Snoring is the act of breathing through the open mouth in such a way as to cause a vibration of the uvula and soft palate, thus giving rise to a sound which may vary from a soft noise to a loud unpleasant sound. This most commonly occurs during sleep.

The cause of Snoring is some kind of blockage in the breathing passage. Those blockages can be of many kinds—here are just a few:

· Tongue falling into the throat
· Allergies
· Throat weakness causing the throat to close during sleep
· Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in muscles
· Fat gathering in, and around, the throat

When the airflow in the breathing passage becomes irregular due to a blockage the soft palate may start flapping. This flapping of the soft palate is what makes the Snoring sound.

Numerical statistics on Snoring are often contradictory, but at least 30% of the adult population and perhaps as many as 50% of people in some demographics snore.

Most of the time Snoring is not a health risk to the snorer, but Snoring resulting from a significant obstruction of the breathing passage can be an indication of the potentially life-threatening Sleep Disorder Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

If your child or adolescent is struggling with Snoring, you can click the button below to SCREEN your child or teen for this problem and other common Pediatric Sleep Disorders that can be related to Snoring. This screening will give you intervention ideas to protect your child when s/he snores or information and treatment possibilities if your child scores high on another major Pediatric Sleep Disorder. Please click onto ”SCREEN CHILD” below to screen your child with the Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students (SDIS) (for use by parents of children.