The sound of snoring occurs when air cannot flow freely in and out of your throat. This is due to a narrowing of the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. During sleep, muscle tone decreases throughout the body. When your throat muscles relax, the soft palate and uvula (the fleshy structure that dangles from the roof of the mouth) vibrates as you breathe in and out. Snoring tends to become worse with alcohol or sedative consumption before bedtime, weight gain and a blocked nose. Snoring often increases with age.

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