SNORING

During normal breathing, air passes through the throat en route to the lungs and travels by the tongue, soft palate (the back of the roof of the mouth), uvula (the prominent anatomic structure dangling downward visibly at the back of the mouth), and tonsils. When a person is awake, the muscles in the back of the throat tighten to hold these structures in place and prevent them from collapsing and vibrating in the airway. During sleep, the uvula and soft palate frequently vibrate causing the sounds of snoring.