Why do I snore? The common causes, and finding yours
Snoring is the sound of parts of your mouth, throat or nose vibrating as you breathe in your sleep [1]. Some things make that far more likely: sleeping on your back, alcohol, excess weight and smoking are the best established [1]. Which of them matters for you is something you can find out.
Last reviewed 24 September 2026. General information from the Snorezy team, not medical advice.
What's actually making the noise
When you fall asleep, the muscles that hold your airway open relax. Air passing through a narrower space makes the soft tissue of the tongue, mouth, throat or nasal airways vibrate, and that vibration is the sound [1].
What makes snoring more likely
The NHS lists these as making snoring more likely [1]:
- Sleeping on your back, which lets the tongue and soft tissue fall towards the throat.
- Drinking too much alcohol, which relaxes the muscles further.
- Being overweight.
- Smoking.
A blocked nose from a cold or allergies narrows the airway too, and sleeping pills can make snoring worse [1].
Why it changes from night to night
Because most of those causes change from night to night. You may not snore at all after a quiet evening on your side, and snore for hours after a drink and a cold. That variation is useful: it means you can learn which ones matter for you by comparing nights.
Suddenly started snoring?
A new cold, weight gain, a new medication or a change in drinking are the usual explanations. If it comes with pauses in breathing, gasping or real daytime sleepiness, see a doctor rather than a remedy [1]. Read snoring or sleep apnea.
In Snorezy
Find what makes yours worse
Before you sleep, Snorezy asks "Anything different tonight?": sleep position, congestion, alcohol, a late meal, a nasal strip, a mouthguard, an extra pillow. After a few nights, Trends compares the nights you noted with the ones you didn't. Snorezy shows it as a pattern, not a cause: nights differ in many ways at once.
