The habits that trigger snoring

When the same person is quiet one night and loud the next, the difference is usually behavioural rather than structural. A handful of decisions made in the evening shape how your airway behaves at night. The upside is that these are variables you can actually change.

Alcohol is the single strongest trigger

Alcohol lowers the muscle tone in your throat during sleep, so the airway relaxes more than it otherwise would. The effect is strongest for drinks taken in the three or four hours before bed. Even a normally silent sleeper can snore loudly after a couple of glasses. Recording two alcohol-free nights is usually enough to show most people a clear difference.

Weight, smoking and late dinners

More tissue around the neck narrows the airway, which is why weight is linked to snoring. Smoking and second-hand smoke irritate and swell the upper airway, narrowing it further. A heavy meal close to bedtime feeds both reflux and restless back sleeping. These three act slowly, but they stick around.

Room air and sleep schedule

Dry air irritates the lining of the nose and throat, one reason snoring gets worse in heated rooms in winter. Being severely overtired deepens sleep and increases muscle relaxation, so an irregular schedule is an indirect trigger. Keeping the room cool and going to bed at a consistent time are two cheap interventions.

This page is for information only and is not medical advice. If your snoring is loud and constant, if anyone has seen you stop breathing, or if you are sleepy during the day, talk to a doctor.