Snoring is quite a common sleeping problem, but there are those who are most likely to snore compared to others.
Who snores more? Men are found to be more likely to snore compared to women. The same thing goes for those who are overweight, as well as those who drink alcohol and smoke.
Snoring is caused by a number of reasons. The good news is, it can be prevented and managed. Knowing whether you have a higher risk of snoring is the best way to prepare yourself in kicking the habit, so to speak.
As you read further, you’ll find out who is more likely to snore while sleeping. You’ll also understand why people snore, know what the potential risks are, and find out how you can stop snoring.
Who are Most Likely to Snore?
The risks of snoring while sleeping are higher for people who:
- Are men. Snoring is more prevalent in men than women. The risks for women also rises, however, once they reach menopause.
- Are middle aged. Although snoring can be observed in people of any age, it is more common in people who have reached middle age. This is usually as a result of other health conditions as well.
- Are overweight. Excess weight can cause snoring especially if some of the fatty deposits are found around your neck. All the excess fat narrows down your airways, making it harder for you to breathe and causing the snoring sound.
- Drink alcohol. Alcohol and any other substances that causes you to sleep too soundly can cause snoring. These substances relax your muscles and the tissues around your throat, causing an obstruction as they collapse against your airways.
- Have narrow airways. It can be the way your body is built. It may also be because of inflammation. Regardless of the reason, the narrower your airways are, the louder your snoring will be.
- Have nasal congestion. It’s not just people with obstructed upper airways who snore. Those whose noses and sinuses are clogged also snore for the same reason — the air cannot pass through your nasal passages properly.
- Have a family history or sleep apnea. Snoring is the primary symptom of a sleeping condition called sleep apnea. If your other family members snore because of sleep apnea, then you are likely to go through the same thing.
If you count yourself in any of the groups listed above, then better ask your roommate (if you have one) if you snore. If you sleep alone, then you can try to check some of the symptoms of people who snore so that you can assess whether you snore at night.
What are the Symptoms of Snoring?
It’s easy to find out if you snore if you have someone sleeping in the room with you. But what if you sleep in your room alone?
The best way to guess if you’re snoring or not is to check if you show the following symptoms:
- Drowsiness or sleepiness during the day
- Frequent irritability, mood swings or frustration
- Lack of focus or difficulty concentrating on daytime tasks
- Forgetfulness
If you have the following symptoms, it’s best to have yourself checked by a doctor or a sleep specialist.
Why Do People Snore?
A lot of people wonder why they snore and how it happens. This is great information to have if you really want to get to the root of the problem.
Basically, when you doze off, your sleep moves from light sleep to a deep sleep. As this progresses, the muscles and tissues around your mouth, throat and tongue start to relax.
The problem is, these muscles and tissues will sometimes relax too much, causing them to collapse against your airways. This makes your airways narrower, which means that the air would have to be more forceful in getting through as you breathe in and out. This force makes your tissues vibrate, creating the snoring sound.
The narrower your airways, the louder your snoring becomes. A number of factors contribute to how narrow your airways are. Here are some of the most common contributors:
- Anatomy. Some people naturally have narrow airways. Sometimes, it’s hereditary, with some families having thick necks and narrow airways passed from generation to generation. In some cases, the uvula (that piece of tissue hanging down from the back of your mouth) is too elongated, adding to the vibration.
- Alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol relaxes your body, your mouth and throat muscles and tissues included. Knowing that they are already relaxed enough as it is when you fall into a deep sleep, it relaxes even further if that deep sleep is caused by the alcohol in your system. This causes these muscles and tissues to sag and collapse even further into your airways.
- Inflammation. If you have allergies or have a health condition that causes your throat area to become swollen, this would be another contributor to your snoring.
- Nasal issues. It’s not just your throat area that you should watch out for. If your nose and sinuses are congested or inflamed, then these could contribute to your snoring as well. The way your nose is formed is also a factor, especially for those who have a deviated septum where the partition between the two nostrils are either crooked, or poorly formed.
