Snoring is the noise of the soft palate primarily (2) and other loose tissue in the mouth, nose and throat vibrating on the in-breath (3). Snoring is very common, affecting around 60% of men and 40% of women by the age of sixty (4, 5). It can be a serious problem within relationships and a social embarrassment. Partners can be driven to sleep in separate rooms, and difficulties arise when staying in hotels and with friends.

Snoring occurs when floppy tissue in the airway relaxes during sleep and vibrates. Forty-five percent of normal adults snore at least occasionally, and 25 percent are habitual snorers. Problem snoring is more frequent in males and overweight persons, and it usually grows worse with age.

Socially -yes. It is disruptive to family life. It makes the snorer an object of ridicule and causes other household members sleepless nights and resentfulness. Snorers become unwelcome roommates on vacations or business trips. And medically -Yes. It disturbs the sleeping patterns of the snorer himself, so that he may not sleep restfully. Furthermore, heavy snorers tend to develop high blood pressure at a younger age than non-snorers.

If you snore loudly with occasional pauses in breathing, and you frequently wake up during the night, you may be suffering from sleep apnoea. Ask your partner, or a member of your family to listen for signs of this disorder. Sleep apnoea is periods when you stop breathing while you're sleeping. These interruptions in your breathing, which can last up to two minutes at a time, occur when the muscles in your soft palate, uvula, tongue and tonsils relax during sleep.

Muscle tone in the oral cavity tends to decrease with age (2, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24). Many people who are not particularly overweight start to snore in middle age simply because this is when our muscles lose their youthful firmness unless regularly exercised. Our upper throat muscles are no exception and, if their tone is poor, slack tissue at the back of the throat is prone to vibrate in the in-breath causing the snoring noise.