Snoring: Why We Do It and How We Can Stop
February 6, 2007
When you’re awake, your throat muscles hold the throat open, allowing for the smooth passage of air as we breathe. When you’re asleep, these muscles relax and the throat sags inward, causing air turbulence, particularly as you breathe in.
Snoring occurs when the walls of the throat, roof of the mouth (soft palate and uvula) and sometimes the base of the tongue start to vibrate intermittently because of excessive turbulence.
Sometimes the reason for snoring is anatomical: a long uvula or soft palate, large adenoids, large tonsils, along tongue, a small lower jaw, or an obstructed nasal passage. More often than not, however, snoring is a result of being overweight.
Reducing/Eliminating Snoring:
If you’re overweight, watch your diet, make an effort (that means sweat!) to drop some pounds. Otherwise, with weight gain comes a larger neck, and the fat around your neck and lover jaw encroaches upon your throat, thus increasing its tendency to collapse during sleep.
Alcohol relaxes your throat muscles, so avoid alcoholic beverages within 2 hours of going to bed.
Consult your doctor about the effects of sleeping pills and other muscle relaxants.
Sleep on your side. When we sleep on our backs, gravity forces the tongue into the back of the throat, blocking the airway. Sleeping on your side allows the tongue to fall off to the side of your mouth.
Avoid eating before going to bed. A full stomach pushes up on your diaphragm and restricts your airway.
Use a humidifier, which reduces congestion and moisturizes the throat.
Nasal strips may help open your nostrils and increase air flow.
Stop smoking or refrain from smoking before going to bed. Smoking causes inflammation and swelling of the throat.
(Sources:National Institutes of Health; U.S. National Library of Medicine; American Academy of Sleep Medicine; Health Press Limited; Mayo Clinic; National Sleep Foundation)