What is snoring?

Snoring is a noise that you may make while breathing during sleep. You snore when the flow of air from your mouth or nose to your lungs makes the tissues of your throat vibrate while you sleep. This usually is caused by a blockage or narrowing in your nose, mouth, or throat (airway).

Snoring can be soft, loud, raspy, harsh, hoarse, or fluttering. If you have a bed partner, they may notice that you sleep with your mouth open or that you're restless while sleeping. If snoring interferes with your or your bed partner's sleep, either or both of you may feel tired during the day.

You may be able to help reduce your snoring by making changes in your activities and in the way you sleep.

Snoring can be soft or loud. If you have a bed partner, they may notice that you sleep with your mouth open or that you're restless while sleeping. If snoring keeps you or your bed partner from getting a good night's sleep, either or both of you may feel tired during the day.

You may be able to treat snoring by making changes in your lifestyle and in the way you prepare for sleep. For example, lose weight if you're overweight, quit smoking, and sleep on your side and not your back. Or use a nasal strip over your nose to help you breathe while you sleep.

Several oral devices have been tested to help treat people with sleep apnea or snoring.

A device called a mandibular repositioning device pushes the jaw forward, improving airflow. Changing the position of the lower jaw enlarges the airway and decreases the chance that it will collapse when you inhale.

Other oral breathing devices supply electrical stimulation to the tongue muscles to prevent the airway from collapsing when you sleep.

Oral breathing devices may reduce snoring or sleep apnea.

Possible problems with devices that fit inside the mouth may include:

• Buildup of saliva in the mouth, requiring frequent swallowing.
• Discomfort, especially in the morning. Because the devices can be uncomfortable, people tend not to use them over the long term.
• Damage to teeth, soft tissues in the mouth, and the jaw joints. A dentist or orthodontist needs to fit the device to prevent these problems.

Excess saliva in your mouth and mild discomfort should become less bothersome with regular use.

If you have a bed partner, they may notice that you snore or stop breathing at times during sleep. Stopping breathing can be a sign of sleep apnea. If your doctor thinks that you might have sleep apnea, you will be referred for a sleep study to find out.

There are things you can do to help with snoring. Lose weight if you're overweight, avoid alcohol, and keep good sleep habits. Try sleeping on your side, raising the head of your bed, treating a blocked or stuffy nose, and using nasal strips or breathing devices during sleep. If you smoke, quit.

Snoring is a major symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. But even though most people who have sleep apnea snore, not all people who snore have sleep apnea.

If you have sleep apnea:

• How loud and how often you snore changes often.
• Your snoring disturbs your sleep, such as pauses in breathing or gasping while sleeping.
• You stop breathing at times, and oxygen levels in your blood go down.

If you snore but don't have sleep apnea:

• Your snoring is steady.
• Your snoring doesn't disturb your sleep.
• You don't stop breathing, and oxygen levels in your blood don't change.

Snoring is the sound you make during sleep when the flow of air from your mouth or nose to your lungs makes the tissues of your throat vibrate. This can make a loud, raspy noise. Sometimes people who snore also have sleep apnea. This means you stop breathing at times during sleep.

When you sleep, the muscles in the back of the roof of your mouth (soft palate), tongue, and throat relax. If they relax too much, they narrow or block your airway. As you breathe, your soft palate and uvula vibrate and knock against the back of your throat. This causes the sounds you hear during snoring.

The tonsils and adenoids may also vibrate. The narrower the airway is, the more the tissue vibrates, and the louder the snoring is.

Snoring may be caused by:

• Enlarged tissues in the nose, mouth, or throat.
• Blocked nasal passages, which make it harder to inhale.
• A deviated nasal septum, which disturbs airflow in the nose.
• Loss of muscle tone in the throat. This makes it easier for tissue to collapse.

Other things that may contribute to snoring include drinking alcohol, obesity, and medicines that relax you or make you drowsy.