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Why Do We Snore?
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Ever woken up in the middle of night and listened to the sounds
floating around? You may hear crickets, the wind, the whirring of
the fan and definitely a couple of snores, though, nobody likes to
acknowledge the fact that he or she was snoring!
There are two kinds of sleep, deep and
shallow sleep. In shallow sleep, our body does not get the same kind
of rest that it gets when we are in deep sleep. Therefore, it is
possible that even after eight hours (said to be the right amount of
sleep for a human being) of shallow sleep we may still wake up
feeling tired. A short deep sleep can be very restful.
It is said that once, on the eve of an important battle, Alexander
the Great remained awake longer than the others. Then he went into a
deep sleep, lying on the ground. He was in such deep sleep that, it
is said, he didn’t hear even the noise of his men getting ready for
the attack. His general had to wake him thrice before the great man
could become fully awake! |
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Snores are generally produced when a person is in deep sleep. The
tissue at the roof of the mouth, which is known as the soft palate,
vibrates when air is inhaled through the mouth. You may wonder why
snores are produced in different tones and degrees of loudness. It
is just that some people snore softly, almost musically, while
others snore loud enough to wake up another person! What happens is
that, when the soft palate vibrates, it may produce vibrations in
the cheeks, lips and nostrils too. The result is a loud snore.
Repetition of the same process with every breath drawn results in
loud and continuous snoring.
The reason for breathing through the mouth may vary from person to
person. A blocked nose due to cold or an infection may force
breathing through the mouth. Many people snore only when they are
very tired. This is because they fall into a deep sleep. Then, the
throat muscles are in a relaxed state and there is hardly any
muscular control. The condition can also be caused by over imbibing
alcohol or drugs.
There can be other reasons for snoring too. It could be due to
swollen tonsils, a misshapen wall in the nasal cavity or a growth in
the cavity. The reason may be different, but the result is that the
nasal passage is blocked and the person breathes through his or her
mouth. Relaxed throat muscles are flabby and are drawn into the
airway hence the sound.
Some people may require medical attention to cure continuous and loud
snoring. This is because in some instances snoring may be indicative
of some deeper problem. Those desirous of reducing snoring may
improve the muscle tone of their throat muscles through exercise.
The other recommended cures are avoiding certain drugs, caffeine
and alcohol a few hours before sleep. Sleeping on one’s side is also
said to reduce the incidence of snoring. |
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