Is Your Drinking Making You Snore?

Alcohol is a normal part of life for many adults, but there is a chance that your snoring is being worsened or even caused by your drinking habits.

There is now evidence that going to bed under the influence of alcohol can lead to snoring patterns similar to those of people with sleep apnoea. This is a sleep condition in which you stop breathing for a moment or two while sleeping.

Those with sleep apnoea run the risk of passing away in their sleep due to the lack of oxygen going to the brain and air passing through the lungs. If you are mimicking these sleep patterns because you are "passed out" or under the influence of alcohol, then there is a possibility you could run the same risk.

Even when it is not that serious, alcohol can increase your snoring or make you snore when you otherwise would not, which can cause problems with anyone who shares the room with you. The snoring is due to the extra relaxed state that your muscles enter when you are asleep and under the influence of alcohol.

Your muscles in the back of the throat and neck naturally become slack when you sleep, which can cause restrictions through the airway that lead to noisy vibrations in the muscle, tonsils, and adenoids. When you are under the influence of alcohol you have even less control over your muscles and they will relax even more.

If you do not snore normally but do while you are intoxicated you should consider cutting back on your drinks or at the very least try to stay away from the booze during the few hours before bedtime.