Snoring affects the quality of sleep for both the snorer and their partner. This nightly noise is the sound of obstructed breathing, occurring when airflow through the nose and mouth is partially restricted during sleep. As air moves past the relaxed soft tissues in the throat, it causes them to vibrate, producing the familiar harsh sound. Chronic snoring can point to underlying health concerns, making it important to find practical solutions.
Understanding What Causes Snoring
Snoring is a direct result of tissue vibration caused by the narrowing of the airway. When a person falls into a deeper sleep, the muscles in the soft palate, tongue, and throat relax, which can cause them to collapse inward and partially block the passage of air. The more restricted the airway becomes, the faster the air rushes through, and the louder the resulting vibration.
Anatomical factors play a significant role, such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a deviated nasal septum, or a low, thick soft palate. Excess body weight also contributes by increasing fatty tissue around the neck, which puts external pressure on the airway. Lifestyle choices further exacerbate the issue, as consuming alcohol or sedatives before bed relaxes the throat muscles more deeply. Temporary conditions like nasal congestion from allergies or a cold can limit nasal airflow, forcing mouth breathing and increasing the likelihood of snoring.
Simple Changes for Quieter Nights
Many individuals can reduce or eliminate snoring by adopting straightforward behavioral and environmental modifications. One of the most effective methods is positional therapy, which involves avoiding sleeping on the back. When sleeping supine, gravity pulls the tongue and soft palate to the back of the throat, narrowing the airway.
Encouraging a side-sleeping position often resolves the problem. This can be achieved using specialized pillows or by sewing an object, like a tennis ball, into the back of a pajama top to prevent rolling over. Elevating the head of the bed by a few inches, perhaps using a wedge pillow, also helps keep the airways open by countering gravity.
Establishing an improved nightly routine can make a difference. Set a strict cutoff time for alcohol consumption, ideally abstaining for at least three hours before bedtime, to prevent excessive muscle relaxation in the throat. Avoiding muscle relaxers or sedatives before sleep limits the over-relaxation of airway tissues. Nasal hygiene is important; using saline rinses or managing chronic allergies improves airflow through the nose, reducing the need for mouth breathing.
Specialized Devices and Aids
When simple changes are not enough, various mechanical aids keep the airway open during sleep. Nasal dilators, which come as external strips or internal cones inserted into the nostrils, mechanically open the nasal passages. These devices are helpful for snoring linked to nasal congestion or structural issues, improving airflow and reducing the vibration caused by restricted breathing.
Oral appliances offer a solution for snoring that originates in the throat. The most common type is the Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD), which resembles a sports mouthguard. The MAD is designed to gently push the lower jaw and tongue forward during sleep. This forward positioning tightens the soft tissues in the throat and prevents the tongue and soft palate from collapsing backward, which significantly reduces the vibration that causes snoring.
Another type is the Tongue Retaining Device (TRD), which uses suction to hold the tongue forward. TRDs are preferred by individuals who have issues with jaw movement or find MADs uncomfortable. While many over-the-counter “boil-and-bite” versions are available, a custom-fitted MAD made by a dentist or sleep specialist is recommended for optimal comfort and effectiveness.
Recognizing When to Seek Medical Help
Loud, chronic snoring can sometimes be a sign of a more serious health condition known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA involves repeated episodes where the airway completely collapses, causing breathing to stop and start multiple times throughout the night. These pauses in breathing, or apneas, can last 10 seconds or longer, leading to a drop in blood oxygen levels that forces the brain to briefly wake the sleeper.
Warning signs indicating the need for a medical evaluation include a partner noticing pauses in breathing, gasping, or choking sounds during sleep. Other symptoms experienced during the day are excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes. Untreated OSA is linked to serious health risks, including high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease, making professional assessment necessary.
A doctor or sleep specialist will recommend an overnight sleep study, known as a polysomnography, to diagnose OSA and determine its severity. If confirmed, the most common treatment is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, which uses a machine to deliver pressurized air through a mask to keep the airway open. Other advanced options include custom-fit oral appliances or surgical procedures, such as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).