Last updated: August 31, 2026 | Reviewed by: Kazuyuki Sugaya, Director, Ueno Snoring Clinic
Why do we snore in the first place, and what actually causes it? In this article, we’ll explain the causes of snoring in detail, along with some simple steps you can take right away.
Reviewed by Our Director
Kazuyuki Sugaya
Director, Ueno Snoring Clinic / Anesthesiologist
Our director, with over 20,000 general anesthesia cases, focuses primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of snoring and sleep apnea, offering care tailored to each patient. [Insurance-Covered] Ueno Snoring Clinic
This article was reviewed by our Director, Kazuyuki Sugaya, and explains accurate medical information about the testing and treatment of snoring and sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in clear, accessible terms.
The causes of snoring range from the structure of the throat to body weight. Ueno Snoring Clinic doesn’t rely on a single treatment approach — we’re set up to recommend the best plan for each patient from a broad, evidence-based range of options.
Insurance-Covered: Thorough Testing and Ongoing Treatment
Self-Pay: Address the Root Cause, Short-Term Focus
*As a clinic specializing in snoring treatment, we work to resolve “snoring that won’t stop” through both insurance-covered and self-pay options.
Our director’s book, “Curing Snoring with the Latest Treatments” (ranked #1 in General Medicine, #1 in Clinical Internal Medicine, and #2 in Home Medicine & Health on Amazon Japan), covers this topic in more detail.
Quick Answer
Snoring generally falls into seven broad categories of causes: obesity, aging, nasal congestion, alcohol or medication use, sleep position, jaw or oral skeletal structure, and fatigue. What they share in common is a narrowing of the airway, and in many cases this can be reduced through self-care such as side-sleeping or weight loss. However, if your snoring periodically stops during sleep, or you experience strong daytime sleepiness, these may be signs of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). Left untreated, SAS raises the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, so it’s worth seeing a specialist early if these signs apply to you.
📋 What This Article Covers
“My partner tells me every morning that I was snoring.” “I wake myself up with my own snoring.” Does either of these sound familiar?
Snoring is an extremely common symptom, affecting roughly 20-30% of people in Japan. But it’s not something to dismiss as “just snoring” — snoring can be a sign of a more serious underlying condition, on top of simply lowering the quality of your sleep.
Let’s start by understanding how snoring actually happens.
When we fall asleep, the muscles throughout our body relax — including the muscles at the back of the throat (the upper airway). This causes the airway to narrow, and as air passes through the narrowed space, it makes the surrounding soft tissue vibrate, producing that familiar “rumbling” sound. That sound is snoring.
In other words, the root cause of snoring is a narrowed airway. So why does the airway narrow in the first place?
Obesity is the single most common cause of snoring.
As body weight increases, fat also accumulates around the neck and throat. This fat presses on the airway from the outside, narrowing it further during sleep.
People with a higher BMI tend to snore more, and there are many reported cases where losing just 5-10% of body weight noticeably improved snoring.
If you’ve noticed recent weight gain, or that your neck has gotten thicker, weight management is often the most effective place to start — and this connection between body weight and snoring is well documented.
As we age, the muscles of the throat (the pharyngeal muscles) naturally weaken over time.
If you didn’t snore when you were younger but started snoring in your 40s or 50s, this age-related muscle weakening is a likely explanation.
Age-related snoring is also common among women — particularly after menopause, when hormonal changes are known to make the throat muscles more prone to relaxing. It often responds well to the same self-care and treatment approaches described in this article.
A stuffy nose forces you to breathe through your mouth.
Mouth breathing makes it easier for the tongue to fall backward, blocking the airway and causing snoring. Trying to draw air in through the nose also creates extra negative pressure in the throat, making the soft tissue more prone to vibrating.
Nasal conditions that commonly cause snoring include:
These conditions require treatment from an ENT specialist, but successfully treating the underlying nasal condition can often significantly reduce or resolve snoring as well.
Drinking alcohol before bed makes snoring worse.
Alcohol relaxes muscles throughout the body, including the muscles of the throat. Many people notice they snore especially loudly on nights they’ve been drinking — this is a direct result of alcohol’s muscle-relaxing effect.
Sleep aids, anti-anxiety medications, and muscle relaxants can have a similar relaxing effect on the throat. If you take any of these medications, it’s worth asking your doctor about their potential impact on snoring.
Cutting back on alcohol — especially in the hours before bed — is one of the simplest and most effective changes you can make.
Sleeping on your back allows gravity to pull the tongue backward, making it more likely to block the airway.
Simply switching to side-sleeping prevents this backward movement of the tongue, and many people find their snoring improves significantly as a result. If you notice your snoring settles down when you sleep on your side, this positional effect is very likely the reason.
