Why Do We Snore When We Sleep on Our Back

Snoring is one of those sounds that everyone knows and almost nobody enjoys. It fills the bedroom at night, it keeps partners awake, and it leaves the person snoring tired in the morning without knowing why. And there is a pattern that many people notice: the snoring is loud when the person is lying on their back, and it gets quieter, or stops completely, when they roll onto their side. The same person, the same night, the same bed, and yet the position of the body changes the sound. That pattern is not a coincidence. Sleeping on your back changes the shape of your airway in a very direct way, and once you understand how, the snoring makes complete sense.

To understand it, you need to know what snoring actually is. It is not a sound your lungs make. It is the sound of soft tissue in your throat shaking as air passes through a space that has become too narrow. When you are awake, the muscles in your throat hold that space open, and air moves through quietly. When you fall asleep, those muscles relax, the space narrows, and the air has to push through a smaller gap. The soft parts of the throat, the tongue, the soft palate, and the small flap at the back of the throat, start to flutter in the moving air, and that flutter is the sound we call snoring. Lying on your back makes every part of this worse, because gravity pulls the tongue and the soft palate backwards, straight into the airway. This article explains that process in plain words, why some people snore more than others, what makes it worse on some nights, and what simple changes often help.

What Snoring Actually Is

Snoring is a noise made by vibration. Think of a flag flapping in the wind. The flag itself makes no sound when the air is still. When the wind blows through it, the cloth shakes, and the shaking makes a noise. Your throat works in a similar way. The throat is a tube, and air passes through it every time you breathe in and out. The walls of that tube are not hard like a pipe. They are soft, made of muscle and loose tissue, and they can move. When the tube is wide open, air flows through smoothly and quietly. When the tube narrows, the air has to move faster to get through, and the faster air catches the soft walls and makes them shake. That shaking is snoring.

The sound can be soft or loud, steady or broken, a gentle rumble or a harsh rattle, and the difference comes from how narrow the space is and how loose the tissue is. A slightly narrow airway makes a soft, light snore. A very narrow airway makes a loud, rough snore, because the air is pushing harder and the tissue is shaking more violently. Sometimes the shaking stops for a few seconds and then starts again with a gasp, and that pause is the airway closing almost completely for a moment before the body forces it open again. That pattern is worth noticing, and this article will come back to it later, because it can be a sign of something more serious than ordinary snoring.

It is important to understand that snoring is not the same as breathing. Breathing is the movement of air in and out of the lungs, and it happens quietly in a healthy airway. Snoring is what happens when the airway gets in the way of breathing. The body still gets the air it needs, but it has to work harder for it, and the noise is the sign of that extra work. This is why snoring often goes with restless sleep and morning tiredness. The body is working through the night to pull air through a narrow space, and that work disturbs the deep, restful sleep that leaves you feeling fresh in the morning. A person can snore all night and wake up feeling as if they have not slept at all, and the narrow airway is the reason.

Why Lying on Your Back Makes Snoring Worse

The reason back sleeping makes snoring worse is gravity, and it is simple to picture. When you lie on your back, your face points at the ceiling, and everything soft inside your mouth and throat is pulled downwards by gravity, towards the back of your throat. The tongue is the biggest piece. When you are standing up or lying on your side, the tongue sits forward in your mouth, out of the way. When you lie on your back, the tongue slides backwards, and its base settles against the back wall of the throat. That alone narrows the airway, because the tongue is now taking up space that air needs to pass through.

The soft palate is the second piece. The soft palate is the soft, fleshy part at the back of the roof of your mouth, and hanging from it is the small flap of tissue that you can see when you open your mouth wide. When you are awake, the muscles hold the soft palate up and forward. When you sleep, those muscles relax, and when you are on your back, gravity pulls the soft palate backwards and downwards as well. Now the airway is being narrowed from two directions at once: the tongue pushing back from below, and the soft palate falling back from above. The gap in the middle gets smaller, the air moves faster, and the loose tissue shakes harder. That is why the snore gets louder.

When you roll onto your side, the picture changes at once. Gravity now pulls the tongue and the soft palate to the side, not backwards, so they no longer block the airway in the same way. The tube opens up, the air flows more smoothly, and the shaking stops or becomes much quieter. This is why so many partners say the same thing: “You snore on your back, but when you turn over, it stops.” They are not imagining it. The change in position really does change the shape of the airway, and the sound follows the shape. It is also why many people who snore on their back do not snore at all when they sleep on their side, and why a simple change of position can be the most effective thing of all.

