Why Do People Snore While Sleeping?

There are multiple causes of snoring (sleep-disordered breathing). Any narrowing of the upper respiratory tract above the trachea can trigger snoring or even breathing pauses:

Nasal cavity stenosis caused by rhinitis, turbinate hypertrophy, deviated nasal septum or nasal polyps.

Pharyngeal cavity stenosis resulting from tonsillar hypertrophy, adenoid hypertrophy, thickened elongated soft palate and relaxed pharyngeal mucosa.

Narrowed airway behind the tongue and hyoid bone due to maxillofacial developmental deformities (retrognathia, micrognathia), obesity, short thick neck, retropositioned tongue base and temporomandibular joint ankylosis.

In children, snoring is mostly induced by tonsillar and adenoid hypertrophy.

Snoring is a common sleep phenomenon, yet many people take it lightly or even regard it as a sign of sound sleep. In fact, snoring severely endangers health. Repeated breathing pauses during sleep lead to severe hypoxia in the brain and blood, triggering hypoxemia, which further induces hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. If nighttime breathing arrest lasts over 120 seconds, sudden death in the early morning may occur.

Harm of Snoring

Snoring accompanied by breath-holding is a typical symptom of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which brings extensive damage to the body. Snoring is a pathological condition; without effective long-term treatment, it causes memory loss and excessive daytime sleepiness, and may lead to suffocation and death in severe cases, which must not be ignored.

Daily relief tips: Sleep on your side instead of lying supine; avoid alcohol, strong tea, coffee and sedative medicines before bed. Alcohol, tranquilizers, sleeping pills and anti-allergy drugs slow and shallow breathing and relax soft tissues, making airway blockage more likely. Regular exercise, weight loss and improved lung function can also mitigate snoring symptoms.

Ways to Prevent Snoring

Do regular physical exercise such as mountain climbing and jogging to boost lung function.

Quit smoking immediately. Cigarette smoke irritates nasal mucosa and worsens nasal and respiratory congestion. Alcohol aggravates snoring, nighttime breathing disorders and hypoxemia, especially when consumed before sleep.

Obese people should actively lose weight.

Most snorers suffer from low blood oxygen levels, often accompanied by hypertension, arrhythmia, elevated blood viscosity and increased cardiac load, raising risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Monitor blood pressure regularly and take hypotensive drugs as prescribed.

Refuse sedatives, sleeping pills and anti-allergy medicines before bedtime to avoid excessive inhibition of the respiratory center.

Adopt lateral sleeping position, preferably the right side, to prevent airway obstruction caused by sagging tongue, soft palate and uvula. Fix a small rubber ball on the back of pajamas to force side sleeping.

Postoperative patients should stick to soft food, avoid over-hot meals and strenuous exercise.

Do not drink strong tea or coffee before sleep.

Important Reminders

People should correctly understand snoring. Mild snoring should not be dismissed carelessly, as all forms of snoring bring only harm to the body. Correct awareness, active prevention and professional medical treatment are the optimal solutions.

Clinical Manifestations of Insomnia

Sleep disturbance: Difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality and shortened sleep duration.

Daytime cognitive impairment: Declined memory, attention and planning ability, leading to daytime fatigue, reduced work efficiency and irresistible drowsiness during rest.

Dysfunction of the limbic system and autonomic nerves:

Cardiovascular: Chest tightness, palpitations and unstable blood pressure with peripheral vasomotor disorders;

Digestive: Constipation, diarrhea and stomach distension;

Musculoskeletal: Stiff neck and shoulder muscles, headaches and lumbago;

Emotional: Low mood and irritability;

Sexual dysfunction: Erectile dysfunction in males and decreased libido in females.

Other systemic symptoms: Short-term weight loss, weakened immunity and endocrine disorders.

Effective Daily Methods to Prevent Insomnia

Avoid intense mental stress and maintain a positive mindset. Arrange work and study according to personal conditions with reasonable expectations.

Take a warm bath before bed (water temperature ≤37°C, soak for 10–15 minutes) and go to bed right afterward to relax the body.

Keep a fixed sleep schedule and go to bed on time. Occasional poor sleep is harmless; do not engage in non-sleep activities in bed, and do not stay in bed simply to compensate for insufficient sleep the previous night.

Follow a balanced diet: Have a light, digestible dinner in moderate portions; avoid greasy meat and spicy irritants.

For chronic severe insomnia, sedatives such as diazepam may be prescribed, yet they easily cause drug dependence. Such medicines work fast but are not recommended for mild insomnia.