with a loud snort or gasping sound when their airways are forced to open up. This pattern is repeated several times per night. I know this one all too well. These are just a few of the causes of snoring.