This results in decreased oxygen in the blood, which can lead to fatigue at best and sudden death at worst. If you think you have this disorder, you must seek conventional treatment.

Other potentially troubling problems are also indicated by regular — often loud — snoring that falls into one of two types: moderate (snoring every time a person sleeps, but which may be intermittent or occurs only when the person lies on his back) and heavy (loud snoring throughout sleeping, no matter what position). Fortunately, there are a variety of remedies that can lessen the intensity of snoring, if not eliminate it entirely.

What Causes It?

Snoring is caused by vibration of the soft palate (the soft part of the mouth’s roof) as the lungs strain to inhale oxygen through obstructed airways. Typically this occurs when the muscles that keep these airways open become too lax or when excess tissue accumulates. Any condition or substance that promotes muscle relaxation or buildup of fatty tissue — including alcohol; medications such as sleeping pills, cold medicines, or antihistamines; an overly soft or large pillow; sleeping on one’s back; poor muscle tone; or obesity — can have this effect. Obstruction can also be caused by nasal deformities, such as an excessively long soft palate or uvula, or a deviated septum. In children, enlarged adenoids or tonsils often cause snoring. Any ailment that makes bronchial airways constrict, such as asthma, can lead to obstruction and snoring; smoking, which irritates the passageways, can also make snoring worse.

The Symptoms

Rough, hoarse, fluttering noise when breathing during sleep, varying in frequency, pitch, and intensity.

You live with a snorer and note that his or her snoring is very loud or marked by intervals of no breathing at all. The person may have obstructive sleep apnea, a serious respiratory condition.

You are frequently very sleepy and tired during the day. You could have obstructive sleep apnea, a serious condition that is preventing one from getting enough oxygen during sleep.

You frequently fall asleep in inappropriate settings, such as at the office or while eating or driving. You could have obstructive sleep apnea or narcolepsy, a disorder that causes sufferers to fall asleep during normal waking hours.

How Do I Know If I Snore?

First, your doctor will ask about any allergies you may have, as well as about your eating patterns, what drugs you take, and whether you drink alcohol or smoke. If these are not the culprits, your doctor may examine your throat and nasal passages for any signs of nasal deformities.

If your doctor suspects that you have obstructive sleep apnea, your partner may be asked to keep a diary noting your sleeping patterns, or you may take a sleep-monitoring study, which will analyze when and how often you stop breathing during sleep.

What Are the Treatments?

In most cases, snoring requires no medical treatment; going on a diet and cutting out smoking and alcohol usually clear up the problem.

There are nasal strips available in drugstores that purport to correct some of the nasal abnormalities of snorers.

If allergies are the cause, your doctor will likely prescribe antihistamines or a nasal decongestant. Snoring caused by nasal deformities may require corrective surgery to open up the airways. If it is determined that you have obstructive sleep apnea, your doctor will pursue treatment more aggressively because of the potentially dangerous consequences of the condition.

Here’s a classic one-liner:
The wife says to her husband:
“Do you know that snoring causes a lack of sleep?
It’s MINE!”

Prevent Snoring?

Here’s a classic one-liner: The wife says to her husband: “Do you know that snoring causes a lack of sleep? MINE!” Snoring is the butt of many jokes, but it’s no laughing matter to the millions of adults who snore and the people who love them.

An estimated 45% of normal adult’s snore at least occasionally and 25% do so habitually, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Problem snoring is more common in men and in people who are overweight. And snoring usually gets worse with advancing age.

“Snoring is incredibly prevalent and people joke about it, yet it can create serious problems within the family,” says Mark Mahowald, MD, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center and a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Many couples can’t sleep in the same room because of snoring.”

Buyers should beware before purchasing over-the-counter sprays and pills that promise to stop snoring, Mahowald warns. “There are all sorts of sprays, pills and tablets that claim to make snoring better, but I have yet to see any validation by scientific studies to support those claims,” he says.

Fortunately, there are lifestyle changes and natural remedies that can help you stop snoring.

1. Change your sleep position
Snoring occurs when the soft palate, uvula, tongue, tonsils and/or muscles in the back of the throat rub against each other and generate a vibrating sound during sleep. So, at first, snoring “occurs only when you are lying on your back [and] your tongue falls back and increases airway resistance,” Mahowald explains. That’s why some folk remedies called for sewing tennis balls on the back of pajamas, he says. “If you are one of these snorers, sleeping on your sides will usually help” you stop snoring, Mahowald tells Web M.D. However as snoring progresses, it can occur when you are sleeping on your side. Eventually, snoring can become present all night and at all positions. Then, it’s time to examine your lifestyle.

2. Lose body weight
Overweight people tend have bulky neck tissue which increases snoring risk. If you are overweight, losing just modest amount of weight - even just 10% of your body weight — can help you stop snoring, Mahowald says.

3. Avoid alcohol & smoking
“Anything that causes sedation such as sleeping pills or low dose alcohol can also cause snoring because they tend to suppress your breathing drive,” says Robert W. Clark, MD, medical director of the Regional Sleep Disorders Center at the Columbus Community Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. If you snore because you have a couple of drinks or a sedative at night, either cut back or cut it out altogether, he advises. Smoking causes nasal and lung congestion, a major cause of snoring.

4. Inhale steam before bed
Nasal congestion can often cause snoring. Clarke suggests you try to reduce congestion before bedtime by deep breathing steam through your nose. “Steam vaporizers are worth their weight in gold,” says Clarke. “And so is running hot water, putting a towel over your head and inhaling steam to loosen mucus-causing congestion.”

5. Try nasal strips
Studies show that nasal strips can provide temporary relief from congestion and may also some people stop snoring. “It’s easier to breathe when your nostrils are open wide, so nasal strips, which are worn on the nose, can help if snoring is coming from your nose,” Mahowald says. The catch? Most often snoring stems from base of tongue or soft palate, not the nose.