If you snore—or sleep next to someone who snores—you may be wondering what causes snoring and, more important, what can be done to stop the racket. Bottom Line Personal spoke with sleep apnea and snoring specialist Michael J. Hutz, MD, from Chicago’s Rush University to learn more about the causes of snoring…and what can be done to stop it.
Why Do People Snore
Snoring is simply the sound produced by the vibration of soft tissues in the throat, such as the uvula and soft palate. It occurs during sleep because that’s when throat muscles relax and sag, narrowing the airway and causing the in-and-out airflow to become turbulent.
Snoring affects men and women alike and is especially common among older people and people who are overweight or obese. It can be worsened by the consumption of alcohol, being overtired and by acid reflux associated with eating a big meal close to bedtime.
What Causes Snoring
It is important to determine if the snoring is simply an annoyance or is linked to the serious medical condition obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause not only dry mouth, morning headaches and daytime drowsiness but also high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, cognitive decline and other potentially deadly problems. It is estimated that about half of people who snore have sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea occurs when throat tissues sag so severely that they don’t just impede airflow…they block it altogether. The pause in breathing starves the brain and body of oxygen, increases heart rate and causes a spike in blood pressure that wakes the snorer briefly and causes him to gasp for breath. This can occur dozens of times a night (typically without the snorer’s awareness).
To determine if you have sleep apnea: While the Apple Watch and similar wearable devices can help detect apnea, the only way to tell for sure is to undergo a sleep study, or polysomnography, in which sensors attached to the body measure respirations and oxygen levels in the bloodstream. Sleep studies can be conducted in a sleep lab or in the patient’s home with the help of an easy-to-use in-home sleep study kit. Ask your doctor to recommend a sleep center, or search for one near you on the website of the American Society of Sleep Medicine (SleepEducation.org/sleep-center).
Treatment for sleep apnea: There are several ways to treat sleep apnea, including special mouthpieces that reorient the jaw during sleep, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks and surgery to trim throat tissues or reposition the jaw or implant an electronic stimulator that helps throat tissues retain their muscular tone during sleep.
If your snoring is not associated with sleep apnea: Apps like SnoreLab can be used to monitor how long you snore each night—and how loudly. They can be used to chart your snoring patterns and gauge the effectiveness of your efforts to curb snoring.
Do-it-yourself strategies may prevent snoring or reduce its severity. These include avoiding alcohol and food for three hours before bedtime…elevating the head of the bed or using a wedge pillow so that you sleep in a more upright position…and sleeping on your side rather than in the supine position (on one’s back). Special pillows, backpacks and other devices are available to prevent back-sleeping. For snorers who are overweight or obese, losing weight can go a long way toward reducing snoring.
Also available: Oral appliances—similar to mouthguards worn by athletes—designed to stop snoring by repositioning the jaw during sleep. These can be purchased without a prescription, but those custom-fitted by a dentist tend to be more comfortable and effective long term.
If nasal congestion is the cause, over-the-counter nasal strips may help by encouraging breathing through the nose rather than the mouth, which can trigger snoring.
Specialized mouth training, known as myofunctional therapy, can help ease snoring in some cases. This involves performing exercises that strengthen muscles in the tongue, lips and throat. But for best results, the exercises should be performed on a daily basis and for several minutes each time—a chore that many people find too onerous given the availability of other treatment options. To learn more about these exercises: Contact a certified myofunctional therapist, or try different exercises available at SleepFoundation.org/snoring/mouth-exercises-to-stop-snoring.
Caution: You may have heard of mouth-taping to help reduce snoring. Taping the mouth shut at bedtime ensures nose breathing, of course, but it’s effective for only a small subset of snorers…and should be avoided entirely by anyone with apnea or symptoms suggestive of it. Research has shown mouth-taping actually worsens nighttime breathing in some snorers.
What about medication?
Snoring associated with allergies sometimes can be controlled with over-the-counter antihistamine nasal spray such as Xyzal and steroid sprays like Flonase and Nasacort. Check with your doctor before trying any of these. Beware: Nasal decongestants—sprays such as Afrin and oral ones—are generally not a good option, as they can cause rebound congestion if used daily for more than a few days in a row.
If your partner snores, the only way to get him/her to stop in the moment is to rouse him. Tapping or elbowing a snorer can shift him into a different position or a lighter sleep state. But for peaceful slumber day in and day out, encourage your partner to try do-it-yourself remedies and possibly seek help from a doctor if there are concerning symptoms of sleep apnea.
