Snoring happens because of the relaxation of two muscles, the tongue and the muscle which controls the lower jaw. When they relax, gravity takes over and the tongue, which is attached to the lower jaw, moves back until it contacts the soft palate to partially or completely block the airway. With partial blocking, as air is forced past the blockage the soft palate vibrates producing the familiar snoring noise.
If the airway is blocked completely the sufferer stops breathing altogether until the need for air actually wakes him or her from sleep. This is known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a condition so serious it is known to affect the sufferer's general health to the point of significantly shortening his or her lifespan. The good folk at the highly respected Mayo Clinic in Minnesota believe (and are in the process of proving) that people who die in their sleep do so as a direct result of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Location
14 Turnberry Drive Wattle Downs Auckland, New Zealand