Everyone snores at some point in their lives. It may only happen when you have a head cold or after a night out with friends, but about one-quarter of the adult population snores regularly. Even if it doesn’t wake you, your snoring will prevent you from achieving restful sleep. If you sleep with a partner, then they too will have difficulty getting proper amounts of rest. Ultimately, you’ll both suffer the side effects of sleep deprivation, so it’s important to address the factors that may be making your snoring worse. Let’s look at what makes snoring worse.
What Makes Snoring Worse?
Several factors contribute to snoring. Here are some of the most common causes of louder, more frequent snoring.
Reduced Airflow Through Your Nose:
If you’re experiencing congestion thanks to allergies or respiratory illness, then you are far more likely to have trouble with snoring. Your body is trying to inhale normal levels of air and struggling to do so. The narrowed nasal passages force the air to move more quickly, causing the soft palate to vibrate more violently. This vibration causes the snoring sound you hear.
Exhaustion and Sleep Deprivation:
There are many reasons why a person might find themselves a little sleep-deprived. Extra time at work, school, or having fun with friends are all capable of preventing us from getting a full eight hours a night. Unfortunately, exhaustion can cause your muscles to over-relax while sleeping causing them to partially block your airways. As a result, you’re more likely to snore.
Increased Pressure on the Throat:
Unfortunately, your weight may have something to do with your snoring. If you’re carrying a substantial amount of extra weight, especially around your jaw and throat, then the extra weight will actually put pressure on your throat when you lay on your back. The pressure on your throat makes is more likely that you will snore, especially if you’re lying on your back.
Alcohol or Drug Use:
Alcohol and some drugs cause the muscles in your body to relax. As a result, your throat and tongue muscles will behave much like someone with reduced muscle tone. If you lie on your back with these ultra-relaxed muscles, they will partially collapse into the airway, restricting flow and causing increased snoring.
Loss of Muscle Tone in the Throat and Tongue:
Although obstructive sleep apnea is often associated with obesity, there are some cases where patients simply don’t have the muscle tone in their throat and tongue to support their airways properly while they sleep. By lying down, their body allows gravity to partially collapse those muscles into the airway. Individuals who experience regular snoring without any of the additional risk factors listed above should consult their New York City sleep doctor.
Addressing the Problem
Frequent snoring is actually a pretty serious problem, as it prevents you from getting adequate sleep. Over time, you’ll start to show all of the side effects associated with sleep deprivation. These may include loss of focus, loss of memory, irritability, and even sudden loss of consciousness. All of these side effects can severely impact your professional and social life, so it’s better to speak with your sleep doctor before your snoring becomes a real issue.
Together you can identify the underlying causes for your snoring and begin to address them through lifestyle changes and specialized medical devices. Your snoring treatment in New York will be comprehensive, allowing you to find the methods that work best for you and your family. As long as you’re willing to work with your doctor and take the necessary steps, you will be back to enjoying a full night’s sleep before you know it.
