So what causes snoring with mouth closed? While it can keep others awake, it can keep you awake or at least interrupt your sleep to where you are tired and worn out the next day. That is because snoring can be a symptom of something called obstructive sleep apnea. OSA is a sleeping disorder that increases the risk of a long list of health issues that include various diseases and conditions.
However, just because you may snore in bed at night does not mean you are suffering from OSA or risk contracting any of the potentially dangerous side effects that are associated with obstructive sleep apnea. In this article, we will explore the different types of snoring, what can cause snoring, and how to remedy this problem.
The Dangers of OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea)
Certain foods will help calm your body and relax it so that you can get a better night’s sleep. Below is a list detailing the foods that help sleep apnea.OSA is a sleep disorder that is identified as a series of pauses in breathing that occurs several times during the night. It happens when the soft tissue of the upper airway falls inwards during sleep. When these muscles relax, the tissue constricts the airway and results in loud, noisy throat or tongue snoring. When the throat constricts too much, it will block the airway which cuts off your oxygen supply and causes you to stop breathing.
If you have woken from a sound sleep with a jolt and gasped for air, you may have sleep apnea. Your brain will identify that you are not breathing and will wake you to get more air into your lungs. Some people with sleep apnea, don’t wake completely. However, sleep apnea will break the cycle of REM sleep and this will result in you feeling tired during the day.
The danger here is that if you do not get a good night’s sleep, your attention span and level of alertness in severely impacted. If you are required to drive during the day, operate heavy equipment, or have a job that entails a lot of detailed work, poor sleep will lower your productivity. It may even make you a danger to others. OSA can also lead to many other health issues including weight gain, high blood pressure, liver issues, Type 2 diabetes, sleep-deprived partners who are kept awake by your snoring, and metabolic syndrome.
Symptons Of OSA To Look For
Many symptoms can help you to identify whether or not you have OSA. They include:
- loud snoring
- dry mouth
- waking during the night gasping for air
- irritability
- drowsiness during the day
- headaches in the morning
- problems paying attention during the day
- making small mistakes on routine activities
- yawning and the need for a daytime nap, and more.
There Are Four Types of Snoring
It’s true. If you snore, your snoring is going to fall under one of four main types. We’re not talking categories such as “quiet snoring” or “loud snoring.” The four main categories are related to where the snoring occurs in your breathing. They are known as simply nasal snoring, mouth snoring, tongue snoring, or throat snoring.
As you can see, each type of snoring is self-explanatory. What makes each of them distinctly different from each other is that every one of these snoring types has symptoms and dangers specific to just that type of snoring. Also, there is just one type that is common for sleepers who sleep with their mouths shut.
How To Determine If You Snore Through Your Nose Or Mouth
To identify what causes snoring with mouth closed, we have to first look at how you snore in the first place. While it is not impossible to tongue or throat snore with a closed mouth, it is not common. This means that you are nasal breathing if you snore when your mouth is closed. The best way to identify if the snoring is through your nose or mouth is to utilize an anti-snoring device.
These are found in drugstores and pharmacies, but choose one that keeps your mouth closed while sleeping. If you continue to snore while using the device, then you will have proven that your snoring is through your nose while your mouth is shut.
Signs Of A Nasal Snorer
Once you confirm that you sleep and snore with your mouth closed, you are what is identified as a nasal snorer. Nasal snorers have particular characteristics while sleeping. They often make a whistling or grunting noise and these sounds are quiet compared to those produced by tongue, throat, or mouth snoring. That is because the sound is produced by vibrations in the nasal passages instead of by upper-airway vibrations.
If you experience bad breath, dry mouth, and a headache, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are a nasal snorer. That’s because these same three symptoms are associated with mouth snoring as well. This is why it is not an easy task to determine mouth or nasal snoring without the use of an anti-snoring device.
The Causes of Nasal Snoring
There are a few common snoring with mouth closed causes. They include blocked nostrils (possibly due to a deviated septum or similar condition), a nose obstruction reducing normal airflow, congestion or inflammation resulting from an allergic reaction, a cold, or some types of medications.
It is interesting to note that if you can breathe easily through your nose when you are awake, you are less likely to snore through your nose at night. The opposite is also true, if you have difficulty breathing through your nose when you are awake, it will be even more difficult when you are trying to sleep.
How Blocked Sinuses Can Impact Snoring
When determining what causes snoring with mouth closed, blocked sinuses (sinusitis) can be a contributor. However, it does not cause you to snore through your nose. When your sinuses are blocked, your body senses this and will automatically make you snore through your mouth. Mouth snoring is not good for you and nose snoring is not possible when your nasal passages are blocked in any way.
Resorting to an anti-snoring device that keeps your mouth closed forcing you to breathe through your nose won’t be easy. It will feel much the same as when you try to breathe naturally through your nose, with your mouth closed, when you have a stuffy nose. It can’t be done, or if you can, it will be difficult and you may have to catch your breath with mouth breathing. The only way to resolve this is to unclog your nasal passages as quickly as possible so you can fall asleep and breathe through your nose.
How To Unclog Nasal Passages To Prevent Snoring
Congestion, inflammation, or a blockage will prevent what causes snoring with mouth closed. We already know that mouth snoring should be prevented, so the first order of business is to remedy whatever is causing your nasal passages to snore so that normal breathing through the nose can resume. If you have a deviated septum that is the primary cause of nasal snoring, there is possibly a surgical solution that has to be discussed with your medical professional.
If the congestion is the result of an allergic reaction, the logical solution is an allergy medication or the removal of whatever triggers the reaction. If the congestion is from a cold, then a cold medication will remedy the situation. Once you can remove the clog in your nasal passages, you will be able to breathe normally through your nose and sleep better without snoring as you will know what causes snoring with mouth closed.
How To Remedy Nasal Blockages Due To A Cold
There are several ways to clear your nasal passages that do not require allergy medications. They include:
- using a humidifier to regulate the relative humidity in your home or bedroom
- taking a warm shower and breathing in the steam
- using a saline spray
- using a neti pot to drain your sinuses or
- putting a warm compress over your nose or on your forehead
Nasal strips are also an effective tool in clearing nasal passages. They can be found in pharmacies and drug stores and are easy to use. The strips are applied to the outside of your nose and gently pull the wall of your inner nostrils away from the nasal passages. This creates more open area for air to flow and in some cases will assist with nasal snoring as well. With more room for air to pass through your nose, the chances of your nasal snoring while wearing nasal strips are reduced. They don’t always work and sometimes do not work for some individuals at all. But generally speaking, nasal strips are a useful anti-snoring device. But one word of caution, they are only effective with nasal snoring. This means that if you are a throat, tongue, or mouth snorer, nasal strips will not be of much use to you.
In Conclusion
What causes snoring with mouth closed? Usually, it is a blockage of some kind in the nasal passages. By remedying the cause of that congestion, you can often return to normal sleep breathing through your nose without snoring. Although nasal snoring can be associated with obstructive sleep apnea, it isn’t always the case. But it should not be ruled out. A good night’s sleep is valuable in that it recharges the body and gets it prepared for the following day.
With poor sleeping habits, getting through the day can be a challenge and you don’t want to have to deal with that more often than you should. So, if you snore with your mouth closed, it is a sign of a potential problem you should work on correcting as soon as possible.