Human Evolution and Snoring

Science

Human Evolution and Snoring

Snoring can be seen as an unfortunate by-product of human evolution. Specifically, our airway is a victim of speech and upright posture.

The human throat has too many functions to do any of them perfectly, and instead does everything adequately.

This small section of our body needs to be able to breathe, swallow and generate speech, switching between the three processes seamlessly – all whilst supporting a head with a heavy human brain.

There are bound to be conflicts of interest. Snoring is that conflict making itself known.

Here’s why you can (sort of) blame Darwin for your snoring problem …

Problem #1 – Speech

To breathe at optimal efficiency (and not snore) our airway would need to be a long, straight, rigid tube structure.

Unfortunately, this design is not compatible with generating speech which requires almost the exact opposite qualities. To achieve the diverse range of sounds unique to human speech, a flexible tongue and upper airway are required.

Perfect breathing and sophisticated speech are simply incompatible so a compromise is needed.

To vocalise beyond the grunts of our pre-human ancestors, some different facial characteristics are necessary. First, a longer neck to accommodate more sophisticated sound apparatus is required. This means more soft, muscular tissue unsupported by the harder structures of the skull. Such floppy tissue is snoring waiting to happen.

Our tongue works by shaping the sounds generated lower down the throat in the larynx. To do so, it has to sit further back in the mouth compared to other mammals. It therefore rests precariously close to the back of our upper airway and risks causing obstruction if it relaxes too much.

Problem #2 – Upright posture

By standing on two legs we need a precise center of gravity to keep us from toppling over. Evolution has achieved this with changes to hip structure, thigh angle and spinal curvature.

Additionally, our neck needs to be optimally positioned to support the skull and the heavy brain within. Hence, humans’ throats are more centrally located underneath the skull. This is contrary to other mammals, where the throat sits further forward in a nicely spacious neck.

Overall, there is less space to fit more material. These conditions are perfect for partial airway obstruction – the underlying culprit for snoring.

Problem #3 – Creature comforts

Having anatomy primed for snoring isn’t usually enough to condemn us to a lifetime of nocturnal noise. Instead, an obstruction trigger is needed. As humans have become more advanced, living in more comfort, we have introduced many potential obstructions.

The prime example of this is weight. In the developed world, humans now have ready access to food – sometimes too much of it. Excess weight around the neck and chest is one of the biggest causes of snoring.

Other uniquely human vices such as smoking and alcohol consumption set up snoring perfectly.

Why hasn’t natural selection rid us of snoring?

The concept of evolution and natural selection suggests that advantageous characteristics persist, whereas disadvantages disappear over time. This is known as “selection pressure”. Snoring is surely disadvantageous, so why hasn’t evolution gotten rid of it yet?

These days, being preyed upon isn’t something many humans have to worry about. Therefore, snoring and giving away your location in the vulnerable state of sleep is unlikely to see you snuff it at the hands of a hungry predator.

It is arguable that snoring confers an evolutionary disadvantage as it could be an undesirable quality in a mate – simply, snorers are less likely to find a partner and pass on their “snoring genes”.

 

Is snoring genetic?

Have a read of our article

In reality, this notion is clearly flawed. Snoring appears to confer no evolutionary disadvantage whatsoever.

Even if snorers couldn’t find partners, many snorers are late to the party – only snoring in older-age once they have had plenty of opportunity to pass on their “snoring traits”.

Hang on, other mammals snore too

It is true that humans aren’t the only snorers in the animal kingdom. Anything with soft tissue in its airway is prone to snoring – i.e. all mammals.

The internet is awash with cute videos of snoring animals. Further, we often get asked if SnoreLab will detect pets’ snoring.

Snoring amongst wild animals is poorly understood (do you really fancy sneaking up on a pride of lions at night to have a listen?) but it seems that snoring in animals tends to be at least in-part the result of domestication.

The most prevalent non-human snorers are animals where humans have had a hand in their creation – namely dogs bred with features that cause breathing difficulties (e.g. pugs and bulldogs).

Domestic animals also have a higher chance of overeating and don’t face predation like their wild counterparts where snoring could be an evolutionary disadvantage.

Conclusion

So whilst snoring isn’t a uniquely human problem, the features that enable us to speak and walk on two feet have knock-on effects.

Modern humans are not an end-point; we are merely a snapshot in an evolutionary story with much history and an interesting future (which may or may not include snoring). For the time being, snoring seems to be here to stay – that is unless we can help!

What is Snoring? – An Introduction

Causes, Science

What is Snoring? – An Introduction

Partial airway obstruction causes soft tissue to vibrate and make noise.

