Snoring is usually harmless, but if it becomes a chronic problem for you or your bed partner, it can indicate more serious health problems. If you’re wondering what causes snoring, it is often a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Different factors can cause snoring, including mouth anatomy, weight, alcohol use and smoking. Some causes of snoring can be addressed with treatment or lifestyle changes.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Although everyone snores at some point, loud snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. This condition causes your airway to collapse intermittently, reducing oxygen levels and resulting in a choking or gasping sound while you try to breathe. Untreated, it can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
Not all snorers have OSA, but it’s important to see your PCP if your snoring is disruptive to your or your partner’s sleep. Other symptoms that may indicate the presence of this serious disorder include waking with a sore throat, tiredness during the day, headaches, loss of concentration and memory problems.
Snoring can be caused by a variety of factors, including a narrow airway, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, nasal congestion, alcohol consumption, obesity and poor muscle tone. A small chin, short neck, thick throat tissues or elongated uvula can also narrow the airway and increase vibration. For some, a family history of sleep apnea indicates an increased risk for developing the condition.
Tonsils or Adenoids
During sleep, your mouth and throat muscles relax. If they relax too much, your airway becomes narrower and the tissues vibrate against each other, creating a sound that we call snoring.
The amount of snoring you do can vary from mild to loud, and it is usually heard by others, such as your bed partner or roommates. Your snoring can be caused by many things, including a cold or allergies, smoking, and alcohol use.
Some people snore and don’t have other symptoms of a problem with breathing during sleep, such as waking up frequently, gasping or choking, or excessive daytime sleepiness. However, if you or someone you live with complains about your snoring, you should see a health care provider for evaluation. Snoring can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as obstructive sleep apnea. Treatment of snoring can improve your quality of life and may reduce or eliminate your health risks. It may also help to relieve stress on your body and those of your bed partners or roommates.
Sleep Position
Snoring may seem like a harmless, even funny, sound at times but it can actually be a red flag that could point to more serious health concerns. It can indicate that your sleep is being interrupted, leading to a lack of energy throughout the day. It could also be a sign of more serious health issues such as obstructive sleep apnea.
Snores are caused by the soft palate and uvula in the back of the mouth, which partially block the airway. This causes the incoming and outgoing air to meet resistance, which can cause them to vibrate.
Other factors that can contribute to snoring include excessive alcohol consumption, nasal congestion and obesity. Men tend to snore more than women and the condition seems to get worse with age. It can also be made worse by sleeping on your back as gravity can tighten the throat. Special wedge-shaped pillows are available to help prevent this from happening.
Genetics
Although snoring doesn’t always point to a serious medical condition, it shouldn’t be ignored. It can indicate the presence of obstructive sleep apnea, which puts people at risk of heart disease.
Snoring can also be caused by other factors such as excess alcohol consumption before bed, allergies, a cold, or the anatomy of your mouth and nose (like a deviated septum — a crooked piece of cartilage that divides the nostrils). Snoring can also become worse when you’re overweight, as more fat can reduce muscle tone and narrow the throat, making it harder to breathe.
Recent genetic research has shown that genes can play a role in habitual snoring. Studies that use a method called Mendelian Randomization (MR) to control for confounders and produce causal estimates have found that the following traits are genetically correlated with snoring: