Snoring is common in all people and occurs when there is an obstruction in airflow of the mouth and nose.
The sound of stertors, the clinical term used to refer to the sound of snoring, occurs when the tissues of the upper airways collide and vibrate. Many adults snore, especially men. Snoring can also increase with age.
However, this can be a sign of a serious sleep disorder called apnea, which is when the person stops breathing for periods longer than 10 seconds while sleeping. Certain treatments can help provide relief for this diagnosis. Even children can snore. Some tips to reduce snoring are to lose weight if you are overweight, avoid alcohol and other sedatives at bedtime, and avoid sleeping on your back.
As the Mayo Clinic explains, in addition to interrupting the sleep of the other person in the room, snoring is likely to cause other complications such as daytime sleepiness, frequent frustration or anger, difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure, heart conditions and strokes, behavior problems such as aggression or learning difficulties and an increased risk of car accidents due to lack of a good rest.
Related article: Sleep apnea may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s