The Throat, the Tongue and the Soft Palate: The Parts That Vibrate

To understand snoring properly, it helps to know the three main parts of the throat that take part in it. The first is the tongue. The tongue is a large muscle, much bigger than most people realise, because most of it sits inside the mouth and throat where you cannot see it. Its base reaches deep into the throat, close to the airway, and when the muscles of the tongue relax in sleep, that base is free to fall backwards. People with a larger tongue, or a tongue that sits further back, are more likely to snore, because there is less room in the airway to begin with, and the tongue needs only a small movement backwards to close the gap.

The second part is the soft palate, the soft roof at the back of the mouth. Unlike the hard roof at the front of the mouth, which is bone, the soft palate is made of muscle and loose tissue, and it can move and flutter. In some people the soft palate is longer or thicker than in others, and a longer soft palate hangs further down into the airway, where the moving air can catch it more easily. When the air passes over it, it flutters like a loose sail, and that flutter is often the main source of the snoring sound. This is also why snoring can sound different from person to person. The sound depends on which part of the throat is fluttering, and how loose it is.

The third part is the throat wall itself. The walls of the throat are made of muscle and soft tissue, and when you are asleep, those muscles relax and the walls become looser. In some people the walls are naturally narrow, or the tissue is looser, and the airway collapses a little with each breath in. When the air is pulled in, the walls are drawn closer together, and when the air goes out, they open again. That opening and closing, repeated hundreds of times a night, adds to the sound. All three parts work together. The tongue narrows the space, the soft palate flutters in the air, and the throat walls shake with each breath. Back sleeping brings all three together at their worst, which is why it produces the loudest snoring.

Why Some People Snore on Their Back and Others Do Not

If back sleeping makes snoring worse for everyone, you might wonder why some people can lie on their back all night without a sound, while others start snoring the moment they roll over. The answer is that people have different airways, and the shape of your airway decides how much room there is before gravity starts to matter. A person with a wide airway has room to spare. When they lie on their back, the tongue slides back a little, but there is still plenty of space for the air, so there is no flutter and no sound. A person with a narrow airway has no room to spare. The same small movement of the tongue closes the gap, and the snoring starts at once.

Several things make an airway narrower. Body weight is one of the biggest. Extra weight around the neck means extra tissue pressing on the airway from the outside, and that tissue narrows the tube before sleep even begins. This is why snoring is more common in people who carry extra weight, and why losing even a small amount of weight can make snoring quieter. It is not the only reason, and thin people snore too, but it is a real one, and it is worth naming plainly. The shape of the jaw matters as well. A jaw that sits further back, or a smaller lower jaw, leaves less room for the tongue, so the tongue has nowhere to go but backwards when it relaxes.

Age makes a difference too. As people get older, the tissues in the throat become looser, the way skin becomes looser with age, and loose tissue flutters more easily in moving air. That is why snoring becomes more common as people get older, and why a person who never snored at thirty may snore loudly at sixty. Men snore more often than women, partly because men tend to carry more weight around the neck and partly because of differences in the shape of the airway, though women snore too, and snoring becomes more common in women after the change of life. None of this is anyone’s fault. It is the shape of the body you were given, and the way that shape changes over time.

A blocked nose also plays a part. When the nose is blocked by a cold, or by allergies, or by a narrow nasal passage, you have to breathe through your mouth instead, and mouth breathing makes snoring worse. Breathing through the mouth pulls the air in faster and more directly across the soft palate, and it also lets the jaw drop open, which pushes the tongue further back. That is why a person who rarely snores may snore loudly when they have a cold. The cold blocks the nose, the mouth opens, the tongue falls back, and the snoring begins. When the cold clears, the snoring often clears with it.

Why Snoring Gets Louder in Deep Sleep

Many people notice that snoring is not the same all night. It may start quietly, get louder in the middle of the night, and then quieten again towards morning. The reason is that sleep is not one flat state. It moves in cycles, and the muscles of the body relax more deeply at some points in the cycle than at others. In the deepest stages of sleep, the muscles of the throat relax the most, the tongue falls back the furthest, and the airway becomes at its narrowest. That is when the snoring is at its loudest, and that is also when it is most likely to be broken by pauses and gasps.

