Why Do I Snore? Causes & Assessment

The short answer

Snoring is the sound of soft tissues vibrating in your upper airway during sleep. It happens when the airway narrows and airflow makes those tissues vibrate. Snoring is common and does not always mean you have a medical condition.

However, it should be assessed if someone has noticed pauses in your breathing, you wake gasping or choking, or you regularly feel unrefreshed or sleepy during the day. Persistent snoring that disrupts your or your partner’s sleep is also a reason to seek advice.

The important distinction is not how loud you snore, but whether your breathing is repeatedly interrupted. A clinical assessment and, when appropriate, a sleep study can help establish this. A smartwatch or sound recording cannot reliably rule out sleep apnoea.

What snoring actually is

When you fall asleep, the muscles supporting your throat relax. If the airway becomes narrower, the soft palate, uvula, throat walls or tongue can vibrate as air passes through. That vibration produces the noise of snoring.

Several factors can contribute at the same time, including nasal blockage, the shape of your jaw and throat, sleeping position, excess weight and alcohol. Identifying those factors helps determine which treatment is most likely to help.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dr John Chinegwundoh (@chestdoctorlondon)

Why do I snore? The common causes

Your nose

A blocked nose increases resistance to airflow and can encourage mouth breathing during sleep. Causes include a cold, allergic rhinitis, a deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps and enlarged turbinates, which are structures inside the nose.

Snoring that worsens during pollen season or with a cold may have a nasal component. Persistent blockage on one side, particularly if it is new or accompanied by bleeding, should be examined rather than repeatedly treated with over-the-counter remedies.

Your soft palate, uvula and tonsils

The shape and size of the soft palate and uvula can contribute to vibration and narrowing. Enlarged tonsils can also reduce the space available for breathing. In children, enlarged tonsils and adenoids are common contributors to snoring and sleep-related breathing problems.

Your tongue and jaw

A small or set-back lower jaw can leave less space behind the tongue. This helps explain why people at a healthy weight can snore or develop obstructive sleep apnoea. Weight is only one part of the assessment.

Sleeping on your back

When you lie on your back, the tongue and soft tissues can move backwards and narrow the airway. Some people snore mainly in this position, so sleeping on their side may help. Position alone does not explain every case of snoring or sleep apnoea.

Weight

Excess tissue around the neck can narrow the airway, while weight around the abdomen can affect breathing mechanics. Weight gain can therefore contribute to new or worsening snoring. However, it should not be assumed to be the cause without considering other symptoms and changes.

If you are also sleeping poorly, our guide to lack of sleep and weight gain explains how sleep may affect weight management.

Alcohol and medicines

Alcohol, particularly close to bedtime, can worsen snoring and sleep-related airway obstruction. Some sleeping tablets and other sedating medicines can also affect breathing or alertness. Opioid painkillers can cause additional forms of sleep-related breathing disturbance.

Tell your clinician about prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and alcohol use. Do not stop prescribed medication without advice.

Age, menopause and pregnancy

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea become more common with age. Risk also increases after menopause. During pregnancy, nasal congestion and changes in weight can contribute to snoring. New snoring with breathing pauses or marked daytime sleepiness should be discussed with your maternity team or GP.

Smoking and other health factors

Smoking can irritate the upper airway and is associated with snoring. Other conditions, including an underactive thyroid, may contribute to sleep-related symptoms in some people. Blood tests or other investigations should be guided by your symptoms and examination rather than performed routinely for every snorer.

Why have I suddenly started snoring?

Possible explanations include a cold, allergies, weight gain, a change in sleeping position, increased alcohol intake or a new medicine. Menopause and pregnancy can also contribute.

Snoring associated with temporary nasal congestion may improve when the congestion settles. Arrange a review if new snoring persists without an obvious explanation, particularly if it comes with daytime sleepiness, morning headaches or witnessed breathing pauses.

Persistent changes in your voice, difficulty swallowing or noisy breathing while awake also need medical assessment. Call 999 if you develop severe breathing difficulty.

