Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. In some cases the sound may be soft, but in other cases, it can be rather loud and quite unpleasant.

While we are breathing, air flows in and out in a steady stream from our nose or mouth to our lungs. There are relatively few sounds when we are sitting and breathing quietly. When we exercise, the air moves more quickly and produces some sounds as we breathe. This happens because air is moving in and out of the nose and mouth more quickly and this result in more turbulence to the airflow and some vibration of the tissues in the nose and mouth.

When we are asleep, the area at the back of the throat sometimes narrows. The same amount of air passing through this smaller opening can cause the tissues surrounding the opening to vibrate, which in turn can cause the sounds of snoring. Different people who snore have different reasons for the narrowing. The narrowing can be in the nose, mouth, or throat.

The irregular airflow is caused by a passageway blockage and usually due to one of the following:
•    Throat weakness, causing the throat to close during sleep
•    Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in the muscles
•    Fat gathering in and around the throat
•    Obstruction in the nasal passageway
•    The tissues at the top of airways touching each other causing vibrations
•    Relaxants such as alcohol or drugs relaxing throat muscles
•    Sleeping on one's back, which may result in the tongue dropping to the back of the mouth.

Statistics on snoring are often contradictory, but at least 30% of adults and perhaps as many as 50% of people in some demographics snore. One survey of 5,713 Italian residents identified habitual snoring in 24% of men and 13.8% of women, rising to 60% of men and 40% of women aged 60 to 65 years; this suggests an increased susceptibility to snoring as age increases

Snoring is a noise that you may make while breathing during sleep. Snoring can be soft, loud, raspy, harsh, hoarse, or fluttering. Your bed partner may notice that you sleep with your mouth open and that you are restless while sleeping. If snoring interferes with your or your bed partner's sleep, either or both of you may feel tired during the day.

If you temporarily stop breathing during the night, you may have sleep apnea, a serious condition. For more information, see the topic Sleep Apnea

Diagnosis of snoring focuses on eliminating the possibility of sleep apnea. Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history. Because a physical exam and medical history cannot determine if you have sleep apnea, a sleep study almost always will be done if your doctor suspects the condition.

The main categories of non-surgical treatment of snoring are:

• Behavioral changes
• Dental devices
• Nasal devices and medications
• Nasal CPAP
• Over-the-counter products

Surgeries are generally successful in reducing snoring. The success of a procedure depends on the problem area causing the snoring. Palate implant surgery has been reported to decrease snoring. Palatal implant surgery, like other surgeries, is very successful if the patients are carefully selected. Only people with snoring due to palate problems will improve with palate surgery, and only the snorer's partner will determine if the improvement in snoring is a "success."

Factors that may increase your risk of snoring include:

* Being male. Men are more likely to snore than women.
* Age. Snoring is most common in middle-aged people. One study reports that among men, the chance that they will begin snoring increases until 50 to 60 years of age and then decreases.
* Heredity. Snoring may run in families.
* Weight gain and obesity.
* Smoking. Exposing children to tobacco smoke may also increase their risk of snoring.2
* Use of alcohol or sedative medicines.
* Chronic nasal congestion during sleep. This is often caused by colds or allergies.
* Jaw abnormalities, such as a small chin and overbite (class II malocclusion -the upper jaw and teeth overlap the bottom jaw and teeth). This may be an especially important factor in women.

To help prevent snoring, you can:

* Avoid the use of alcohol and medicines that slow your breathing, such as sleeping pills and tranquilizers.
* Eat sensibly, exercise, and stay at a healthy weight.
* Go to bed at the same time every night and get plenty of sleep. Regular sleep patterns help you sleep better, and more restful sleep may reduce snoring.
* Sleep on your side, not on your back. Sleeping on your back can increase snoring. Try sewing a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, putting a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitching it closed. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back.
* Quit smoking. This reduces inflammation and swelling in the airway, which may contribute to the narrowing of the airway.
* Raise the head of your bed 4in to 6in by putting bricks under the legs of the bed. (Using pillows to raise your head and upper body will not work.) Sleeping at a slight incline can prevent the tongue from falling toward the back of the throat and contributing to a blocked or narrowed airway.
* Promptly treat breathing problems, such as a stuffy nose caused by a cold or allergies. Breathing problems can raise the risk of snoring.