This is also why snoring is often louder in the first part of the night. After a long day, the body is tired, and it falls into deep sleep quickly and stays there for a while. The muscles relax fully, and the snoring is strong. Later in the night, sleep becomes lighter, the muscles hold a little more tone, and the snoring eases. If a person is very tired, or if they have not slept well for several nights, the body tries to catch up with deeper sleep, and the snoring gets worse. That is why a person snores more loudly after a long, tiring day, or after a night of broken sleep. The body is trying to sleep deeply, and deep sleep is when the throat is at its loosest.

Alcohol and some medicines make this worse in the same way, by relaxing the muscles of the throat even further. A drink in the evening relaxes the whole body, and the throat muscles relax with it, so the tongue falls back more and the airway narrows more. The snoring becomes louder, and the pauses become longer. The same is true of sleeping pills and some other medicines that cause drowsiness. They relax the muscles that normally hold the airway open, and the airway pays the price. This is a general point, not a rule for any one person, and anyone who takes medicine regularly should talk to their own doctor about it, but the basic idea is simple: anything that relaxes the throat muscles deeply will make snoring louder.

What Makes Back-Sleep Snoring Worse on Some Nights

Snoring on your back is not the same every night, and the things that change it are often small and ordinary. A cold is one of the most common. When your nose is blocked, you breathe through your mouth, the jaw drops, and the tongue slides back. Allergies do the same thing in a slower way. Dust, pollen, or a dusty bedroom can swell the lining of the nose and narrow the nasal passages, so you end up mouth breathing for half the night without realising it. A dry room can make it worse too, because dry air irritates the lining of the nose and throat, and irritated tissue swells a little, which narrows the airway a little more.

Tiredness is another reason. When you are very tired, your body falls into deep sleep faster and the muscles relax more completely. The throat is at its loosest, and the snoring is at its loudest. That is why snoring is worse after a long day of hard work, or after several nights of short sleep. Sleeping on your back after a tiring day is the worst combination of all: the deepest relaxation, the furthest the tongue can fall, and the narrowest airway. It is also why snoring can be worse when you sleep in an unfamiliar bed, or when you are sleeping in a different position than usual, because the body is not settled and the sleep is broken into pieces, with deep sleep coming in sudden bursts.

The time of year can play a part as well. In cold weather, people often sleep with the windows shut and the room warm and dry, and dry air can irritate the throat. In hot weather, people may be more tired and sleep more deeply. In the season when pollen is in the air, allergies can block the nose. None of these is a big thing on its own, but snoring is the result of many small things added together: the shape of your airway, the position you sleep in, how tired you are, whether your nose is clear, and how deeply you are sleeping. Change one of them and the snoring changes. Change two or three at once, and the snoring can go from a quiet rumble to a sound that wakes the whole house.

Simple Changes That Often Help

The simplest change, and the one that helps the most people, is to stop sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your side keeps gravity from pulling the tongue backwards, and for many people that alone is enough to quieten the snoring or stop it completely. There are simple ways to make side sleeping easier. A pillow between the knees can make the side position more comfortable, and a pillow that supports the neck properly can keep the airway straight. Some people sew a small ball or a rolled-up sock into the back of an old shirt, so that rolling onto their back during the night feels uncomfortable and they turn back onto their side without waking. It sounds odd, but it works for many people, because it trains the body to stay on its side through the night.

Keeping the nose clear helps too. If your nose is blocked by a cold, the snoring will usually settle when the cold settles, and there is not much to do in the meantime except wait and rest. If your nose is often blocked, keeping the bedroom clean and dust-free can help, and so can washing the bedding regularly. A room that is not too dry helps as well. Some people find that a glass of water before bed, or a bedroom that is not overheated, keeps the throat from drying out during the night. These are small things, and none of them will fix snoring on its own, but together they make the airway a little wider and a little less irritated, and a little is often enough.

Keeping a regular sleep routine matters more than people think. Going to bed at the same time each night and getting enough sleep means the body does not fall into sudden, very deep sleep out of exhaustion, and that steadier sleep means steadier muscle tone in the throat. Avoiding alcohol in the evening is also worth mentioning, because alcohol relaxes the throat muscles more deeply than normal sleep does, and the snoring that follows is often much louder. Losing extra weight, if there is extra weight to lose, can help over time, because less tissue around the neck means a wider airway. None of these changes is a cure, and none of them works overnight, but they are the changes that help the most people, and they are all things a person can try without any special equipment.

