The Complete Guide to Snoring: Causes, Warning Signs and Ways to Reduce It
Understand why people snore, what makes it worse, when snoring may signal sleep apnoea, and which practical or clinical options may help.
Snoring happens when airflow makes relaxed tissues in the nose, mouth or throat vibrate during sleep. Nasal congestion, sleeping position, alcohol, anatomy, body weight and obstructive sleep apnoea can all contribute.
What is snoring?
Snoring is the sound created when air passes through a partly narrowed upper airway and causes nearby soft tissues to vibrate.
The vibration may occur around the soft palate, uvula, tongue, throat or nasal airway. Snoring can be soft and occasional or loud enough to disturb sleep for the person snoring and anyone nearby.
Not everyone who snores has a medical disorder. However, frequent loud snoring can be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea, particularly when it occurs with pauses in breathing, gasping, choking or significant daytime sleepiness.
Why do people snore?
Muscle tone naturally decreases during sleep. As the tongue and tissues around the throat relax, the space available for airflow can narrow. The faster air moves through that narrowed area, the more likely tissues are to vibrate.
Nasal congestion
Colds, allergies, sinus problems or structural narrowing can increase nasal resistance.
Throat anatomy
A large tongue, long soft palate, enlarged tonsils or a smaller airway can contribute.
Sleep position
Sleeping on the back may allow the tongue and soft tissues to fall further towards the airway.
Reduced muscle tone
Alcohol, sedating medicines, ageing and deep sleep may increase upper-airway relaxation.
Can a blocked nose cause snoring?
Nasal obstruction can contribute to snoring by increasing resistance and encouraging mouth breathing. It is rarely the only possible cause. Improving nasal airflow may reduce snoring for some people but may have little effect when the sound mainly comes from the tongue, soft palate or throat.
Why does alcohol make snoring worse?
Alcohol can relax upper-airway muscles and disrupt normal sleep architecture. Drinking close to bedtime may therefore make the airway more collapsible and snoring more likely or more noticeable.
Are there different types of snoring?
People often describe snoring by where they believe the sound begins. These categories are useful for understanding possible contributors, but a sound recording alone cannot reliably diagnose the exact site of airway narrowing.
| Possible pattern | Common clues | What may contribute |
|---|---|---|
| Nasal snoring | Blocked-nose sensation, congestion or improved breathing when the nose is opened. | Allergies, illness, nasal valve narrowing or structural obstruction. |
| Mouth-related snoring | Open mouth, dry mouth on waking or sound that changes when the lips close. | Nasal obstruction, habit or loss of jaw and tongue support. |
| Tongue or throat snoring | Often worse on the back and may sound deeper. | Tongue position, soft-palate vibration or reduced airway muscle tone. |
| Possible sleep-apnoea pattern | Loud snoring interrupted by silence, choking, snorting or gasping. | Repeated upper-airway blockage requiring medical assessment. |
What increases the likelihood of snoring?
Snoring can affect people of different ages and body types. Some factors are temporary, while others relate to anatomy, health or lifestyle.
Being overtired
Sleep deprivation may increase deep sleep and upper-airway relaxation.
Back sleeping
Gravity may move the tongue and relaxed tissues towards the airway.
Alcohol or sedatives
These can reduce muscle tone and worsen airway narrowing in susceptible people.
Weight around the neck
Additional tissue can narrow or place pressure around the upper airway.
Pregnancy
Hormonal changes, fluid retention and weight changes may increase nasal congestion and snoring.
Ageing
Changes in muscle tone and tissue structure may make snoring more common with age.
Snoring vs obstructive sleep apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea, often shortened to OSA, occurs when the upper airway repeatedly becomes partly or completely blocked during sleep. This can reduce or stop airflow and trigger brief arousals that restart breathing.
| Feature | Simple snoring | Possible sleep apnoea |
|---|---|---|
| Sound | May be regular and continuous. | May be loud and interrupted by silence, choking or gasping. |
| Breathing pauses | Not a defining feature. | Repeated pauses or reductions in breathing may occur. |
| Daytime symptoms | May be absent. | Sleepiness, poor concentration, headaches or unrefreshing sleep may occur. |
| Assessment | May improve with practical changes. | Requires clinical assessment and sometimes a sleep study. |
| Nasal strips | May help selected nasal snorers. | Do not treat the underlying airway collapse of OSA. |
How can you reduce snoring?
The most suitable approach depends on why the airway is narrowing. A combination of changes is often more useful than relying on one product.
Try side sleeping
Snoring is often worse on the back. A side-sleeping position may reduce backward movement of the tongue and soft tissues.
