What Are The 5 Causes Of Snoring?

Why do we snore and what are the causes of snoring? Snoring is the nightmare for all who listen to the loud sawing of their partners all night.

It is the regular theme of social evenings and the frequent source of jokes. Above all, it is the reason for irritability, morning fatigue, and problems that are connected to this condition.

Snoring is a specific sound that arises in the throat during sleep. If it is quiet, it can be even pleasant, but if it is too loud it can be a terrible scourge.

The annoying noise of it is the reason for the conflict between the spouses, can be a reason for the separate bedrooms, and even for the divorce.

It is not something that you should neglect. The person who snores suffers much more from the loved ones because his breathing is hindered during sleep.

Its cause is a respiratory tract that is hindered and causes difficulty breathing. Snoring is only a sign (symptom) that warns to this condition.

Why do we snore?

Now you will see which are the most common snoring causes among people.

Flapping of the soft palate

Snoring occurs due to the flapping of the soft palate.

This can also be seen through the mouth of the snorer, as most are snoring with the open mouths. But it is not entirely clear why the soft palates flap.

Research showed that the cause is the narrow passage that is created by the soft palate.

The soft palate becomes loose and therefore longer, so the tongue hangs far behind the root of the tongue.

This is usually the case of ageing, obesity (a narrow throat), increased tonsils and syringes (especially in children).

What causes the soft palate to drop?

Enjoying sedatives, soporifics, and alcohol is the reason for muscle looseness of the soft palate.

Lying on the back also triggers or strengthens snoring, as the soft palate falls back in this position and compresses the air passage behind it.

We can explain how the narrow passage causes flapping of the soft palate by Bernoulli’s physical law. The explanation is complex, but it is very easy to visualize the formation of snoring by blowing between two poles of paper.

If the paper is apart (for example, 5 cm or more), it remains calm, but if you approach it (for example, 1 cm), it blows them together, they flap and produce a sound similar to snoring.

Sleep apnea

It is one of the most unrecognized and hidden but also dangerous health conditions.

Sleep apnea is a common and dangerous disease, where breathing stops many times during night rest.

Why does sleep apnea occur?

It occurs most often due to respiratory block in the upper respiratory tract.

In this case, we are talking about obstructive sleep apnea or shorter OSA. It can be one of the causes of snoring.

Sleep apnea and breathing issues

Most often it is detected by partners and the environment that perceive repeating breathing pauses during the night rest.

These can range from 5 to 300-400 per night. It increases with age, 90% of cases are undetected and unrecognized.

Obstructive sleep apnea symptoms

It is accompanied by loud snoring, a sound of damping, strangulation, choking, and catching the air during breathing at night.

When sleeping on the back, the breathing disorder is even more pronounced due to the gravitational shift of the tongue towards the back wall of the throat.

It additionally narrows the respiratory tract and aggravates sleep apnea.

Does sleeping on your back make you snore?

Sleeping on the back is a good choice for those who suffer from arthritis and pain in the joints.

But unfortunately, it is not suitable for snorers. It is well known that this position promotes it, as the muscles of the jaw and tongue release and press on the throat that is narrowed, and the airflow is blocked.

Can being overweight cause snoring?

This causes vibration and consequently snoring.

Snoring is a characteristic of overweight adults, as the weight of the subcutaneous fat on the neck increases the pressure on the throat.

Sleep related hypoxemia

The research has shown that those who sleep on the back have more chances of diminished oxygen levels in the blood, which is especially worrying for people with heart or lung problems explains Dr. David Eccleston from Birmingham Hospital.

Sleeping on the back and respiratory problems

On the other hand, people who are back sleeping breathe faster, which can lead to an excessive amount of oxygen in the blood and are the reason for respiratory problems, such as asthma or circulation problems that can cause cardiovascular disease.

Do alcohol and drugs make you snore?

Consuming alcohol and drugs leads to relaxed muscles also during sleep. When the muscles of the neck, throat, palate are more relaxed, it causes air blockage.

When the air is blocked, snoring occurs. Some medications (apaurin, lexaurin, loram, halcion) relax us and cause deeper sleep which can also be a good reason for it.

Can eating before bed cause snoring?

The density of mucus in the nose and throat increases during digestion, so the airflow space is narrower.

The mucus is even denser especially in larger servings, so dinner should be avoided as the main daily meal.

It’s never a good choice to lay down immediately after the meal. Watch the weight, limit alcohol and smoking.

Find a cause of your snoring

Why do we snore? It occurs when air doesn’t have free flow through the mouth and nose during sleep.

It happens due to the narrowing of the airways, either because of the situation in which you sleep or because of the irregularities of soft tissue in your throat.

There are also other most common reasons for the condition. Men have narrower airways than women and are more prone to it.

A narrow throat, enlarged polyps in the nose, and other physical properties that contribute to snoring are often hereditary.

Nose and sinuses problems can cause blocked airways that make breathing difficult and create a vacuum in the throat, which leads to it.

Increased tonsils and adenoids can also be a cause for snoring. It is common especially in children who have difficulties to breathe and consequently snore due to a sore throat.

Rhinitis certainly causes difficulty in breathing and consequently snoring.

If you don’t know why you are snoring, you will have difficulties to find a solution to your problem.

Therefore, find the cause as soon as possible, and take the first step towards removing the annoying noise that you accidentally cause.