Snoring is noisy breathing during sleep.  It is a common problem among all ages and both genders, and it affects approximately 90 million American adults, 37 million on a regular basis.  Snoring may occur nightly or intermittently. 

Most at risk are males and those who are overweight.  Snoring becomes more serious as people age.  It can cause disruptions in your sleep and your bed partners sleep. 

Snoring can lead to fragmented and un-refreshing sleep leaving you tired and sleepy during the day.  It is associated with cardiovascular problems such as hypertension and increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.

While you sleep, the muscles in your throat relax, your tongue falls backward and your throat becomes narrow and “floppy”.  As you breathe, the walls of the throat begin to vibrate, generally when you breathe in, but also when you exhale. 

These vibrations are the characteristic sound of snoring.  The smaller your airway becomes the louder the snoring.    

Sometimes the walls of the throat collapse completely, creating a condition called apnea.  This is a serious condition that may be Obstructive Sleep Apnea and requires medical attention.

Several factors can increase snoring.  The normal aging process can lead to more relaxation of the throat muscles, resulting in snoring.  Anatomical abnormalities of the nose and throat, such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids, nasal polyps, or deviated nasal septum cause exaggerated narrowing of the throat during sleep and lead to snoring.

Functional abnormalities such as inflammation of the nose and /or throat that may occur during respiratory infection or during allergy season may result in snoring in some people. 

Alcohol is a potent muscle relaxant and drinking alcohol in the evening will cause snoring.  Muscle relaxants taken in the evening may worsen snoring in some individuals. 

Sleeping on your back can increase snoring.   Obesity is one of the most important factors that will increase the chance of snoring.