Snoring and sleep apnoea in women

Sleep apnoea does not always present as loud snoring and obvious daytime dozing. Women may describe fatigue, insomnia, morning headaches or difficulty concentrating. These symptoms also have other possible causes.

Persistent exhaustion despite adequate time for sleep deserves assessment, particularly if there is snoring, gasping or a report of breathing pauses. Symptoms should not automatically be attributed to menopause, stress or ageing.

Simple snoring versus obstructive sleep apnoea

Simple, or primary, snoring means snoring without the repeated breathing events that establish obstructive sleep apnoea. It can still disturb sleep and affect a partner’s wellbeing. It should not be diagnosed solely from how refreshed someone feels in the morning.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) happens when the upper airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, reducing or stopping airflow. These events can lower oxygen levels and briefly interrupt sleep, often without the person remembering waking.

Untreated OSA is associated with high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and an increased risk of accidents when it causes sleepiness. The absence of obvious daytime sleepiness does not exclude it.

Snoring volume cannot reliably distinguish the two. Quiet intervals may represent pauses in breathing, particularly when they end with a gasp or snort.

When should snoring be investigated?

Seek advice if snoring is persistent, significantly affects sleep or occurs alongside symptoms suggesting sleep apnoea. The NHS advice on when to seek help for snoring highlights daytime sleepiness, breathing that stops and starts, and gasping or choking during sleep.

Signs someone else may notice

• Repeated pauses in breathing during sleep.
• Gasping, snorting or choking after a quiet interval.
• Repeated cycles of snoring, silence and restarting breathing.

Symptoms you may notice yourself

• Unrefreshing sleep or persistent daytime sleepiness.
• Unintentionally falling asleep while reading, working or watching television.
• Morning headaches or difficulty concentrating.
• Frequent waking, including waking to pass urine.
• Changes in memory or mood alongside other sleep-related symptoms.

These symptoms are not specific to sleep apnoea. They should be considered together with your medical history, medicines and sleep pattern.

Circumstances that make assessment particularly important

Tell your clinician if you have difficult-to-control blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, a previous stroke, type 2 diabetes or a chronic lung condition. Also mention if you drive professionally or do work where reduced alertness could put people at risk.

A larger neck size and excess weight can increase suspicion, but neither is required for OSA. Feeling refreshed and having normal blood pressure do not reliably rule it out. Your clinician will decide whether a sleep study is appropriate.

Snoring, sleepiness and driving

Do not drive if excessive sleepiness affects, or is likely to affect, your ability to drive safely. Seek medical advice promptly.

Under the DVLA rules on sleep apnoea and excessive sleepiness:

• Suspected OSA or confirmed mild OSA with excessive sleepiness affecting driving: stop driving until symptoms are satisfactorily controlled. Notify DVLA if control cannot be achieved within three months.
• Confirmed moderate or severe OSA with excessive sleepiness affecting driving: stop driving and notify DVLA. Subsequent licensing requires medical confirmation of condition control, improved sleepiness and treatment adherence.

OSA without excessive sleepiness does not usually require notification on that basis alone. Ask your clinician if you are unsure, and follow any DVLA instructions before returning to driving.

Where DVLA follow-up applies, the minimum review frequency is every three years for car and motorcycle drivers and annually for bus and lorry drivers. Do not assume that starting treatment automatically means it is safe to drive again.

What smartwatches and snoring apps can tell you

Some consumer devices can flag patterns that are worth discussing with a clinician. Their capabilities vary by device, software and feature. A breathing notification can be a reason to seek assessment, but it is not a confirmed diagnosis.

For example, Apple’s guidance on sleep apnoea notifications explains that its feature looks for patterns associated with moderate to severe sleep apnoea. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or manage the condition, and not everyone with sleep apnoea receives a notification.

A reassuring wearable result does not rule out sleep apnoea. Symptoms such as witnessed breathing pauses, repeated gasping or persistent sleepiness still need assessment.

