What Causes Snoring?

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

11 Feb 2008 07:16 PM

In a strange turn of events last night, I heard myself snoring. I was having a weird dream (sort of a monster movie kind of scenario) and one of the people in my dream kept telling me that I was snoring. "No," I insisted. "I don't snore." But I could HEAR myself snoring while I was dreaming (and denying it).

Very weird.

I tend to talk in my sleep -- I've done it since I was a little kid -- but don't often snore. So it made me wonder about the cause. A few different things can cause snoring, like:

• The shape of your mouth. If you have enlarged tonsils, enlarged adenoids, or a low, thick soft palate (the muscles at the back of the roof of your mouth), you may have a narrow airway. A narrow airway obstructs airflow and increases vibration, causing snoring.
• The shape of your uvula (the little dangly thing at the back of your mouth). An elongated uvula can obstruct airflow and increase vibration.
• Being overweight can contribute to airway narrowing.
• Drinking too much alcohol before bed can relax airway muscles and lead to snoring.
• Chronic nasal congestion can cause snoring.
• A deviated septum (the divider between your nostrils) can cause snoring.
• Sleep apnea -- a condition where your throat tissues obstruct the airway and prevent breathing -- can cause snoring. You may notice loud snoring followed by periods of silence. The lack of oxygen forces you to wake up, which opens your airway with a loud gasp or snort.

Since I'm not usually a snorer, I think I can rule out mouth shape as a cause. I had my deviated septum straightened when I was nineteen -- the doctor did it when I had my sinus surgery. It's rare that I drink alcohol, and I certainly didn't drink last night before bed. And I don't think it's sleep apnea; I'm not waking up for air.

So I'm left with two things as possible: my weight and my nasal congestion. As a lifelong allergy sufferer, nasal congestion is no stranger. I've been a little more blocked up than normal over the last few weeks, so I bet that's the problem. However, if I keep hearing myself snoring, I may have to call the doctor for a check-up.

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