The “tennis ball method” — sewing a tennis ball into the back of a shirt to prevent rolling onto your back — is an old folk remedy, but research has shown it does have a genuine, measurable effect. This simple positional change is one of the most effective self-care strategies for snoring.
Certain skeletal features you’re born with can also contribute to snoring, including:
These features physically narrow the airway, making snoring more likely. In children, snoring is especially often caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and since this can affect growth and development, early evaluation is recommended. This is also why some people who are not overweight still experience significant snoring — the underlying skeletal structure, rather than body weight, is the driving factor.
When you’re tired or sleep-deprived, your body tends to move into deep sleep (non-REM sleep) more quickly.
Muscle relaxation is more pronounced during deep sleep, which makes snoring more likely. If you notice your snoring is worse specifically on nights when you’re exhausted from work, this is likely the reason.
Getting adequate sleep and maintaining good sleep habits can help reduce this effect.
One form of snoring in particular requires special attention: sleep apnea syndrome (SAS).
Sleep apnea syndrome occurs when the airway becomes completely blocked during sleep, causing breathing to stop for 10 seconds or more, five or more times per hour.
In Japan, an estimated 3 million or more people have this condition, and the majority remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Warning signs of sleep apnea syndrome
If any of the following apply to you, sleep apnea syndrome may be a possibility.
| Complication | Risk vs. People Without SAS |
|---|---|
| High blood pressure | About 2x |
| Heart attack / angina | About 3x |
| Stroke | About 4x |
| Traffic accidents (drowsy driving) | About 7x |
*See the References section at the end of this article for sources.
Before seeing a doctor, here are five self-care steps worth trying first.
1. Get in the habit of sleeping on your side
Avoid sleeping on your back and sleep on your side instead (especially the left side) to help prevent airway blockage. A body pillow can make it easier to stay in this position throughout the night.
2. Maintain a healthy body weight
If your BMI is 25 or above, losing weight can directly improve snoring. Start with a goal of losing around 5% of your body weight.
3. Avoid alcohol for at least 3 hours before bed
If you have a habit of drinking before sleep, this is a good place to start making changes.
4. Focus on nasal breathing
If your nose is congested, try an over-the-counter nasal spray or nasal strips. That said, chronic nasal congestion is best resolved with treatment from an ENT specialist.
5. Build healthy sleep habits
Avoid smartphone use in the hour before bed, and aim for a consistent, regular sleep schedule.
We recommend seeing a specialist promptly if any of the following apply to you:
A specialist diagnosis of snoring typically involves a simplified home sleep test or an overnight sleep study (polysomnography, or PSG). Home test kits are increasingly available, making it possible to get diagnosed in many cases without being admitted to a hospital.
For specialized snoring and sleep apnea treatment, Ueno Snoring Clinic is here to help.
Ueno Snoring Clinic provides specialized support from diagnosis through treatment for snoring and sleep apnea syndrome.
Consider a consultation if any of the following describe you:
What sets Ueno Snoring Clinic apart:
Please feel free to visit us, even if you’d just like to talk it through first.
Ueno Snoring Clinic offers insurance-covered sleep testing and CPAP management, as well as self-pay laser treatment for snoring, tailored to your specific condition. If you’d like to find out which treatment fits you, please start with an initial consultation.
Details of the tests and treatments offered at Ueno Snoring Clinic can be found here
The underlying cause of snoring is a narrowed airway. Behind that narrowing lies a mix of contributing factors: obesity, aging, nasal conditions, alcohol, sleep position, skeletal structure, and fatigue, among others.
Many cases of snoring can be reduced through lifestyle changes, but if sleep apnea syndrome is suspected, seeing a specialist is essential — left untreated, it raises the risk of serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
If you’ve ever wondered “is my snoring something to worry about?”, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Ueno Snoring Clinic.
References
English Support Available
We provide medical services for international patients. Please check our English website for details on how to visit our clinic.
Supervising Physician
Kazuyuki Sugaya, Director of Ueno Snoring Clinic
After graduating from Fujita Health University School of Medicine in 2004, Dr. Sugaya began his career as an anesthesiologist at Toho University Omori Medical Center. He has since gained extensive clinical experience at municipal hospitals and private clinics nationwide, administering general anesthesia in over 20,000 cases. In 2020, he founded the "Tokyo Spine Clinic," and has served as the Director of Ueno Snoring Clinic since 2025.
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Specialized Snoring Treatment in Ueno
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Insurance-covered home testing available.
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we support the improvement of snoring and sleep apnea with "Dual Deep Thermia"—a non-surgical laser treatment, if necessary.
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