Technically, snoring is defined as any resonant noise from the respiratory tract that emerges during sleep.
Biologically, snoring refers to a vibration in the airway connecting the nose and the mouth; a vibration that can emerge through the mouth, the nose, or (as some non-snorers are painfully aware), it can emerge through both!
As you can sense, the more narrow the airway, generally speaking, the more intense the vibration; and ultimately, the louder the snore.
You may also be wondering why snoring only seems to emerge at night; after all, people literally use their airway every moment of their life; so why is snoring a nocturnal dilemma?
The answer to this is found in looking at the tissues within the airway. This tissue is very soft, and at night becomes relaxed; it’s similar to how some muscles, like biceps, become relaxed at night since the body does not require them.
As the throat (and its subsequent tissue) relaxes during sleep, the wind tunnel/airway becomes narrower and hence, snoring occurs.
