What Is Snoring? Understanding How It Works
The sound of snoring is produced by soft tissue at the back of the throat vibrating during sleep. When you fall asleep, the muscles throughout your body relax, including those of the throat and tongue. If the airway narrows, air moves through it faster and makes the soft tissue (including the soft palate, uvula and base of the tongue) vibrate, producing the snoring sound we hear.
Snoring can range from a few dozen decibels to more than 80 decibels — about the noise level of a vacuum cleaner. People who snore are usually unaware of it, yet it can seriously disturb a partner’s sleep.
Occasional snoring vs habitual snoring:
- Occasional snoring: only happens when you are tired, have a cold or have been drinking; this is normal
- Habitual snoring: happens every night, is loud and may point to sleep apnea — worth paying attention to
Common Causes of Snoring
The causes of snoring vary from person to person. Understanding your own is the first step to improving it effectively:
Of these, sleeping on your back is one of the most common causes — gravity makes the tongue and soft tissue fall backwards, narrowing the airway. Being overweight causes fatty tissue to build up around the neck, pressing on the airway from outside. Alcohol and certain medications over-relax the throat muscles. And a blocked nose forces you to breathe through your mouth, which increases tissue vibration.
The Effects of Snoring: More Than Just Noise
The effects of snoring go far beyond “keeping someone awake” — it affects sleep quality and daytime alertness for both you and your partner, and even your relationship:
Poorer sleep quality
Snoring triggers frequent micro-arousals, which interrupt the sleep cycle, reduce the proportion of deep sleep and lead to daytime tiredness.
Your partner’s sleep suffers
A partner may lose 1 to 2 hours of sleep a night as a result. Over time this can lead to sleeping in separate rooms and affect intimacy.
Daytime fatigue
The direct consequences of poor sleep quality: difficulty concentrating, lower productivity at work, mood swings and even dozing off at the wheel.
Dry mouth and throat discomfort
Breathing through the mouth leads to a dry mouth in the morning, a sore throat and even bad breath. Long-term mouth breathing also affects oral health.
Social embarrassment
Sharing a room on a trip, taking a flight or even having a midday nap comes with the worry of disturbing others. Snoring becomes a psychological burden in social situations.
Less efficient sleep
You may sleep for 8 hours and still wake up feeling you have not had enough — because snoring gives you sleep that has “quantity without quality”.
Snoring Severity Self-Check
Below are some self-check questions to help you understand your own snoring. The more times you answer “yes”, the more seriously you should take it, because you may have sleep apnea:
7 Lifestyle Habits to Improve Snoring
Side sleeping is the simplest way to improve snoring. Research shows that switching to side sleeping can reduce the frequency and volume of snoring by up to 50%. Gravity pulls the tongue and soft tissue forward, keeping the airway open. Placing a long pillow against your back, or using a dedicated side-sleeping aid, can help you stay on your side.
Physical Aids for Snoring
1. CPAP machine
For persistent, loud snoring accompanied by pauses in breathing, a CPAP machine keeps the airway open with gentle air pressure and is the most effective option. It needs to be assessed and set up by a professional. Learn about CPAP products
2. NightShift™ sleep positioner
A smart device worn around the neck. When it senses that you have rolled onto your back, it gives a gentle vibration to prompt you to turn back onto your side. Painless and non-invasive, and clinically proven to reduce snoring. Learn about NightShift™
3. Remside back pillow
A simple, effective way to physically prevent you rolling onto your back. The soft, comfortable back pillow sits behind you and naturally keeps you on your side. No power needed and no side effects. Learn about the Remside back pillow
4. Nasal strips / nasal dilators
Small devices that stick to the outside of the nose or sit inside it, widening the nasal passages and reducing resistance to breathing. Particularly effective for snoring caused by a blocked nose. No prescription needed and ready to use straight away.
5. Anti-snoring pillow
A specially designed pillow that adjusts in height to your sleeping position to keep the airway aligned. Side cut-outs accommodate a mask when you sleep on your side, and a slightly higher profile keeps the head gently tilted back when you sleep on your back.
Sleep Position and Snoring: The Science of Side Sleeping
Why does sleeping on your back cause snoring?
When you sleep on your back, gravity pulls the tongue and soft palate backwards, narrowing the airway in the throat. The narrower the airway, the faster the airflow, the more strongly the soft tissue vibrates and the louder the snoring.
How does side sleeping help?
When you sleep on your side, gravity pulls the tongue and soft tissue forward and the airway stays open. Research confirms that side sleeping can reduce snoring by 50% in frequency and volume.
How do you train yourself to side sleep?
Place a long pillow against your back; use the vibration prompts of NightShift™; or put a tennis ball in a pocket on the back of your pyjamas. The habit usually forms within 2 to 3 weeks.
The right side-sleeping posture
Keep your spine aligned; put a pillow between your knees to reduce pressure on the lower back; and choose a pillow of the right height so that your neck keeps its natural curve.
When to Take Snoring Seriously
• Very loud snoring (audible through a closed door)
• Pauses in breathing during sleep
• Unusual daytime tiredness and frequent dozing off
• Waking with a headache or dry mouth
• Your partner describes you as “suddenly going silent, then snoring loudly”
HomeCare Medical offers a professional sleep assessment service using an advanced German monitoring system. Contact us to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It depends on the cause. Lifestyle changes such as side sleeping can reduce snoring by up to 50%, and adding an aid such as NightShift™ or a CPAP machine can readily improve it. Some anatomical factors need surgery, such as removal of the uvula. What matters is finding the cause of your own snoring.
Occasional snoring during a cold is normal. But frequent, loud snoring may be related to enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and we recommend consulting a doctor for further examination.
Nasal strips work for snoring caused by a blocked nose or the structure of the nasal passages, which accounts for about 30% of people who snore. We suggest trying them first; if the effect is not noticeable, the snoring probably originates in the throat and needs a different solution.
Yes. Research shows that side sleeping can reduce the frequency and volume of snoring by up to 50%. Side sleeping uses gravity to move the tongue and soft tissue forward and keep the airway open, making it the simplest effective solution, and it is free.
Alcohol over-relaxes the throat muscles, causing more tissue to collapse and vibrate and making snoring louder. We recommend avoiding alcohol for 3 to 4 hours before bed.
Yes, especially for people with a body mass index above 25. Losing 10% of body weight can already reduce snoring significantly, because excess fatty tissue around the neck presses on the airway. The effect is even better combined with side sleeping.
Troubled by snoring? HomeCare Medical offers professional assessment and solutions
HomeCare Medical has 32 years of professional experience in sleep health and offers a full service from snoring assessment to a range of solutions. Contact us today and get your quiet nights back.