When Snoring Is Worth Taking Seriously

Most snoring is a nuisance. It disturbs the partner, it disturbs the household, and it leaves the snorer a little tired, but it is not dangerous in itself. There are times, though, when snoring is a sign of something more serious, and it is important to know what those times look like. The main warning sign is pauses in breathing. If the snoring stops for ten seconds or more, and then starts again with a loud gasp or a choking sound, that means the airway has closed almost completely and the body has had to force it open. A few pauses in a night can happen to anyone, but regular pauses, night after night, are worth taking seriously, and the person who notices them is usually the partner, because the snorer is asleep and does not hear it.

The second warning sign is how the person feels during the day. If someone snores loudly and also wakes up with a headache, or a dry mouth, or a feeling that they have not slept at all, and if they feel sleepy during the day, or find it hard to concentrate, or fall asleep while sitting still, those are signs that the sleep is being broken again and again through the night, even if the person does not remember waking. The body is working hard to breathe, and that work is stealing the rest that sleep is supposed to give. A person who feels like this most days should talk to a health professional, because there are proper checks that can find out what is happening during the night.

The third warning sign is change. If a person has always snored quietly and then the snoring suddenly becomes much louder, or the pauses begin, or the daytime tiredness is new, that change is worth mentioning to a doctor. A doctor can listen to the story, ask about the pattern of sleep, and decide whether a sleep study or a referral is needed. This article is general information only. It cannot diagnose anyone, and it is not a substitute for a doctor’s judgement. But knowing the warning signs matters, because the partner who hears the pauses is often the first person who can raise the alarm, and raising it early is always better than waiting.

My Take:

If you ask me what I think about snoring on your back, my first thought is that it is one of the most ordinary and most misunderstood sounds in the world. Almost everyone has heard it, many people live with it, and yet most of us talk about it as if it were a habit or a choice, as if the person snoring could simply decide to stop. They cannot. Snoring is not something you do on purpose. It is the sound of your throat doing its best to let air through a space that has become too narrow, and when you are asleep you have no control over it at all. I think we should start there, with that simple fact, because it changes how we treat the person who snores. They are not being noisy on purpose. They are asleep, and their airway is struggling, and the noise is the sign of that struggle.

I think the back sleeping part of it is the most useful thing to understand, because it is the one thing that a person can actually change. You cannot change the shape of your airway overnight. You cannot change your age, or the shape of your jaw, or the way your throat is built. But you can change the position you sleep in, and for many people that one change makes a real difference. I have heard so many stories that go the same way: the partner says “you snore,” the snorer says “I do not,” and then one night the snorer rolls onto their side and the room goes quiet. It is a small change, and it works because it works with gravity instead of against it. On your side, gravity pulls the tongue to the side, out of the way. On your back, gravity pulls it straight into the airway. That is the whole story, and it is simple enough for anyone to understand.

I also think we should talk honestly about what snoring does to the other person in the bed. The snorer is asleep and hears nothing, but the partner lies awake, listening to the noise, getting more and more tired, and then feeling guilty for being angry at someone who is asleep and cannot help it. That is a hard place to be in. I think it is better to talk about it openly, in the daytime, when both people are awake and calm, than to let it become a silent argument every night. The partner can say, “Your snoring keeps me awake, and I am tired,” and the snorer can say, “I did not know it was that bad, let us try something.” Trying to sleep on your side, or trying a different pillow, or keeping the bedroom clean and dust-free: these are things a couple can try together, and trying together is much better than one person suffering in silence while the other sleeps through it.

There is something else I think about snoring, and it is about tiredness. People often laugh about snoring, and they make jokes about it, but a person who snores loudly every night is often a person who wakes up tired every morning, and that tiredness is real. They may not know why they are tired. They may think they slept for eight hours, because they were in bed for eight hours, but if their airway was narrow all night, their sleep was broken again and again, and eight hours in bed is not the same as eight hours of rest. I think we should take that tiredness seriously. A person who is tired every day, who falls asleep in the afternoon, who cannot concentrate at work, is not lazy. They may be a person whose body is working hard all night just to breathe, and that work is stealing their rest.

I think the warning signs matter, and I think they are worth repeating, because they are the difference between ordinary snoring and snoring that needs attention. Pauses in breathing, followed by a gasp or a choking sound, are the clearest sign. Daytime sleepiness that does not go away is another. Morning headaches, a dry mouth in the morning, and a feeling of never having slept properly are others. If you are the partner and you hear those pauses, do not just put up with them. Tell the person, and tell them kindly, and suggest that they talk to a doctor. The snorer cannot hear what you hear, so you are the only witness. That is a responsibility, and it is also a kindness, because the person who gets help for their snoring often finds that their whole life improves: they sleep better, they feel better in the day, and their partner sleeps better too.

