Why Do We Snore? Causes, Risk Factors, and When to Take It Seriously
Snoring is one of those things many of us joke about - but the reality is far less amusing. If you or your partner snores regularly, it could be a sign of something that deserves serious attention. Understanding why snoring happens, who is most at risk, and when it crosses the line from inconvenience into genuine health concern is the first step toward doing something about it.
How Common Is Snoring?
Snoring is remarkably widespread. Research shows that among adults aged 30 to 60, approximately 44% of men and 28% of women snore regularly.¹ And the idea that snoring improves with age is, unfortunately, a myth! More than half of people aged 60 and over report regular snoring.¹ In other words, if you snore, you're in very large company.
Why Do We Snore?
Snoring occurs when the flow of air through the throat is obstructed during sleep, causing the relaxed soft tissues of the throat to vibrate and produce that familiar harsh or hoarse sound. Several factors can contribute to this obstruction, including poor muscle tone in the throat and tongue, excess tissue in the throat, an elongated soft palate or uvula, and nasal congestion or structural issues affecting airflow.
When we fall asleep, our muscles - including those in the throat and jaw - relax. For people with any of these contributing factors, that relaxation is enough to narrow or partially block the airway, setting the stage for snoring.
Who Is Most at Risk?
Certain lifestyle and physiological factors significantly increase the likelihood of snoring. Being overweight is one of the most significant, as excess tissue around the throat can narrow the airway. Alcohol consumption (particularly within three hours of bedtime) relaxes the throat muscles further, worsening snoring. Research also confirms that smoking increases the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring, with studies pointing to airway inflammation and increased upper airway resistance as key mechanisms.²
Sleeping position also plays a role. Sleeping on your back allows the tongue to fall toward the back of the throat, partially obstructing airflow - a problem that is often resolved or significantly reduced by sleeping on the side.
Sleep deprivation is another underappreciated risk factor. When we are overtired, throat muscles relax more deeply during sleep, making airway obstruction - and therefore snoring - more likely. Adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night for optimal health,³ yet many Australians fall well short of this on a regular basis.
When Does Snoring Become a Health Problem?
Light, occasional snoring is generally not a cause for clinical concern. But loud, frequent snoring, particularly when accompanied by daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or witnessed breathing pauses during sleep, is a different matter entirely.
Persistent snoring is the most common symptom of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a serious sleep disorder in which the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing breathing to stop and restart throughout the night. People with sleep apnoea face a 46% higher risk of premature death compared to those without the condition,⁴ and the associated health risks are wide-ranging and well-documented including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Crucially, even snoring without sleep apnoea carries health risks. Research has shown that heavy snoring can cause thickening and abnormalities in the carotid artery - the major artery supplying blood to the brain - likely due to chronic vibration-related inflammation.⁵ This places regular snorers at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, independent of whether sleep apnoea is present.
The Impact on Your Partner
Snoring doesn't only affect the person doing it. A partner sharing the bed with a regular snorer experiences significant disruption to their own sleep quality, with research confirming measurable reductions in the restorative sleep stages that are essential for memory, mood, and physical recovery.⁶ Snoring is one of the leading causes of couples sleeping in separate rooms, with real consequences for relationships and shared wellbeing.
What Should You Do?
If you snore regularly, the most important first step is to understand whether sleep apnoea is present — and the only way to do that definitively is through a sleep study. From there, a range of effective treatment options are available, from lifestyle changes through to custom oral appliances and CPAP therapy.
Contact SleepWise Clinic on 1300 101 505 for a free online sleep apnoea test or to book a consultation with one of our sleep medicine dentists.
Request for full references: 1. Yaremchuk (2020); 2. Krishnan et al. (2014); 3. Watson et al. (2015); 4. Reuters (2009); 5. Lee et al. (2008); 6. Blumen et al. (1999)