What causes individuals to snore? Snoring occurs when one cannot freely move air through their throat and nose while sleeping. When air cannot move freely, it causes the tissues in the throat to vibrate which makes the snoring sound. Many people who snore have too much throat and nasal tissue that is more susceptible to vibrate. In addition to the throat and nasal tissue, the position of the tongue may also play a big part in why individuals snore.
Everyone snores for a different reason, so it is important for each person to understand the cause for their snoring. By getting to the root cause of your snoring, one may take the steps necessary to potentially get the problem under control. There are also self-help strategies that may help individuals to stop snoring. These strategies include: changing sleeping positions, sleeping on your side, anti-snoring mouth appliances, clear nasal passages, and keeping bedroom air moist.
Some lifestyle changes that might help include: losing weight, avoiding alcohol and tobacco products, and eliminating food before bed. If these self-help strategies do not resolve the problem, it is important to seek medical attention to determine the cause and solution to the problem. Below you will find the different symptoms of snoring that individuals may experience.
1. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Studies have shown a connection between daytime sleepiness and sleep apnea. This syndrome causes the airway to collapse multiple times during the night. These pauses in breathing may last from a few seconds to a few minutes. With this syndrome, individuals may sometimes wake themselves up throughout the night because of their loud snoring. Other times, the snoring may prevent them from entering a deep sleep at night where the body is not getting enough rest leaving them unrefreshed in the morning. In return, this leads to excessive daytime sleepiness because individuals are trying to make up for the sleep that they lost during the night.
2. Sore Throat
Most people who breathe through their mouth are snorers. This happens because the air that flows through the mouth causes the tissues in the throat to vibrate. The vibration causes friction between the tissues in your throat leaving it sore when you wake up. Another cause of the sore throat may be from the air that dries your throat when breathing through your mouth.
This may cause a brutal cycle because the windpipe may become irritated which could eventually become inflamed. This inflammation could potentially worsen the obstruction causing the individual to snore even more during the night.
3. Morning Headaches
The National Institute on Aging study showed that people with morning headaches are twice as likely to be chronic snorers. Many times, snoring and sleep apnea patients will often wake up with a headache. Most the time, the headache will gradually disappear as the day goes on.
Morning headaches are more commonly seen in middle-aged men who are obese. However, that is not always the case and both men and women can experience morning headaches due to snoring. When an individual is sleeping, it is common for the blood vessels and muscles to change which may result in pain.
4. Gasping or Choking at Night
Like excessive daytime sleepiness, gasping or choking at night can be related to sleep apnea. Many individuals with sleep apnea will show the same signs. The choking and gasping generally stems from obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common types of sleep apnea. Most the time, the soft tissue in the back of the throat will block the air way. The individuals breathing may stop for seconds or minutes which will cause them to gasp for air or choke when the blockage removes from their airway.
5. High Blood Pressure
Researchers are still unsure of the link between snoring and hypertension (high blood pressure). However, studies have shown a relationship between the two in middle-aged and older individuals. Those who suffer from sleep apnea and high blood pressure may find that treating their sleeping disorder could in return help with the hypertension.
For those who suffer from sleep apnea, the pauses in breathing may cause your blood-oxygen levels to drop. This increases the amount of work that is required from the cardiovascular system. When blood-oxygen levels drop, the heart works harder to pump blood which is the main cause of high blood pressure.
6. Difficulty Concentrating
A lot of the time, individuals who have a difficult time concentrating are those who struggle with daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness and difficulty concentrating go hand in hand. A person with daytime sleepiness will struggle with concentration because they are so tired and the body is trying to make up for the sleep that was missed the night before.
Recent studies have linked hypoxemia to excessive daytime sleepiness and difficulty concentrating. Hypoxemia is when there is a decreased concentration of oxygen in the blood. This causes sleepiness and difficulty concentrating.
7. Noise During Sleep
Many individuals will experience groaning while sleeping. The groaning may be loud and it usually occurs after an individual takes a low deep breath. Noise during sleep, like many other symptoms, are common in sleep apnea. The groaning stems from the individual not being able to breathe right during sleep. Usually from a blockage in their airway.
The groaning could last more than 40 seconds and it is possible for it to repeat up to an hour during sleep. The person making noises during sleep is usually unaware of their groaning but it is like a low humming or a crackling noise.
8. Restless Sleep
Restless sleep is one of the most common symptoms of snoring. Individuals who snore often wake up several times during the night, or they don’t go into a deep sleep. Both things will leave one feeling very restless. The gasping and choking can wake an individual up multiple times during the night. The noise during sleep can prevent one from fully going into a deep sleep. These symptoms may stem from snoring and can go together.
In conclusion, these symptoms can point directly to sleep apnea. However; it is important to understand that there could be other underlying causes of the symptoms. It is important to know all the signs and symptoms and therefore individuals should seek medical attention if necessary.
