Why do we snore?
During sleep, the muscles in your mouth, tongue and throat relax. In some people that relaxed tissue partly blocks the upper airway, so the air you breathe has to squeeze through a narrower space. The faster, more turbulent airflow makes the soft tissue vibrate, and that vibration is the sound we call snoring. Most people who snore can't hear themselves doing it.
Plenty of everyday things can narrow the airway or relax the tissue more than usual, including:
- Carrying extra weight, especially around the neck and throat
- Nasal congestion from a cold, allergies, sinus problems or a deviated septum
- Enlarged tonsils, adenoids or a large tongue
- The natural shape of your nose, jaw or airway
- Alcohol or sedatives close to bedtime, which relax the muscles further
- Smoking, which can irritate and inflame the airway
- Sleeping on your back, which lets the tongue fall backwards
What makes snoring more likely?
Snoring is very common and can affect anyone, but a few factors raise the odds.
| Factor | Why it can increase snoring |
|---|---|
| Excess weight | Extra tissue around the neck can press on and narrow the airway when throat muscles relax. |
| Being male | Men often have a narrower airway and more soft tissue around the upper chest and neck. |
| Getting older | Muscle tone naturally declines with age, including in the upper airway. |
| Alcohol and sedatives | They relax the airway muscles more than usual during sleep. |
| Nasal congestion | Allergies, sinus issues and colds force more breathing through a restricted passage. |
| Back-sleeping | Lying on your back lets the tongue and soft palate drop towards the throat. |
Snoring in women
Hormonal changes can play a part. During pregnancy, weight gain, hormonal shifts and increased blood flow can narrow the airways, and snoring that starts in pregnancy often eases after birth. Around and after menopause, lower oestrogen levels can mean softer muscle tone in the upper airway, which may bring on or worsen snoring. Allergies, sinus problems and alcohol can add to it.
Snoring in men
Anatomy is a big reason men tend to snore more often than women. Men generally have a larger space behind the tongue and more soft tissue around the throat and upper chest, which can crowd the airway during sleep.
Snoring in children
In children, common contributors include enlarged tonsils and adenoids, congestion, allergies, asthma and exposure to tobacco smoke. Most children who snore don't have a sleep disorder, but loud snoring with pauses or gasping in breathing can point to obstructive sleep apnoea and should be checked by a GP or paediatrician.
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea
Not everyone who snores has sleep apnoea, but snoring is one of its most common signs. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is when the airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, briefly interrupting breathing. It's often marked by loud snoring followed by silence, then a gasp or choke as breathing restarts.
It may be worth speaking to a doctor about OSA if snoring comes with:
- Pauses in breathing, gasping or choking during sleep (often noticed by a partner)
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Waking unrefreshed, with morning headaches or a dry, sore throat
- Trouble concentrating or remembering things
- Restless, broken sleep
- High blood pressure
This page is general information, not medical advice. Snoring and sleep apnoea can only be assessed and diagnosed by a qualified clinician. If you're concerned, talk to your GP, and our independent clinical partner CLM Sleep offers sleep studies and treatment programmes.
How to reduce snoring
Many people ease snoring with simple changes. Where snoring is linked to a sleep disorder, treatment should be guided by a clinician.
Lifestyle changes that may help
- Reach and keep a healthy weight if you're carrying extra
- Sleep on your side rather than your back
- Avoid alcohol for a few hours before bed
- Manage allergies and clear nasal congestion
- Quit smoking and get enough regular sleep
- Try raising the head of the bed slightly
Devices and treatments
- Nasal dilator strips: open the nostrils to make nasal breathing easier. Helpful for congestion, but rarely enough on their own.
- Mandibular advancement splint (MAS): a mouthguard-style device, fitted by a dental professional, that holds the lower jaw slightly forward to open the airway.
- CPAP therapy: for snoring linked to obstructive sleep apnoea, a clinician may recommend a CPAP machine, which delivers a gentle stream of air through a mask to keep the airway open. Auto-adjusting (APAP) machines vary the pressure through the night.
- Surgery: in some cases a doctor may discuss procedures to reshape or remove tissue, or to remove enlarged tonsils and adenoids in children. Suitability and results vary, so this is a conversation for a specialist.
When to see a doctor
If your snoring is persistent, loud enough to disturb your partner, or comes with daytime tiredness or breathing pauses at night, it's worth getting it checked. A GP can refer you, and CLM Sleep offers diagnostic treatment programmes and sleep studies. If a clinician recommends CPAP, our consultants can help you choose the right machine and mask, or you can visit us in store in Elizabeth, SA.
