Has a partner or friend ever told you that you snore? If so, you aren’t alone. In fact, 45 percent of adults occasionally snore, and 25 percent of adults snore regularly.

Snoring can happen in isolation, or it may be related to obesity. Read on to learn about what causes snoring, the risks associated with it, and tips to help with snoring.

What Causes Snoring?

Snoring happens when the air you breathe vibrates against the relaxed tissues of your throat. It typically happens when you inhale, or breathe in. There are a few factors that might contribute to snoring, and other factors that might increase your likelihood of snoring.

What Can Lead to Snoring?

Snoring can happen for a variety of reasons. The structure of your nose and mouth airways can change the way air flows through them. If the roof or the soft tissue of your mouth hangs lower, this can constrict the flow of air and cause snoring. Similarly, a crooked nose (for instance, if you have a deviated septum), can also restrict airflow and contribute to snoring.

Snoring happens when the air you breathe vibrates against the relaxed tissues of your throat.

If the tissues of your throat are extra relaxed, this can lead to increased snoring. The tissues can relax more if you’re sleep deprived or if you’ve consumed too much alcohol. Alcohol consumption, especially close to bedtime, can increase the relaxation of your throat muscles and narrow your airway.

The position you sleep in can play a role in your snoring. Sleeping on your back allows gravity to have the biggest effect on compressing your airway tissues. Therefore, people who sleep on their backs are likely to snore more often and more loudly.

People with higher body weights are also more likely to snore. Excess body tissue (especially around the throat and abdomen) can compress your airway, making airflow turbulent and leading to louder, more frequent snoring.

Risk Factors Contributing to Snoring

Other factors can also make you more likely to snore. These include:

• Nasal congestion — Congestion can clog your airways.
• Being a man — Men are more likely to snore than women, according to Mayo Clinic.
• Family history — Having a family history of snoring or sleep apnea will increase your risk.
• Postmenopausal women — After menopause, hormonal shifts can cause increased airway collapse, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• Increased age — As you age, your muscle tone reduces.

Risks of Snoring

If you or your partner has ever snored, you know how disruptive it can be. Not only is snoring disruptive, but it can also increase your risk of developing other health issues.

Snoring Can Lead to Other Issues

Although snoring alone (called primary snoring) should not cause symptoms unless it’s associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or upper airway resistance syndrome, it can still interrupt your sleep, increasing your sleepiness and fatigue levels throughout the day. With lower energy levels, you’re more likely to have difficulty concentrating and can even have trouble regulating your emotions throughout the day. This can lead to more frequent frustration or anger. Daytime sleepiness can also increase your risk of being in a car accident, since your reaction time might be slower.

Snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which is when your breathing decreases or stops in your sleep.

Sleep deprivation caused by snoring can affect several areas of your life. Sleep is when your body can rest and recover from the day. It can help you heal from injuries, recover from stress, and make sure your immune system is functioning well to prevent illnesses. Without proper sleep, you may be more at risk for physical and mental health conditions as well as injuries. Lack of sleep also makes it harder to function well throughout the day, so everything from your job to housework can feel even more challenging.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring can be one sign of obstructive sleep apnea. Other symptoms to look out for include morning headaches, a sore throat when you wake up in the morning, breathing pauses when sleeping (usually witnessed by a partner), gasping or choking at night, and/or chest pain at night.

OSA is when your breathing decreases or stops in your sleep. Typically, this is from the collapse of your airway, which is why OSA is linked to obesity. As body mass index (BMI) increases, so does the likelihood of OSA. One study showed that a 10 percent weight gain makes you six times more likely to develop OSA.

As if your breathing stopping momentarily wasn’t scary enough, OSA can lead to other serious health conditions. OSA is associated with high blood pressure, heart conditions, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Nearly 60 percent of children with obesity also have OSA. In addition to the other health risks mentioned above, it can lead to learning delays. OSA and the poor sleep that comes with it can also lead to issues in school, including symptoms similar to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with OSA have more trouble paying attention and can be more likely to have behavioral issues.

If you are concerned about any symptoms, discuss them with your healthcare team. They can determine any appropriate testing you might need and help you develop a comprehensive treatment plan.

Tips and Tricks To Help With Snoring

The best tips to reduce snoring depend on the cause of your snoring. As mentioned above, many factors can cause snoring.

If your snoring is really loud, has been happening for a long time, or you’ve been told you have breathing pauses while asleep, it’s time to get evaluated by your doctor.

In some cases, reducing body weight may be helpful to take some pressure off your airways. Even a 5 percent to 10 percent weight loss can reduce the severity of sleep apnea or prevent it from starting. Talk with your doctor about whether you should consider making lifestyle modifications to help with snoring. They may recommend working with a dietitian to help you reach your overall wellness goals.

If your sleep apnea is progressive or severe, your doctor might prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This machine helps keep your airways open at night to improve breathing and sleep quality. CPAP machines help to reduce snoring associated with OSA.

Oral appliances can be helpful for people with sleep apnea. Oral appliances fit into your mouth to help with the position of your jaw, tongue, and the roof of your mouth to reduce snoring. If nasal congestion or nasal airway collapse are causes of your snoring, nasal strips might help as well. These strips widen your nasal passages to allow more airflow.

Other practical suggestions to help reduce snoring include:

• Treating any underlying nasal congestion to improve airflow
• Sleeping on your side to reduce gravity’s effect on your airways
• Avoiding alcohol and other sedatives, especially before bedtime
• Trying to improve sleep deprivation that leads to further airway collapse (possibly taking a quick nap during the day)

If your snoring is really loud, has been happening for a long time, or you’ve been told you have breathing pauses while asleep, it’s time to get evaluated by your doctor. Your healthcare team is the best resource to help you determine where your snoring is stemming from and what you can do about it.

Join the Conversation

On MyObesityTeam, people share their experiences with obesity, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Do you have any additional tips and tricks to help with snoring? Let others know in the comments below.