Snore-recording apps capture sound, which does not reliably show whether airflow is being obstructed or how severe a breathing disorder is. Consumer sleep scores should not be used to make treatment or driving decisions.

Bring useful summaries or recordings to your appointment if you have them, together with a note of your symptoms and usual sleep pattern. You do not need a wearable or recording before asking for help.

How snoring is investigated

History and questionnaires

The assessment starts with your symptoms, sleep routine, medical history, medicines and alcohol use. A partner’s account can be helpful. You may be asked about nasal symptoms, changes in weight and whether sleepiness affects driving or work.

Questionnaires such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale help describe daytime sleepiness. A low score does not rule out OSA or remove the need for testing when other symptoms suggest it.

Examination

Your clinician may examine your nose, mouth and throat and assess jaw position, weight, neck size and blood pressure. Examination helps identify contributing factors but cannot confirm or exclude sleep apnoea on its own.

Home respiratory polygraphy

NICE recommends home respiratory polygraphy for suspected obstructive sleep apnoea. This records breathing-related measurements overnight, typically including airflow, breathing effort and oxygen levels. The exact sensors vary.

The clinician interprets the breathing-event rate alongside symptoms and recording quality. Home tests often use recording time rather than directly measured sleep time, which can underestimate severity.

Overnight oximetry

Oximetry records oxygen levels and pulse through a finger sensor. It may be used when access to respiratory polygraphy is limited. Normal results do not exclude OSA, and oxygen changes may have other causes, particularly in people with heart or lung disease.

Polysomnography and further tests

Polysomnography adds measurements of sleep itself, including brain activity. It may be needed when a respiratory study is negative but symptoms persist or when another sleep disorder is suspected.

Other investigations depend on the findings. These may include lung function tests for suspected respiratory disease, thyroid blood tests where indicated, or an ear, nose and throat assessment for persistent nasal or throat obstruction. Not everyone needs every test.

What helps with snoring?

Addressing contributing factors

For simple snoring, useful measures can include losing weight if appropriate, reducing alcohol, stopping smoking and sleeping on your side. Treating an identified nasal problem may also help. A clinician or pharmacist can advise on suitable treatment for allergic rhinitis and correct nasal spray use.

These measures do not replace assessment when there are signs of sleep apnoea. Positional approaches are most useful when snoring or breathing events mainly occur while lying on your back.

Mandibular advancement splints

These dental devices move the lower jaw forwards during sleep. They may help selected people with snoring or OSA, including those who cannot tolerate or decline CPAP. Suitability depends on dental health and clinical assessment. Dental follow-up matters because jaw discomfort and changes in the bite can occur.

CPAP for obstructive sleep apnoea

Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, uses air pressure delivered through a mask to keep the airway open. It is a standard treatment for moderate or severe OSA and may also be offered for symptomatic mild disease.

CPAP usually reduces snoring when it is controlling the obstruction effectively. Persistent snoring, mask discomfort or difficulty tolerating treatment should prompt a review of fit, settings and support needs.

When surgery may help

Surgery may be appropriate for a specific anatomical problem or selected cases of OSA after specialist review. Improving nasal airflow does not necessarily cure throat collapse during sleep. Benefits, risks and alternatives need individual discussion.

In children with enlarged tonsils or adenoids and sleep-related breathing problems, surgery may be recommended after paediatric or ENT assessment. Symptoms can persist after treatment, so follow-up remains important.

What about anti-snoring products?

Nasal strips or dilators may help some people whose snoring has a nasal component. They should not be relied on to treat OSA. Throat sprays, rings and other products marketed for snoring should not delay assessment of breathing pauses or daytime sleepiness.

Private respiratory care · London & Surrey

Book an appointment

Dr John Chinegwundoh

Consultant Respiratory Physician

Arrange a private consultation at a location that works for you.

Book an appointment →

Or call Dr John’s PA on 020 8949 9012

Frequently asked questions

This article is for general information and does not replace individual medical assessment. If you are experiencing excessive sleepiness that affects your driving, do not drive and seek medical advice.