yps, which are small growths that change not only how air is drawn into your nose, but how much.

Some sleeping pills can cause snoring by the simple fact that they relax the muscles of your throat and face a little too much, causing them to sag back into your airway and causing obstructions. A natural and normal deep sleep can do much the same.

Having a long soft palate (the soft palate is at the back of the roof of your mouth and shuts off your nasal passages when you swallow) or a long uvula (the long, dangling thing that

It's a familiar scene shown in almost every sitcom ever written about a married couple. Two people in bed - the clock reading a little after three in the morning - one person (almost always the wife) has a pillow folded up around her ears and the other one (the man, of course) is snoring happily and noisily, away.

For half of adults, suffering comes in the form of lying awake in bed trying not to listen to the snorts, snuffles, gurgles and gargles emanating from our partners as we watch the clock slowly ticking away. For the other half, it's the sore throats in the morning and the constant bruising on our arms from being woken up during the night and made to roll over.

On average, 45 people out of every hundred snore. While it's true that the majority of those snoring are men, women can - and do - snore. Individuals who suffer from weight problems (especially if you're an adult male) are more likely to snore than not and if you're suffering from plugged up nose due to allergies, colds, or flu, odds are you're snoring, too.

But what is snoring? What causes it?

Snoring is what happens when the airways at the back of the throat are obstructed. Every time you breathe your throat muscles are vibrating and when your airways are blocked or irritated - and when those vibrations are stopped - you snore.

These obstructions can be caused by several things. The first tends to be weight.

The cartoons got it right, this time. Overweight men and women are more likely to snore. The reason? Fat. Those unsightly double chins can, as we sleep, press down on our throats, causing distortions in the airways, which will lead to snoring. Age, too, can affect how our skin and muscles shift, causing pressure to be placed on our airways.

Another cause of snoring is more nose-related and can be a bit more seasonal. When your nose plugs up - or when your nostrils squeeze themselves shut - your mouth opens and because your throat isn't used to the change in position, you snore.

Other nasal causes can be a deviated septum (your septum is the wall that separates your left nostril from your right) or nasal polyps, which are small growths that change not only how air is drawn into your nose, but how much.

Some sleeping pills can cause snoring by the simple fact that they relax the muscles of your throat and face a little too much, causing them to sag back into your airway and causing obstructions. A natural and normal deep sleep can do much the same.

Having a long soft palate (the soft palate is at the back of the roof of your mouth and shuts off your nasal passages when you swallow) or a long uvula (the long, dangling thing that l

r half, it's the sore throats in the morning and the constant bruising on our arms from being woken up during the night and made to roll over.

On average, 45 people out of every hundred snore. While it's true that the majority of those snoring are men, women can - and do - snore. Individuals who suffer from weight problems (especially if you're an adult male) are more likely to snore than not and if you're suffering from plugged up nose due to allergies, colds, or flu, odds are you're snoring, too.

But what is snoring? What causes it?

Snoring is what happens when the airways at the back of the throat are obstructed. Every time you breathe your throat muscles are vibrating and when your airways are blocked or irritated - and when those vibrations are stopped - you snore.

These obstructions can be caused by several things. The first tends to be weight.

The cartoons got it right, this time. Overweight men and women are more likely to snore. The reason? Fat. Those unsightly double chins can, as we sleep, press down on our throats, causing distortions in the airways, which will lead to snoring. Age, too, can affect how our skin and muscles shift, causing pressure to be placed on our airways.

Another cause of snoring is more nose-related and can be a bit more seasonal. When your nose plugs up - or when your nostrils squeeze themselves shut - your mouth opens and because your throat isn't used to the change in position, you snore.

Other nasal causes can be a deviated septum (your septum is the wall that separates your left nostril from your right) or nasal polyps, which are small growths that change not only how air is drawn into your nose, but how much.

Some sleeping pills can cause snoring by the simple fact that they relax the muscles of your throat and face a little too much, causing them to sag back into your airway and causing obstructions. A natural and normal deep sleep can do much the same.

Having a long soft palate (the soft palate is at the back of the roof of your mouth and shuts off your nasal passages when you swallow) or a long uvula (the long, dangling thing that

causes it?

Snoring is what happens when the airways at the back of the throat are obstructed. Every time you breathe your throat muscles are vibrating and when your airways are blocked or irritated - and when those vibrations are stopped - you snore.

These obstructions can be caused by several things. The first tends to be weight.

The cartoons got it right, this time. Overweight men and women are more likely to snore. The reason? Fat. Those unsightly double chins can, as we sleep, press down on our throats, causing distortions in the airways, which will lead to snoring. Age, too, can affect how our skin and muscles shift, causing pressure to be placed on our airways.

Another cause of snoring is more nose-related and can be a bit more seasonal. When your nose plugs up - or when your nostrils squeeze themselves shut - your mouth opens and because your throat isn't used to the change in position, you snore.

Other nasal causes can be a deviated septum (your septum is the wall that separates your left nostril from your right) or nasal polyps, which are small growths that change not only how air is drawn into your nose, but how much.

Some sleeping pills can cause snoring by the simple fact that they relax the muscles of your throat and face a little too much, causing them to sag back into your airway and causing obstructions. A natural and normal deep sleep can do much the same.

Having a long soft palate (the soft palate is at the back of the roof of your mouth and shuts off your nasal passages when you swallow) or a long uvula (the long, dangling thing that

g distortions in the airways, which will lead to snoring. Age, too, can affect how our skin and muscles shift, causing pressure to be placed on our airways.

Another cause of snoring is more nose-related and can be a bit more seasonal. When your nose plugs up - or when your nostrils squeeze themselves shut - your mouth opens and because your throat isn't used to the change in position, you snore.

Other nasal causes can be a deviated septum (your septum is the wall that separates your left nostril from your right) or nasal polyps, which are small growths that change not only how air is drawn into your nose, but how much.

Some sleeping pills can cause snoring by the simple fact that they relax the muscles of your throat and face a little too much, causing them to sag back into your airway and causing obstructions. A natural and normal deep sleep can do much the same.

Having a long soft palate (the soft palate is at the back of the roof of your mouth and shuts off your nasal passages when you swallow) or a long uvula (the long, dangling thing that

yps, which are small growths that change not only how air is drawn into your nose, but how much.

Some sleeping pills can cause snoring by the simple fact that they relax the muscles of your throat and face a little too much, causing them to sag back into your airway and causing obstructions. A natural and normal deep sleep can do much the same.

Having a long soft palate (the soft palate is at the back of the roof of your mouth and shuts off your nasal passages when you swallow) or a long uvula (the long, dangling thing that looks like a punching bag) can narrow your airway and when they shift around as you settle down for sleep they can partially block your throat, leading to snoring.

If you suffer from snoring and are considering trying one of the many available sleep aids, you should consult a doctor first to make certain that you're not suffering from sleep apnea, an illness which can affect severe snorers.