I also want to say something about the simple fixes, because I think people often look for a complicated answer when the simple one is right in front of them. Sleeping on your side is simple. A pillow between the knees is simple. A clean bedroom is simple. Going to bed at the same time each night is simple. None of these things is glamorous, and none of them makes a good story, but they are the things that help the most people, and they cost almost nothing. I have seen people spend money on gadgets and devices before trying the simple things, and I think that is the wrong order. Try the simple things first. Try them for a few weeks, not for one night, because the body takes time to learn a new sleeping position. If the simple things work, you have saved yourself money and trouble. If they do not work, then it is time to talk to a doctor, and you can say honestly that you tried the simple things first.

I think we should also be honest about weight, because it is one of the real causes of snoring, and it is also one of the subjects people avoid. Extra weight around the neck presses on the airway and narrows it, and that is a fact, not a judgement. A person who carries extra weight and snores loudly is not a bad person. They are a person whose airway has less room than it needs. Losing weight is hard, and it takes time, and it should never be talked about as if it were easy. But it is worth saying, gently and honestly, that even a small amount of weight loss can make snoring quieter, because the airway gets a little more room. That is not a lecture. It is a fact, and facts help people make their own decisions.

What I do not believe is that snoring is something to be ashamed of. I know that people feel embarrassed about it, especially when they sleep somewhere new, or when they travel with others, or when they stay in a house full of guests. They worry that everyone will hear them, and they worry that people will think badly of them. But snoring is not a character flaw. It is the shape of a throat, and the position of a tongue, and the depth of a sleep. Half the people in any room have snored at some point in their lives, and the other half will snore one day. There is nothing to be ashamed of, and the embarrassment only makes it worse, because a person who is worried about snoring sleeps badly, and bad sleep makes snoring worse. If you snore, say so, laugh about it if you can, and do what you can to quieten it. That is enough.

I also think about the old trick of the ball sewn into the back of a shirt, and I like it, because it is a good example of how a simple idea can work better than an expensive one. The idea is not to punish the sleeper. It is to give the body a small reminder, night after night, until staying on the side becomes a habit. The body learns from gentle reminders, and after a few weeks many people find that they stay on their side without thinking about it. That is how habits work. You do not change a habit by deciding once. You change it by making the new way a little easier and the old way a little less comfortable, and then letting time do the rest. Sleeping on your side is like that. It feels strange for the first few nights, and then it feels normal, and then you forget you ever slept any other way.

There is one more thing I want to say, and it is about listening. If you share a bed with someone who snores, listen to how they snore, not just to how loud it is. A steady, even snore is usually ordinary snoring. A snore that stops, and then starts again with a gasp, is different, and it is worth noticing. A snore that is new, or much louder than it used to be, is worth noticing too. You are the only person who hears what happens at night, and what you hear is useful information for a doctor. Write it down if you need to: when the pauses happen, how long they last, how the person seems in the morning. That small record can help a doctor understand what is happening far better than a vague memory. Listening is not spying. It is caring, and it is one of the most useful things a partner can do.

I also think we should talk about the question that many couples are too polite to ask: is it wrong to sleep in separate rooms because of snoring? I do not think it is wrong at all. Sleep is not a luxury. It is the foundation of health, mood, and patience, and a person who is woken up every night by snoring will be tired, short-tempered, and unhappy, and that unhappiness will show up in the relationship in other ways. Sleeping in separate rooms for a while, or even permanently, is not a sign that a marriage is failing. It is a sign that two people are being practical about a real problem. Many couples sleep better apart and get on better during the day because of it. The important thing is to decide it together, kindly, and not to let it become a punishment or a silence. A good night’s sleep is worth more than the idea that a couple must always share a bed.

I also think about children who snore, because parents often worry about it and do not know whether to worry. A child who snores loudly every night, especially if they breathe through their mouth, wake up tired, or seem sleepy at school, is worth mentioning to a doctor, because a child’s airway is small and the causes can be different from an adult’s. A child who snores only when they have a cold, and stops when the cold goes, is usually nothing to worry about. The difference is the pattern: now and then with a cold is ordinary, every night for weeks is worth a conversation with a health professional. Parents know their child’s sleep better than anyone, and that knowledge is worth trusting.