Address nasal congestion
Identify allergy, illness or environmental triggers. Persistent blockage should be assessed by a doctor or ENT specialist.
Reduce alcohol near bedtime
Avoiding or limiting alcohol in the hours before sleep may reduce airway relaxation and sleep disruption.
Maintain a regular sleep routine
Consistent sleep and avoiding severe overtiredness may help reduce factors that make snoring worse.
Discuss weight-related risk sensitively
Where relevant, gradual weight management may improve snoring and OSA risk. Not everyone who snores is overweight.
Choose treatment based on the cause
Nasal support, dental devices, CPAP, medication or surgery may suit different people. Medical advice helps match treatment to the problem.
Do nasal strips help with snoring?
External nasal strips sit across the outside of the nose and gently lift the nasal sidewalls. This may reduce resistance around the nasal valve and make nasal airflow feel easier.
They are most likely to be relevant when nasal narrowing or congestion contributes to snoring. They may be less useful when the sound mainly results from tongue position, soft-palate vibration or collapse further down the throat.
Traditional vs magnetic nasal strips
| Type | How it works | Practical difference |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional adhesive strip | Flexible bands within a single-use strip lift the sides of the nose. | Simple one-piece application. |
| Magnetic nasal strip system | A reusable bridge connects to adhesive side tabs and mechanically lifts the nasal sidewalls. | Reusable external bridge with replaceable tabs. |
Does mouth tape help with snoring?
Mouth tape is intended to discourage the lips from falling open during sleep. Research remains limited and results cannot be generalised to everyone. Some small studies have reported improvements in selected mouth-breathing participants, while recent reviews highlight limited evidence and potential risks when nasal obstruction is present.
Mouth tape is not an appropriate way to force nasal breathing when the nose is blocked, and it should not be promoted as a cure for sleep apnoea.
What medical treatments are available for snoring?
Treatment depends on the diagnosis. A GP, sleep specialist, dentist with appropriate sleep-medicine training or ENT specialist may recommend one or more options.
Managing nasal conditions
Allergy treatment, saline care or other clinician-recommended options may help when nasal inflammation is involved.
Mandibular advancement device
A fitted dental device moves the lower jaw forward to help maintain airway space in suitable people.
CPAP therapy
Continuous positive airway pressure keeps the airway open and is a standard treatment for many people with OSA.
Surgery
Selected structural problems may be treated surgically after specialist assessment. Surgery is not necessary or suitable for everyone.
Is snoring in children normal?
Occasional snoring during a cold can happen, but frequent snoring in a child should not automatically be dismissed. Enlarged tonsils or adenoids, nasal blockage and paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea are possible contributors.
See a GP if a child snores regularly, pauses or struggles to breathe, sleeps restlessly, breathes through the mouth frequently, has morning headaches or shows daytime behavioural, learning or tiredness concerns.
Explore nasal breathing support
On The Nose Co. products are designed to support nasal airflow or encourage nasal breathing in suitable users. They are not substitutes for medical assessment or treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.
Frequently asked questions about snoring
Why have I suddenly started snoring?
Is snoring every night normal?
Does everyone who snores have sleep apnoea?
Can sleeping on your side stop snoring?
Can losing weight reduce snoring?
Can allergies cause snoring?
Can dehydration cause snoring?
Do nasal strips permanently change your nose?
Can nose strips cure sleep apnoea?
Is mouth tape safe for everyone?
Why is snoring worse after drinking alcohol?
Can pregnancy cause snoring?
Why do I wake with a dry mouth after snoring?
Can a deviated septum cause snoring?
When should I see a doctor about snoring?
Research and trusted health information
The evidence is strongest for the physiology and diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing. Product evidence is more limited and varies according to the cause of snoring, participant selection and outcomes measured.
- Healthdirect Australia: How to stop snoring
- Healthdirect Australia: Obstructive sleep apnoea
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Sleep apnoea
- Systematic review: Nasal dilators for obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring
- Systematic review: Mouth taping evidence and safety
- Scoping review: Nocturnal mouth taping
Final thoughts
Snoring is common, but its causes are not the same for everyone. Nasal congestion, sleeping position, alcohol, anatomy and upper-airway relaxation may all contribute.
Start with safe, practical changes and pay attention to warning signs. Nasal strips may support airflow when nasal narrowing is part of the problem, but persistent loud snoring, choking, gasping or breathing pauses should be assessed by a health professional.
Continue learning through the On The Nose Co. Breathing Academy, explore interactive tools in the On The Nose Co. Interactive Breathing Lab™, or browse quick answers in the On The Nose Co. Knowledge Centre.