Why do people snore?

Why do people snore? has long been a question that attracts so many new people to learn about snoring, causes of snoring, how to stop snoring, as well as many aspects of sleep apnea. The question 'why do people snore?' is often asked by those who do not snore or suffer from sleep apnea. It is usually the people who are bothered by snoring sleepers who often ask 'why do people snore?' This section of Sleep Apnea and Snoring information website explores and answers the question ' why do people snore ?'

To answer the question why do people snore, we should first examine the normal breathing process. Usually breathing is done through the nose. However, some people find it difficult to breathe through the nose and they sometimes use their mouth to aide their breathing process. Breathing is the process of taking in air from the nose or mouth to the lungs. Along the way, the air passes through many nasal passages, mouth, throat, voicebox, and windpipe and eventually into the lungs' bronchi and bronchioles. These passageways are called the airway.

The airway includes the followings:

1. tongue
2. soft palate
3. uvula
4. tonsils
5. adenoids

During the day, our muscles hold these soft structures in place so they don't interfere with our breathing. When we sleep, our muscles relax and so do the tissues in the airway. This causes problem in some people. As these soft tissues relax, they can partially block the airway. Thus, the person has to work hard to breathe forcing air in and out of through the partially blocked airway. This causes snoring as throat structures vibrate and flutter from the turbulence, producing the wheezes, rattles and snorts.

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