As you fall asleep, the muscles in the back of the roof of your mouth, tongue, and throat relax. If these relax too much, they narrow or block your airway. Narrowing of the airway makes the tissue in the back of the throat vibrate, causing the sound you hear during snoring. The narrower the passageway, the more the tissue vibrates, and the louder the snoring .  Snoring can disrupt sleep for you and your partner; additionally, it may be an indicator of a more serious sleep disorder, sleep apnea. There are many tips to help reduce snoring. However, if these tips do not work, your doctor may recommend you use another form of treatment.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when there are repeated episodes of complete or partial upper airway blockages during sleep. Restricted breathing reduces the amount of air getting into the lungs, causing the diaphragm and chest to work harder to open the obstructed airway. When an apnea episode occurs, a gasp or body jerk may wake you to get air. These episodes and frequent awakenings prevent sound sleep and reduce the flow of oxygen to the lungs and other vital organs. Poor sleep quality and lack of oxygen are linked to an array of health issues including diabetes, hormone imbalance, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and growth/development in children and teens.