Sometimes some people snore in a slightly unpleasant way when they sleep. So if you share a bedroom with someone who snores, you may find it difficult to fall asleep. But, even people who don’t snore breathe harder when they are asleep. Do you know why some people breathe so hard when they are resting?
The sound that occurs when you breathe, whether you are asleep or awake, is produced by the vibration of the air that moves through the windpipe. Thus, the strength of your breathing depends on how narrow your windpipe is and how fast the air passes through it. In fact, it could be compared to a musical instrument, as Timothy Morgenthaler, a sleep medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, argues.
When you inhale, the movement of air that flows into the upper respiratory tract (the part of the respiratory system that runs from the mouth to the larynx) lowers the pressure throughout the respiratory tract. This pressure change can collapse the upper airway, thus obstructing breathing. However, a reflex in the airways prevents this collapse and keeps them open when awake.
However, when you are asleep this reflex is not as strong, so the airways partially collapse and breathing becomes a little louder.
Sleep, also a key factor
Sleep, especially during REM, also produces lower muscle tone around the airways. Or, put another way, the muscles that support the airways relax, allowing the windpipe to contract. When the airways narrow, the speed of the air moving through them increases. For this reason, the air vibrates more and creates a louder sound.
On the other hand, if a person’s airways become very narrow while sleeping, they could develop obstructive sleep apnea. The airways can become so narrow that it is impossible to breathe, which is why the person in question almost always wakes up from a loud snoring looking for air. Losing weight is often an effective treatment, as excess fat around the airways can make it difficult to breathe.
