In that position, gravity pulls down the jaw, causing your mouth to open. Some drugs, particularly certain tranquilizers, antihistamines and alcohol, can increase snoring by relaxing muscles in the throat. Some snorers suffer from a condition known as sleep apnea. Instead of the partial collapse of the air passage in the throat associated with snoring, there is a complete or near complete obstruction to airflow. This results in daytime sleepiness, memory lapse and irritability.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition requiring accurate diagnosis and proper therapy.
For more information, visit our sleep apnea page. Hundreds of solutions have been suggested over the years to help people stop snoring. Few, however, have actually had any lasting benefits. But it is important to understand the underlying cause of your snoring to find the simplest, most targeted remedy. For example, if snoring is the result of nasal obstruction or congestion which decreases the size of the nasal valve area, then an attempt should be made to improve nasal breathing, instead of simply using a different pillow to alter the sleeping position.