So here is my final view, in plain words. Snoring on your back happens because gravity pulls the tongue and the soft palate backwards into the airway, the airway narrows, and the soft tissue flutters in the air as you breathe. Some people snore more than others because their airways are narrower, or their tissue is looser, or they carry extra weight around the neck, or their nose is blocked. It gets worse when you are very tired, when you have a cold, or when you have had a drink in the evening, because all of those things relax the throat more deeply. The simplest help is to sleep on your side, keep the nose clear, keep a regular sleep routine, and avoid alcohol in the evening. And if the snoring comes with pauses in breathing, or with daytime sleepiness that will not go away, or with morning headaches, talk to a health professional, because those are signs that the sleep is being broken in a way that needs a proper look. Snoring is common, it is not your fault, and it is usually something you can quieten with simple changes. But when it comes with warning signs, it deserves attention, and getting that attention is the kindest thing you can do for yourself and for the person sleeping beside you.

If a friend told me they snore on their back and their partner is losing sleep over it, I would tell them this. Try sleeping on your side first, and give it a few weeks, not one night. Put a pillow between your knees so the position feels comfortable, and if you keep rolling back, try the old trick of a small ball sewn into the back of a shirt. Keep the bedroom clean and the air fresh, go to bed at the same time each night, and skip the evening drink. And if your partner hears pauses in your breathing, or you wake up tired every morning no matter how long you sleep, go and talk to a doctor, and tell them exactly what your partner hears. That is not overreacting. It is looking after yourself, and it is looking after the person who shares your bed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Why Do We Snore When We Sleep on Our Back” really mean?

It means asking why snoring gets louder, or starts, when a person lies on their back instead of on their side. The answer is gravity. On your back, the tongue and the soft palate fall backwards into the airway, the airway narrows, and the soft tissue flutters as air passes through. That flutter is the snoring sound. On your side, gravity pulls the tongue to the side instead, the airway opens up, and the snoring usually quiets down or stops.

Why do so many people search for “Why Do We Snore When We Sleep on Our Back”?

People search for it because it is a pattern almost everyone has noticed. One person in a bed snores loudly on their back and goes quiet on their side, and the partner wants to know why, and whether anything can be done about it. It is also searched by people who are tired of being woken up, and by people who wake up tired themselves and want to understand what is happening during the night. The answer is simple once you know how the throat works, and that simplicity is reassuring.

How long does the feeling behind “Why Do We Snore When We Sleep on Our Back” usually last?

Snoring on your back lasts as long as you stay on your back. It usually starts within minutes of falling asleep on your back and stops within moments of rolling onto your side. Through the night it can come and go as you change position in your sleep. It is often loudest in the first part of the night, when sleep is deepest and the throat muscles are most relaxed, and quieter towards morning when sleep becomes lighter.

What makes “Why Do We Snore When We Sleep on Our Back” feel stronger on some days?

A blocked nose from a cold or allergies makes it worse, because you breathe through your mouth and the tongue falls further back. Being very tired makes it worse, because the body falls into deeper sleep and the throat muscles relax more. Alcohol in the evening makes it worse for the same reason, because it relaxes the throat muscles deeply. Dry air, dust, and extra weight around the neck can all make it worse too. On a rested night with a clear nose, the same person may snore far less.

Can daily habits change anything about “Why Do We Snore When We Sleep on Our Back”?

Yes. Sleeping on your side is the change that helps most, and a pillow between the knees can make side sleeping comfortable. Keeping the bedroom clean and dust-free helps keep the nose clear. Going to bed at the same time each night and getting enough sleep stops the body from falling into sudden deep sleep out of exhaustion. Avoiding alcohol in the evening helps, because alcohol relaxes the throat muscles. Over time, losing extra weight around the neck can also widen the airway and quieten the snoring.

When should I pay closer attention to “Why Do We Snore When We Sleep on Our Back”?

Pay closer attention if the snoring stops for ten seconds or more and then starts again with a loud gasp or choking sound, night after night. Also pay attention if the snorer wakes up with headaches or a dry mouth, feels sleepy during the day, struggles to concentrate, or falls asleep while sitting still. And pay attention if the snoring suddenly becomes much louder than it used to be. In those cases, talk to a health professional. This is general information only, not personal advice, and a doctor can arrange the right checks.