Overall, the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study found that roughly 4 percent of men and 2 percent of women suffered from obstructive sleep apnea, which seems to increase as the snorer grows older, particularly after age 65. Snoring is also associated with and brought on by excessive alcohol consumption, weight gain, nasal obstructions, allergies, sedative or muscle relaxer use, and smoking.

What causes snoring?

Cut down on snoring by losing weight, drinking moderately, and sleeping on your side or in a semi-upright position. Pollen allergies or other airborne irritants may cause and exacerbate snoring. Some people snore because of a deviated septum, which is a change in the wall that separates each nostril from the other. Others have nasal polyps that can vibrate when air passes through them.

Some other causes of snoring are related to poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat. These vital passages can be overly relaxed and collapse, falling back into the airway. This is often found in those who drink heavily, use sleeping pills or sleep deeply after a long day’s work. With age, the muscles also loosen, so the elderly may have more of a tendency to snore.

The other side of the coin in throat issues is having bulky throat tissue. This can simply be caused by excess weight or may result from enlarged tonsils or adenoids from adults who never had them removed in childhood.

Finally, a very long soft palate or a long uvula (that’s the punching bag-like piece of dangling tissue in the back of the mouth) can close off the opening from the nose to the throat. When air passes over them in the night, they can vibrate and bump, obstructing the airway and causing snoring.