Nearly everyone snores at some point. Snoring can affect young and old, men and women, and people of all shapes and sizes. Roughly 40% of men and 20% of women snore – that’s over 2 billion inhabitants of planet Earth.

This habit is often shrugged off as annoying and embarrassing but otherwise nothing to be worried about. In reality, snoring can affect so much of life, having physical, mental and social repercussions.

But what is a snore?

Q. What is a snoring sound?

A. Vibrating soft tissue

Snoring is the sound of the soft palate and other soft tissue in the upper airway vibrating. This can include the uvula, tonsils, adenoids, nasal turbinates and other surrounding tissue.

These vibrations happen when air can’t move freely through your airway which causes the floppy soft tissue to flap and make noise.

Q. Why does snoring only happen during sleep?

A. Relaxation

When we fall asleep, many muscles in our body relax. This is true of the muscles in our airway.

Being still in our sleep prevents us from doing damage to ourselves and others by acting out our dreams or walking around when not fully conscious. Therefore our muscles – including those in our upper airway – are paralysed when we sleep.

Because we are lying down while we sleep, gravity compounds this relaxation to set up snoring – whether it’s your jaw falling open, your tongue falling back or your throat giving way to the weight around it.

All of us relax when we sleep – so why doesn’t everyone snore? Snoring occurs when this normal relaxation is added to abnormal airway obstruction.

Q. Why doesn’t air flow freely?

A. Obstruction at various places in the airway

Airflow becomes turbulent when there is an obstruction in the airway causing a partial blockage.

The obstruction can be in several areas in the upper airway, sometimes concurrently [1]:

Tongue. When this falls back, it can block your airway.

Soft palate. This is the soft tissue behind the harder roof of your mouth. Excess floppy tissue here stops air flowing freely.

Nose. The nose is the more efficient way of breathing, and when dysfunctional, mouth breathing ensues and heightens the risk of snoring. Breathing through a partially blocked nose can also create whistling and popping sounds, or even cause suction that collapses your airway.

Knowing your obstruction is the starting point in identifying what causes your snoring.

If you are lucky, there is one cause for your snoring. You can tackle this and sleep quietly. More often than not, multiple factors accumulate to cause your obstruction.

Q. What causes airway obstruction?

A. Many different factors can influence snoring

Understanding what causes your airway obstruction is vital for matching snoring solutions to you. This is what we strive to help with at SnoreLab.

The reasons for snoring are made of lifestyle factors that you can control PLUS physical traits that are beyond your influence.

Factors that you CAN control

Many lifestyle factors need scrutinising if you want to identify the causes of your snoring:

Bodyweight. The heavier you are, the more likely you are to snore as excess weight compresses your airway.

Sleeping position. Sleeping on your back is a big risk factor for snoring. This position allows gravity to compress your airway more than when you sleep on your side.

Allergies. Allergic reactions cause nasal blockage and airway inflammation. Allergy sufferers have trouble breathing through their nose and therefore have to switch to noisier mouth-breathing.

Alcohol. Depressant drugs like alcohol make muscles relax. Relaxed airway muscles are more prone to disrupting airflow.

Smoking. Cigarette smoke irritates the airways, causing inflammation which can lead to obstruction.

Common cold. Similar to allergies, colds mean stuffy noses and mouth-breathing.

Medication. Certain drugs used to control blood pressure, sleeping pills and even some medicated nasal sprays can increase nasal congestion and relax airway muscles.

Factors that you CAN’T control

Unfortunately, in some cases, the obstruction is simply a part of your anatomy and genes.

Certain face shapes predispose people to snoring. For example, those with a pronounced overbite have a recessed jaw which pushes the tongue further back into the airway, making it more prone to falling back and causing a blockage.

Age. Older people are more at risk of snoring. This is because as we age we lose muscle tone in much of our body – this includes the muscles of the airway.

Sex. Men are more likely to snore than women. This is due to several reasons including how fat is differently distributed, contrasts in male and female airway anatomy and hormones.

Hormonal balance. Some hormones are protective against snoring, whereas others confer heightened risk. Menopause is a time in many women’s lives where snoring starts for the first time. This is because of a decrease in hormones that help to prevent snoring.

Thankfully, these uncontrollable elements are usually associated with heightened risk but not a direct cause.

Conclusion

By understanding the basis of snoring you can gain better insight into what makes you snore. Just as snoring impacts upon your life, your lifestyle impacts upon your snoring.

There are many snoring remedies and solutions available, including products that enthusiastically tell you that this will stop you snoring. Many of them do work very effectively, but only if they are well matched to you and your snoring.

Understanding how your snoring works and finding your specific causes is the first step towards healthier, quieter nights.

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