Like many people, we refuse to believe that we snore because it seems a little less than civilized and it’s not a pretty thing. Unless we have a tape recorder and unless we ask someone whether we snore or not, there is no way to know for certain. In fact, sporadic snoring happens for a great deal of us when we’re extremely tired or suffering from a bad cold. Nearly fifty percent of all adults have snored from time to time and roughly thirty percent of people snore habitually.
The sound we hear when someone snores is caused by air within the lungs having to force itself through narrow openings between the throat, uvula and palate. While sleeping, people may lack muscle control of the tongue and the uvula – which is the piece of tissue that hangs downward at the back of the throat. As we age, the muscles become more lacking in their tone and causes the back of the throat, or pharynx to be mildly obstructed. If we have excess tissue on the roof of our mouth, (called the palate) in the back of the throat or the back of the tongue, it can definitely cause a breathing problem. If this region becomes overly relaxed due to increasing age, mild alcohol consumption or via taking a sleeping pill, this can cause the tongue and any excess skin to rest in the back of the throat. Some of us battle with occasional insomnia and seek some temporary relief by having a glass of wine or a sleeping remedy.
Many believe that snoring is the most prevalent when one is overweight, but this is a misconception. The belief that snoring occurs among the overweight population is correct, however everyone snores sometimes and those who are incessant snorers can also be within the normal weight range. Those of us who are underweight can also snore and there are no outwardly obvious reasons for snoring to occur.
Snoring interrupts the sleeping patterns of the sufferer and it also disrupts the lives of loved ones who are attempting to get a restful night’s sleep. The question of “Why do people snore?†is a good one to ask if we’re curious, but it’s far more important to wonder when snoring should be treated. This is disruptive, especially for married individuals whose only solace is to sleep in a separate room or within another section of the house when snoring is loud. For the sake of one’s sanity and ability to get some much needed rest, we need to consider all of the available options.