Snoring is often underestimated as an uncomfortable habit during sleep. However, from a medical perspective, this may be a manifestation of respiratory disorders during sleep, directly affecting sleep quality, blood oxygen levels and long-term health.
According to Dr. Manav Manchanda - Director and Head of Respiratory, Intensive Care and Sleep Medicine Department, Asian Bengaluru Hospital (India), snoring occurs when the air flow through the nose and throat is partially obstructed during sleep, causing soft tissues to vibrate and make sounds. Factors such as nasal congestion, large tonsils, excessive development of soft tissues around the neck, backward tongue retreat or narrowed airways can all increase the risk of snoring, especially when sleeping deeply.
Snoring becomes worrying when accompanied by signs such as choking, hoarseness, sleep apnea, morning headaches, dry mouth, or excessive drowsiness during the day. These symptoms may be associated with sleep apnea syndrome, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke if not detected early.
To control and reduce snoring, Dr. Manchanda recommends starting with correctly assessing the level of risk and not ignoring warning signs. Maintaining a healthy weight is important, because fat accumulation around the neck and upper airways increases the risk of sleep obstruction.
Sleeping posture also directly affects breathing. Sleeping on your back easily causes the tongue and soft tissues to fall backwards, narrowing the airway, while sleeping on your side helps maintain a clearer air flow. In addition, maintaining regular sleep hours helps limit excessive throat muscle relaxation due to lack of sleep, thereby reducing snoring levels.
Alcohol and some sedatives can relax the throat muscles, making snoring worse. Therefore, these substances should be avoided at least three to four hours before bed. At the same time, proper treatment of conditions such as nasal congestion, sinusitis and allergies helps improve nasal respiration, limiting oral breathing while sleeping.
Paying attention to sleep hygiene is also very necessary. Keeping the bedroom clean, reducing dust and smoke, combined with using a humidifier can help limit irritation of the respiratory tract. In addition, exercises to strengthen the throat and tongue muscles, such as breathing exercises or singing, contribute to improving muscle tone and supporting long-term snoring reduction.
In addition, drinking enough water every day helps prevent secretions in the nose and throat from becoming thicker, which makes snoring more pronounced. In cases of prolonged snoring, affecting daily life or cardiovascular health, specialist examinations and sleep tests are necessary to detect early and intervene promptly in potential diseases.
