Snoring can be a noisy nuisance that disrupts your quality of sleep. While it is often harmless, it can sometimes point to a more serious health condition. Learn what causes it, how to treat it and when to seek medical attention.

Common causes include:

• Extra weight around the neck
• Large tonsils
• A deviated septum
• A large, floppy tongue or soft palate
• Alcohol and certain medications

Drinking alcohol or taking medications such as muscle relaxants, sedatives or narcotic painkillers before bed can relax the muscles that keep your airway open. This can worsen snoring.

When Is Snoring a Problem?

Occasional snoring is typically harmless. If snoring is frequent, loud or paired with other symptoms, it may signal a more serious condition.

“Not all snoring is problematic,” says Reena Dhanda-Patil, MD, a sleep surgeon at Northwestern Medicine. “But if you feel excessively tired during the day or are told by a friend or family member that you stop breathing, choke or gasp during sleep, it could be a sign of something more serious.”

Snoring may indicate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) — a sleep disorder where the airway becomes blocked, reducing oxygen flow to the brain and body. This can lead to risks for serious health problems, including:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes

OSA occurs when tissues in the throat, such as the tongue or soft palate, collapse and close off the airway during sleep. This disrupts breathing. If left untreated, low oxygen levels can damage the heart and other organs. OSA can also significantly affect quality of life due to increased sleepiness and fatigue.

You should talk to your doctor if you experience:

• Loud, frequent snoring
• Pauses in breathing during sleep
• Gasping or choking sounds
• Daytime fatigue or difficulty concentrating
• Morning headaches
• Irritability or mood changes

To check for OSA or other types of sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend a sleep study — either at home or in a sleep lab. Home tests are more convenient, while lab studies provide more detailed results. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve sleep quality, protect your health and restore your energy during the day.

Shaking Up Relationships

Snoring doesn’t just affect the person doing it. It can also disturb their bed partner. Some couples even sleep in separate rooms to get better rest. While this may seem unusual, it’s quite common. Sleeping apart can lead to better sleep and happier mornings.

“There seems to be a stigma in our society when it comes to sleeping apart,” says Dr. Dhanda-Patil. “I tell my patients a sleep divorce is often better than a real one. If snoring is causing tension, talk about it with your partner and do what’s best for both of you.”

How to Reduce Snoring

There are many ways to reduce snoring and improve airflow while you sleep.

Try these tips:

• Sleep on your side: Lying on your back can cause your tongue and soft tissues to block your airway. Use pillows to support your body and help you stay on your side.
• Raise the head of your bed: Lifting the top of your bed a few inches can help keep your airway open.
• Avoid alcohol before bed: Alcohol can relax your throat muscles too much.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Extra weight in your neck area can increase pressure on your airway.
• Treat nasal congestion: Use allergy sprays or talk to a doctor about relieving a blocked nose.
• Try an oral device: These devices are worn in your mouth while you sleep and can help keep your airway open. Examples of oral appliances include:
• Mandibular advancement devices (MADs): These are the most common. They gently move your lower jaw forward, which helps prevent your tongue and soft tissues from collapsing into your airway.
  
• Over-the-counter oral appliances: “Boil and bite” versions are available at drugstores, but they can be less effective than custom-fitted options.

You can also record and track your snoring with a smartphone app that monitors changes over time. This data can be useful for discussing concerns with your doctor or making lifestyle adjustments to improve your sleep.

“The effectiveness of different snoring solutions depends on each person,” says Dr. Dhanda-Patil. “Some people can eliminate snoring by sleeping on their side. Others can be helped by treating nasal obstruction. It’s helpful to have an evaluation with a team that can go through the therapies and understands the factors that contribute to snoring.”

When to See a Specialist

If your snoring is loud, frequent or causing problems in your daily life, it’s a good idea to see a sleep specialist or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.

They may use a small camera to examine your airway to check for things like large tonsils, a crowded tongue or other structural issues. If needed, they’ll order a sleep study to see if you have OSA or another type of sleep apnea.

If you are diagnosed with OSA, treatment may include a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine — a small bedside device that delivers a steady stream of air through a mask to keep the airway open during sleep. CPAP machines and masks come in various styles to suit different comfort and treatment needs. They are one of the most recommended therapies for managing OSA and improving sleep quality.

In some cases, surgery may help. There are several procedures that have been proven to help OSA:

• Hypoglossal nerve stimulation: An implant that helps move the tongue forward and out of the way to help open the airway with the breath cycle during sleep
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP): Removal of the tonsils (if still present) and tightening of the side walls of the throat to keep the airway open
• Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA): Restructures the upper and lower jaws by moving them forward to help open the airway

If snoring is bothering you or someone close to you, don’t ignore it. Talk to your doctor and consider a sleep test to make sleep more peaceful for everyone.