Why do people snore?

People snore when the air doesn’t pass freely through the nose and mouth. This could be caused by various reasons.

If a person has too much nasal tissue, air might not pass freely through his nose and the snoring sound might happen as the extra nasal tissue vibrates.

The position of the tongue during sleep can result in snoring. If the tongue moved so that it affected the ease with which air moves, snoring might happen. In such a case, changing the sleeping position can stop the snoring.

A poor sleep posture can narrow the throat. When the throat narrows the air passing through it can result in a snoring sound.

Older people are more likely to snore because as a person gets older the throat narrows.

Men have narrower air passages than woman and this makes their chances of snoring higher for them. A man who sleeps with poor posture is more likely to snore than a woman who does the same. (See Why do we have dreams at night?)

Extra fatty tissues, poor muscle tone and an obese body can contribute to snoring. An overweight person is more likely to snore than a slim person provided that everything else is similar.

Alcohol intake, smoking, and certain medications can increase muscle relaxation leading to more snoring. People who reduce alcohol intake and smoking experience less snoring. (See What Alcohol does to your Brain?)

Sleeping flat on your back causes the flesh of your throat to relax and might partially block the passage of air. This leads to snoring.

Sleeping on an overly soft or large pillow can cause snoring.