Snoring, a common hoarse or harsh sound produced during sleep, can disrupt sleep quality for both the individual and their bed partner. While occasional snoring is generally not a concern, a sudden onset or increase in its frequency and loudness prompts questions about its underlying causes. Understanding why snoring happens, especially if it appears unexpectedly, can help in identifying potential solutions or when to seek professional advice.
How Snoring Occurs
Snoring arises from obstructed breathing during sleep. When a person dozes off and enters deeper sleep stages, the muscles in the throat, including the soft palate and tongue, relax. This relaxation can cause these tissues to sag, partially blocking the airway.
As air is inhaled and exhaled through this narrowed passage, it causes the relaxed tissues to vibrate. These vibrations create the distinctive rumbling, rattling, or snorting sounds associated with snoring. The more narrowed the airway, the more forceful the airflow becomes, leading to increased tissue vibration and louder snoring.
Reasons for New or Increased Snoring
The sudden appearance or worsening of snoring often relates to changes in lifestyle, physical health, or environmental factors. Even slight weight gain can contribute, as extra fatty tissues around the neck compress the airway, making throat tissues more prone to vibrating.
Alcohol and sedatives significantly contribute to new or increased snoring. These substances relax throat muscles, diminishing natural defenses against airway obstruction. Even a small amount of alcohol can lead to more pronounced snoring, particularly when consumed close to bedtime.
Aging also plays a role, as muscle tone naturally decreases, including in the upper airway. This loss of firmness makes the soft palate and other throat tissues more susceptible to vibration, leading to increased snoring over time.
Chronic nasal congestion from allergies, colds, or sinus infections can force mouth breathing, contributing to snoring. A stuffy nose restricts airflow, increasing throat tissue vibration.
Anatomical changes can also trigger snoring. Conditions like a deviated septum, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, or nasal polyps can narrow the airway, making smooth airflow difficult. These structural issues create physical impediments to breathing, leading to persistent snoring.
Changes in sleep position might also be a factor. Sleeping on one’s back allows gravity to pull the tongue and soft palate backward, potentially obstructing the airway. Switching from side-sleeping to back-sleeping can therefore initiate or worsen snoring.
Hormonal changes, such as during pregnancy or menopause, can also influence snoring. Pregnancy can cause swelling in nasal passages and throat muscle relaxation due to increased hormones and weight gain. In postmenopausal women, declining estrogen and progesterone can reduce throat muscle tone, increasing snoring likelihood.
When Snoring Indicates a Health Concern
While snoring is often harmless, it can sometimes be a sign of a more serious underlying health condition, most notably obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep due to a partial or complete blockage of the airway. These pauses in breathing can last for several seconds, leading to a drop in blood oxygen levels.
Beyond loud snoring, symptoms of OSA include observed episodes of stopped breathing, gasping or choking during sleep, and waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat. Individuals with OSA often experience excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, morning headaches, and difficulty concentrating due to fragmented sleep.
If these symptoms are present, seeking medical attention is important, as untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
Other less common medical causes warranting consultation include thyroid issues, which can narrow breathing passages, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which might contribute to throat irritation. A healthcare provider can examine the nose, mouth, and throat, and may recommend a sleep study to diagnose the cause of snoring and any associated conditions.
Steps to Reduce Snoring
Several practical steps can help reduce or alleviate snoring, particularly if it is not linked to a serious medical condition. Maintaining a healthy weight can significantly decrease snoring, as even a small loss can reduce fatty tissue around the neck compressing the airway. Regular exercise also supports better breathing.
Avoiding alcohol and sedatives, especially before bedtime, prevents excessive relaxation of throat muscles and improves airflow. Limiting alcohol consumption for at least four to five hours before sleep is recommended.
Changing sleep position to your side can prevent the tongue and soft palate from collapsing into the airway due to gravity. Elevating the head of the bed by a few inches can also help keep airways open.
Addressing nasal congestion through allergy management, nasal strips, or humidifiers can promote easier nasal breathing. For persistent congestion, over-the-counter decongestants or saline rinses might provide relief.
Quitting smoking is beneficial, as it can inflame and irritate airway tissues, contributing to snoring. Ensuring adequate sleep and a consistent sleep schedule can support better muscle tone and overall airway function.