Snoring happens when the muscles in the mouth and throat relax during sleep, which causes the airway to narrow. This narrowing makes the airflow more forceful and creates vibrations in the relaxed tissues like the soft palate, uvula, tongue, and throat walls, producing the characteristic snoring sound. Factors such as the anatomy of the mouth and throat, sleeping position (especially on the back), nasal congestion, alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and being overweight can all contribute to snoring by increasing airway obstruction or tissue relaxation.
Specifically, the tissues partially block the airway and vibrate when air flows past them, leading to the noise of snoring. Snoring is most often louder and more frequent when airways are narrower and the breathing effort is stronger, although extreme obstruction like in sleep apnea can reduce snore loudness. The condition varies among individuals due to differences in airway anatomy and other factors.
In summary, snoring is caused by the vibration of relaxed tissues in a narrowed upper airway during sleep, influenced by muscle relaxation and airway anatomy combined with external factors like sleep position and nasal issues.
