If you or someone you love snores, you’re far from alone. Roughly 40% of adults snore regularly, and for 95% of those snorers, the noise bothers their partner or family. Snoring isn’t just an annoyance — it’s a signal from your body that something is compromising your airway during sleep.
After decades of helping people improve their sleep as The Sleep Ambassador®, I’ve seen firsthand how snoring disrupts relationships, drains energy, and in many cases, points to serious health concerns. Here’s what you need to know about why snoring happens and what you can actually do about it.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing them to vibrate as you breathe. The more narrowed your airway becomes, the more forceful the airflow — and the louder the snoring.
Several factors contribute to snoring:
- Mouth breathing during sleep — We are designed to breathe through our nose, not our mouth. Mouth breathing during sleep can significantly exacerbate snoring.
- Nasal congestion or obstruction — A deviated septum, allergies, or a cold can block airflow and force mouth breathing.
- Sleeping position — Sleeping on your back causes the tongue and soft palate to collapse toward the back of the throat.
- Alcohol consumption — Drinking before bed relaxes throat muscles more than usual.
- Weight — Excess tissue around the neck can narrow the airway.
- Sleep deprivation — Paradoxically, not getting enough sleep can make your throat muscles more relaxed when you finally do sleep.
When Snoring Is More Than Just Noise
Here’s what concerns me most as a sleep strategist: many people dismiss snoring as a harmless nuisance. Snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night.
Left untreated, OSA increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression, and chronic fatigue. Even if snoring isn’t linked to OSA, the snorer’s sleep is often fragmented and unrestorative, leading to daytime drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and reliance on caffeine to get through the day.
If you snore and experience any of the following, seek evaluation from a sleep specialist:
- Gasping or choking during sleep
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking
- Drowsiness while driving
Practical Steps to Stop Snoring
Based on my work with individuals and organizations, here are the most effective approaches I recommend:
1. Breathe Through Your Nose
This is foundational. Nasal breathing filters, warms, and humidifies air. It also produces nitric oxide, which supports healthy blood flow and oxygenation. If nasal congestion or a deviated septum makes nasal breathing difficult, a nasal dilator like Mute can gently open your nasal passages and significantly improve airflow.
2. Try Side Sleeping
If you primarily sleep on your back, try sleeping on your side. This simple change can reduce or eliminate snoring for many people. A body pillow can help you stay in position through the night.
3. Avoid Alcohol Before Bed
Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat more than normal sleep does. Avoid alcohol for at least 3-4 hours before bedtime.
4. Consider Myofunctional Therapy
These are targeted exercises that strengthen the muscles of the tongue, soft palate, and throat. Research has shown that myofunctional therapy can reduce snoring and mild OSA by strengthening the airway muscles.
5. Use Technology to Track Your Snoring
If you sleep alone and suspect you snore, apps like SnoreLab can record and score your snoring, giving you data to understand patterns and track whether interventions are working.
6. Seek Medical Evaluation
If lifestyle changes and over-the-counter solutions don’t resolve the snoring, or if you continue to wake up tired, consult a sleep specialist or an ENT who specializes in sleep disorders. A sleep study can determine whether OSA is present and guide appropriate treatment.
The Personal Side of Snoring
Years ago, I wrote a children’s book called My Daddy Snores, published by Scholastic. It’s a humorous take on a very real issue that affects millions of families. What amazed me was discovering, years after publication, that my own great uncle David Horwich had written a book called How to Stop Snoring in 1950 — seventy years before I addressed the same topic. Some things, it seems, run in the family.
The truth is, snoring has been disrupting sleep for generations. The difference today is that we have far better science, diagnosis, and treatment options available. There’s no reason to just live with snoring.
Take Action
Don’t ignore snoring — for yourself, your partner, or your children. Everyone deserves restful, restorative sleep. Start with the steps above, and if snoring persists, see a specialist. The quality of your sleep directly impacts the quality of your waking life.
For more detailed information on snoring solutions, I invite you to read my article on Mute Snoring: How to Stop Snoring.
By Nancy H. Rothstein, MBA, The Sleep Ambassador®