Do you ever wonder what's causing the loud breathing of some people when asleep, specifically at night? Indeed, in our most peaceful sleep, some of us are snoring horribly loud and this ruins the chances of sharing a bedroom with anyone.
So, what's causing this loud breathing when asleep?
According to Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic's sleep medicine specialist and pulmonologist Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, the sound when we breathe, whether we are asleep or awake, results from the air's vibration moves through the breathing tube.
The loudness of the sound of breathing, he said, depends on the narrowness of our breathing tube, and he manner fast air is traveling through it. The sleep expert added that we could "almost view it as a musical instrument."
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According to a sleep expert, the sound when a person breathes, whether he is asleep or awake, is a result of the air’s vibration that moves through the breathing tube.
The Airway
When we breathe in, fast movement flowing into our upper airway, the respiratory system's part, extending from our mouth to our larynx, reduces pressure in the whole respiratory tract called the "airway."
Such a pressure change can ruin the upper airway, obstructing our breathing. More so, a reflex in the upper airway prevents such a collapse and keeps the pipes open when we're awake.
And since it is open, Morgenthaler told Live Science, where the article on loud breathing when asleep originally appeared, the "flow through that airway is not turbulent," and thus the air is moving minus "a lot of sound."
However, when we're asleep, that reflex is not as strong. The upper airway tends to partly collapse, and our breathing becomes louder.
Sleep During REM
Sleep, particularly during REM or rapid eye movement, also results in lower muscle tone around our airway, explained the pulmonologist.
Meaning, the muscles supporting our airway relax, enabling our breathing tube to constrict. When our airway becomes narrower, the speed of the air moving through it rises. It vibrates more and develops more sound.
The narrowness means our breaths become fast and shallow, as well. Morgenthaler explained that the average person takes roughly 14 breaths a minute while awake, and about 15 or 16 times while asleep.
And even though we breathe more often while we're asleep, we actually breathe in less oxygen and "push out less carbon dioxide," since the need or our body for ventilation is not as high when we are awake, the expert continued explaining.
What Causes Snoring?
If the breathing of a person becomes specifically narrow, he may start snoring. This usually takes place when the airway has reached the diameter of a fast-food chain's straw, which is a little wider than regular straws, said Morgenthaler.
When it is this small, he added, not only does the air inside our airway vibrate but so do tissues in the area, causing snoring.
Furthermore, if the airway of a person is narrowing further while sleeping, he is likely to develop a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.
The airway can become very narrow that it is impossible to breathe, and the person wakes so he can gasp for air.
Even in those who do not have sleep apnea, the airway may narrow as much up to a maximum of four times each hour, when it happens more frequently, it then becomes OSA.
Can This Be Treated?
Morgenthaler said losing weight is more often than not an effective treatment as "excess fat around the airway can obstruct breathing."
He also recommended that we skip alcohol close to bedtime since such activity triggers our surrounding muscles to relax.
If his recommendations don't help, he advised, there might already be a need for a machine like a continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP to ensure the airway remains open during sleep.
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