- Lack of sleep or overfatigue. When you lack sleep or are overly tired, the next time you try to sleep, you will most likely fall into deep sleep faster than usual. Your body (your muscle and throat tissues included) will most probably relax too much, which is similar to what happens when you drink alcohol before bedtime.
- Sleeping position. Your sleeping position is another contributor to your likelihood to snore. Sleeping on your back means that you’re just letting your throat, mouth and tongue muscles and tissues hang back into your airways. This is why it’s advisable for people who snore to sleep on their side instead.
Now that you understand what contributes to your snoring, let’s look at how your snoring can be stopped.
How is Snoring Treated?
Snoring can be treated in many ways. Your doctor’s recommendation will probably include one or two of these three options — lifestyle changes, therapy, or surgery.
Lifestyle Changes
One of the first changes your doctor would probably recommend would be to change your sleeping position. Sleep on your side even if you’re not as comfortable. Surrounding yourself with pillows (a body pillow would be best) could help you refrain from going right back to sleeping on your back later on.
You will also be advised to stop smoking, as this causes inflammation around the throat area. Drinking alcohol or eating heavy meals less than four hours before sleeping is also a huge no-no.
You should also treat any nasal congestion. If it’s caused by allergies, get rid of allergens inside your bedroom.
Try to maintain a healthy sleeping schedule as well. Don’t tire yourself out too much. You may feel that working late hours makes you productive. But when you lack sleep and proper rest, you will most likely be wasting more time zoning out.
With enough rest, you can be even more productive the next day, allowing you to finish more at a shorter time frame. Plus, your body doesn’t over-relax, allowing you to avoid snoring.
You may also be advised to lose some weight through a balance of exercise and proper diet. Losing some of the fatty deposits around your throat can help widen your airways, making it easier for you to breathe properly at night.
Therapy
Your doctor may also recommend therapy through the form of oral appliances and other devices.
The most common (and as they say, the most effective) is CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure.
CPAP involves wearing a mask that covers your mouth and/or nose as you sleep. The mask is attached to a machine that sends a consistent amount of air pressure as you breathe in an attempt to open up your airways.
Although this may seem highly uncomfortable at first, people have sworn to how effective this is in helping them breathe better while they sleep. This is especially helpful to those who have obstructive sleep apnea.
Surgery
In some scenarios, surgery may be advised.
You may be required to go through a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, for example. These procedures involve removing your tonsils and adenoids. This is recommended if these areas of your throat are swollen all the time (something that is normal among kids).
Somnoplasty is another option. This is a less invasive procedure, and would only minimally reduce the amount of soft tissues around your upper airways. In some cases, the doctor would also suggest palate surgery, where tissues around your soft palate will be removed.
What are the Risks of Snoring?
Some would argue that they don’t have any roommates anyway, so there’s nobody around to complain about the sound they make while they sleep. However, snoring has a number of health risks as well. This is why it is still important to treat snoring, regardless if nobody’s complaining.
Here are some of the health risks that come with snoring:
- Pauses in breathing while sleeping
- Low quality of sleep
- Strain on the heart and arteries
- Low blood oxygen levels
- Chronic headaches
- Drowsiness and sleepiness in the daytime
- Forgetfulness and lack of focus
- Irritability and mood swings
As you can see, snoring is not just a bad sleeping habit. It can affect your overall health, and can lead to more serious health conditions. It can make a huge impact on your productivity as well.
Related Questions
Is snoring a sign of deep sleep?
Snoring is not necessarily a sign of deep sleep. Some people snore even if they’re only sleeping lightly. Although it is true that the tissues and muscles causing an obstruction in the airways collapse farther as your sleep gets deeper, there are other factors that contribute to snoring. If it’s nasal congestion causing the snoring, for example, you may snore even if you’re only sleeping lightly.
How do you sleep with someone who snores?
If you are unable to sleep because your roommate or partner snores loudly, you may want to invest in a good pair of ear plugs. You can also try sleeping before the other person falls asleep. White noise machines also help in some cases.
