Let’s be honest – snoring isn’t just something that keeps your partner up at night; it can also mess with your own sleep and often signals an underlying health issue. And while the odd snore after a big night might not be a huge deal, frequent or loud snoring shouldn’t be ignored.
In this post, I’ll take you through why we snore and what tends to make it worse – especially for those of us living busy, often stressful lives here in Australia. If you’re looking for a solution Respect Health is here with years of experience.
So, What Actually Causes Snoring?
Snoring happens when air can’t move freely through your nose and throat while you sleep. This causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate – and that’s the sound we hear. Sometimes, the airway actually closes and your oxygen levels fall causing disruptions to the many physiological processes your body needs to perform during the night causing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor blood sugar regulation, inflammation….the list goes on.
Snoring can be caused by all sorts of things, including your body shape, anatomy of the throat, sleep habits, allergies, and even lifestyle factors like what you eat or drink before bed.
At Respect Health, we can help you determine whether you’re just snoring or have a more serious health condition known to cause many diseases if left untreated. We can help you test your sleep in the convenience of your own home.
What Makes Snoring Worse?
Even if you only snore occasionally, there are a few key things that can make it more frequent or more disruptive. Here’s what to keep an eye on:
1. Weight Gain
Carrying extra weight, particularly around the neck, can put pressure on your airway and narrow it – making it harder to breathe freely at night.
Tip: Losing a few kilos, especially if you've gained weight recently, can often reduce or even stop snoring altogether.
Natural supplements like Ultra Nature Weight Loss Capsules, help also with Cholesterol an Sugar control.
Metagenics Shake It Vanilla 554g Powder
2. Alcohol Before Bed
We all enjoy a glass of wine or a cheeky beer now and then, but alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat, making snoring much more likely.
Tip: Try to avoid drinking alcohol at least 3 to 4 hours before bedtime – especially if you know you’re prone to snoring.
3. Sleeping on Your Back
When you sleep on your back, your tongue and soft palate can collapse into the back of your throat, which partially blocks the airway.
Tip: Sleeping on your side can help. You can even try a body pillow or use a tennis ball trick (sewn into the back of your pyjama top) to encourage side-sleeping.
Keeping off your back can be troublesome at times, though with the help of the Night Shift Sleep Re-positioner, has done wonders in helping many back snorers stay on their side!
Hushd Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece - Avera
4. Blocked Nose
Got hay fever? Allergies? Just a regular cold? Any kind of nasal congestion can force you to breathe through your mouth – and that usually leads to snoring.
Tip: Saline sprays, nasal strips, or even a hot shower before bed can help clear up your nose and make breathing easier.
Brauer Snoreeze Oral Spray - 20mL
5. Poor Sleep Routine
Being overtired or running on little sleep can actually increase the chance of snoring, as your muscles become more relaxed than usual.
Tip: Aim for 7–9 hours of good-quality sleep each night and try to keep a consistent sleep routine, even on weekends. Consult our Sleep Consultant for a FREE 10 minute talk about Sleep Hygieine.
Metagenics SleepX Oral Powder - 114g, Tropical Flavoured
Metagenics NeuroCalm Sleep 60 Tablets
Free 10 minutes consultation with our in-house sleep specialists
6. Smoking
Smoking irritates your airway and causes inflammation – so it’s no surprise that smokers are more likely to snore.
Tip: Giving up smoking doesn’t just help you breathe better – it can make a real difference to your sleep and general health.
7. Getting Older
Unfortunately, snoring can get worse with age. As we get older, the muscles in our throat tend to lose tone and become more relaxed during sleep.
Tip: While we can’t stop the clock, throat exercises and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reduce age-related snoring.
When to See your health professional?
Sometimes snoring is just snoring – but in some cases, it might be a sign of something more serious like obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
Here are some signs to watch out for:
If that sounds familiar, it’s a good idea to chat with our Sleep Health Team. You might be referred for a sleep study, which can help diagnose OSA or other sleep conditions.
Free 10 minutes consultation with our in-house sleep specialists
Final Thoughts
Snoring might seem harmless (or just annoying), but it’s often linked to lifestyle factors that we can change. Whether it’s tweaking your sleep position, cutting back on the evening drinks, or tackling allergies, small adjustments can make a big difference – not just for your sleep, but for your health overall.
And hey, your partner will probably thank you too.
Today, take the opportunity to speak with our Sleep Naturopath for FREE. With over 20 years of experience in holistic care around sleep, OSA, CPAP, weight management, wellness & insomnia RESPECT HEALTH is the place to go for help.
Got a snoring tip that worked for you? Or a funny story about a snoring situation? Drop it in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!
