How to Stop Snoring: Identifying the Specific Causes

I can remember going to sleep one night and having a wonderful dream. I was walking through an alpine field, somewhere in the Colorado high country. It was a peaceful and serene scene, sunny and just warm enough to be walking in shirt sleeves.

I remember I could feel the top of the tall grass gently tickling my outstretched palms as I meandering quietly through this glorious alpine meadow filled with wildflowers.

Suddenly, I noticed what sounded like a chain saw starting and stopping abruptly. I moved toward a line of tall pine trees that towered on the edge of this beautiful meadow. As I got closer, the sound increased in volume until I was torn violently from this peaceful scene - only to find myself suddenly awake in bed.

At that moment, I realized from which direction the loud, obnoxious chainsaw noise was emanating. The noise-maker was sleeping next to me in our bed. My spouse's snoring had violated my peaceful dreamscape and roughly catapulted me back into the blaring reality of our bedroom. I was livid!

In case you haven't figured it out yet, my other half snores and sometimes it's loud enough to wake the dead - or at least me anyway.

During the spirited snoring debate which followed, my better half accusingly indicated that I had removed the wallpaper from time to time myself. I glared back, my mouth agape in a rictus of disbelief. After a moment of incredulous silence on my part, we decided to go to our corners and reconvene the next morning.

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Snoring is a common condition that affects nearly half of all people on the planet which makes it a widespread problem.

A problem not only affecting those snoring but for those who are close to them as well.

Snoring happens when something inside the area of the mouth, nose or surrounding cavities (like nasal passages) is obstructing air flow.

The most common causes of snoring are poor muscle tone in and around the mouth, tongue and throat. The muscles in these areas tend to become overly relaxed causing them to fall or collapse into certain airway passages.

Other causes may be sinusitis, allergies, nasal polyps or deformation of the nose such as a deviated septum.

A long uvula, very soft palate or throat tissue that is bulky caused by swollen adenoids or tonsils may also contribute to snoring. Alcohol consumption and sleeping medications may cause snoring as well.

The chances of snoring increase with age, typically due to the normal stretching and relaxing of throat tissue that occurs normally as we get older.

It is important to identify the cause of your snoring because frequent, ongoing snoring may be a sign of something more serious like obstructive sleep apnea.

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If you click on and watch the short video below, you'll find out about the different tests you can use to determine what type of snoring you are experiencing and the likely cause of that snoring.

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Mouth Snoring

This is typically the most common type of snoring, especially in people who are over 50 years of age. This type of open-mouth snoring can occur when too much alcohol is consumed and the throat tissues are very relaxed.

Mouth snoring may also occur in those folks who are very tired. Take this simple test to determine if you are a mouth snorer: Simply open your mouth and try to make a snoring sound, then do the same thing with your mouth closed, breathing through your nose.

If you can't make the noise when your mouth is closed, you likely snore through your open mouth when sleeping.

Tongue Snoring

To find out if you're a tongue snorer, simply stick out your tongue as far as you can, lightly grip it between your teeth and try to make a snoring noise by breathing in through your nose. If your snoring noise decreases when biting down on your tongue, then you are likely a tongue snorer.

Nose Snoring

Are You a Nose Snorer? To find out, simply place a finger on one of you nostrils, closing it off. Now try to breathe normally through the open nostril. Repeat the process on the other nostril. Finally, breathe normally through both nostrils.

If you sense any sort of obstruction to the airflow, you probably need an OTC (over the counter) anti-histamine or a breathing strip that adheres to the outside of your nose. I have tried these berthing strips during allergy season and they are wonderful. Makes my nose feel very open and breathing is effortless.

Palate Snoring

To determine if you're a palate snorer, the tissues at the back of your throat, including the uvula (that little sac that hangs down from the upper back part of your throat) is probably vibrating when air passes around it when you breathe at night.

This is especially likely when you are sleeping on your back and your mouth falls open. If you snore like this, you may even feel the uvula is stretched out when you awaken in the morning.

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If you're experiencing palate snoring, or if you are unsure about the type of snoring you are experiencing, you may want to make an appointment to see your doctor or health care professional.

After an initial consultation, your doctor may set up an appointment for you at a sleep clinic.

This is where a professional medical staff will monitor you while you sleep normally through the night.

These technicians will observe your snoring habits for a time, then make a diagnosis and pass that on to your doctor.

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First of all, your snoring is probably not appreciated by the person lying next to you at night. After all, they need their sleep, too.

While snoring itself may not be a problem, it may serve as an indication of problems elsewhere. Snoring may also lead to development of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea may cause interruption of breathing throughout the night. These interruptions in normal breathing may last up to 10 seconds or longer.

That kind of severe snoring may be robbing you of the deep, restful sleep necessary for health and rejuvenation.

Stop Snoring TIP: Get online and type "how can I stop snoring" into your search engine and see what comes up. You'll discover there are many different types of snoring aids and remedies available on the Internet.

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There are many types of snoring aids you can purchase to help you stop snoring. One anti-snoring apparatus looks sort of like a chin guard and positions your jaw so the tissues in your mouth do not collapse into your airways and cause snoring. Sometimes these are referred to as a mandibular advancement device.

Other snoring remedies include mouthpieces that also help to hold your mouth in a position to lessen or stop snoring altogether. Another is a sort of plastic spring that fits inside the nostril pushing it open.

In cases of sleep apnea, a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device may be necessary to keep the airways open.

Unless you take action to stop snoring caused by sleep apnea, you could put additional strain on your heart.

Continued sleep apnea may result in an enlarged heart, higher blood pressure and higher risk of stroke or heart attack.

You can read more about sleep deprivation and how to get to sleep faster by reading this article.

Even if these dangerous conditions do not develop, a poor night's sleep is likely to have a negative effect on your quality of life.

You should take the necessary steps to stop snoring for the sake of your own health and for the sake of those who sleep next to you - or rather, try to sleep.

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