Snoring is a common condition where a person produces a hoarse or harsh sound during breathing while sleeping. It is often caused by a narrowing of the airway in the nose, mouth, or throat, which causes the tissues to vibrate during breathing.

Some common causes of snoring include obesity, nasal congestion, alcohol consumption, smoking, and sleeping on your back. Other risk factors include age, gender (men are more likely to snore than women), and family history.

In many cases, snoring is not a serious medical condition, but it can affect the quality of sleep for both the snorer and their partner, leading to fatigue, irritability, and other health problems. In some cases, snoring may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep.

There are various lifestyle changes and medical treatments that can help reduce or eliminate snoring. These include losing weight, avoiding alcohol and sedatives, sleeping on your side, using nasal strips or sprays to open up the nasal passages, and using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to keep the airway open during sleep. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to correct structural issues in the nose, mouth, or throat. If you or your partner snore, it may be a good idea to consult a healthcare provider to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Snoring can be caused by a number of factors, such as the anatomy of your mouth and sinuses, alcohol consumption, allergies, a cold, and your weight.

When you doze off and progress from a light sleep to a deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth (soft palate), tongue and throat relax. The tissues in your throat can relax enough that they partially block your airway and vibrate.

The more narrowed your airway, the more forceful the airflow becomes. This increases tissue vibration, which causes your snoring to grow louder.

The following conditions can affect the airway and cause snoring:

• Your mouth anatomy. Having a low, thick soft palate can narrow your airway. People who are overweight may have extra tissues in the back of their throats that may narrow their airways. Likewise, if the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula) is elongated, airflow can be obstructed and vibration increased.
• Alcohol consumption. Snoring can also be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and decreases your natural defenses against airway obstruction.
• Nasal problems. Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum) may contribute to your snoring.
• Sleep deprivation. Not getting enough sleep can lead to further throat relaxation.
• Sleep position. Snoring is typically most frequent and loudest when sleeping on the back as gravity's effect on the throat narrows the airway.