Really - It's Nothing to Snore About!

According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 90 million adults in the United States of all ages and gender snore. Snoring is another name for noisy breathing when one is asleep. As one's age advances, one becomes more likely to snore. Although snoring affects both men and women, the men are more likely to snore than women. People who have weight problems are often susceptible to snoring too. Sleep causes a lot of problems. It can create havoc on a relationship because it disturbs one's bed partner. It has been linked with sleepiness and tiredness too.

The sound that comes out when one snores is due to the vibrations that induce particles in the air to emit sound waves. It is somewhat similar to when we speak and when our stomach and intestine vibrate or growl. Snoring occurs when the flow of air causes the tissues of the throat and noise to vibrate. During sleep, the tongue falls backward and the throat becomes narrow. As the sleeping individual breathes, the walls of the throat start vibrating. Immediately, the sounds of snoring could be heard. The sound of snoring is louder when the airway is narrower. The vibration is increased in a narrow passageway. As expected, snoring can vary from person to person. Sometimes, people who do not normally snore confess that they snore after alcohol consumption, intake of medication, and recovery from a viral disease.

Previously, aging has been thought to induce snoring. This occurs because throat muscles become more relaxed as one grows older. Abnormalities, such as growth within the nose, enlarged tonsils, and even deviation of the nasal septum result in the narrowing of the throat during sleep. The way one is positioned in sleep is also thought to cause snoring. Sleeping on the back leads to snoring in some people. Alcohol makes you snore because it is a muscle relaxant. If medications like muscle relaxants are taken in my people who snore, the snore worsens. Obesity causes one to snore because most obese people have narrower throats because of fatty tissue deposits around their necks.

Snoring usually commences during in some or all phases of sleep. During rapid eye movement, snoring is rampant because loss of muscle tone occurs at this stage. In the course of rapid eye movement, the brain sends a message to all muscles of the body to relax, that is, except the muscles used for breathing. However, the relaxation of the muscles in the throat, palate, and including the tongue narrows the airway passage. This is why snoring occurs and gets worse.

Snoring can be lessened by reminding the person to roll onto his side with an elbow to the ribs during sleep. In this position, the tissues involving the palate, tonsils, and tongue are no longer pulled backwards. While snoring because of the natural process of aging cannot be avoided, you can still lessen your chances of snoring, simply by trying to avoid intake of alcohol. If you happen to have anatomical abnormalities in your nose, consult your physician immediately.