ELI5: Why do some people snore?

Imagine you have a little hallway inside your throat that lets air go to your lungs when you breathe.

Sometimes, when you are asleep, this hallway gets a bit smaller. This is because:

• Your muscles in your throat relax, making the hallway walls floppy.
• Your tongue can fall back a little bit.
• Sometimes, your nose might be blocked with a cold or allergies.

This vibration is what makes the snoring sound!

So, snoring is just the sound of air pushing past floppy things in your throat when you're sleeping.

Some people snore more than others because:

• They might have bigger tonsils or adenoids (little body parts in your throat).
• They might be a bit overweight, which can make the throat area smaller.
• They might have a stuffy nose.
• They might sleep on their back, which makes the tongue fall back more easily.