# Why don't we snore when awake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 2, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317 "2022-07-02T21:35:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317/1 "2022-07-02T21:35:16Z")
I am a snorer. I snore so loudly that when I am camping I choose to go to the opposite side of the campside/cave because I have been told I snore. But I am also an insomniac. I often spend hours in a state not unlike sleeping; I have my eyes closed; my breathing slow and deep, my aim to be asleep. I am trying to be asleep. But I never snore when I am conscious. Right now I have my 4 yr old son sleeping next to me. He snores, too, but only when he is deeply asleep. He too, only snores in deep sleep. I often spend hours in my normal sleeping positions (left side fetal position or on my back with right arm above my head) which both induce snoring when I am asleep, but insomniac awake, without snoring. Why would I snore when unconscious but not when (semi) conscious? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317/2 "2022-07-02T21:58:48Z")
You can’t relax your face and neck enough to snore while awake unless you consciously move it–anyone can make a snoring noise at any time, pretty much, but your conscious mind doesn’t much like the noise while you’re awake so you keep everything tucked up where it belongs because that’s how you get the most air into your lungs. Snoring is impeded breathing, your body and brain don’t like that much. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317/3 "2022-07-03T12:29:19Z")
When I take an afternoon nap, I can feel my airway closing and hear myself snore. I am in the early stages of sleep in between consciousness and unconsciousness when this happens. If I roll over onto my side or back this process stops and I breathe normally again. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317/4 "2022-07-03T12:38:45Z")
IANAD but FWIU, your muscles relax when you sleep—like you can’t fall asleep standing up. You sound like a good candidate for a CPAP. > **[Snoring and Heart Disease: How Obstructive Sleep Apnea Can Elevate Risk](https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/heart-health/how-chronic-snoring-can-cause-heart-disease)** > > Learn more about the how chronic snoring can indicate a higher risk for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, stroke, heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. ---
**Author:** ![Snipe70e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Snipe70e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snipe70e)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317/5 "2022-07-05T05:42:01Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > [How Chronic Snoring Can Cause Heart Disease](https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/heart-health/how-chronic-snoring-can-cause-heart-disease) Get checked out for sleep apnea. After my 1st night with a CPAP machine there was no way they were gong to take it away from me. If I was really tired and sleeping my snoring would be enough to wake me, some time even before my wife could jab me in the ribs and tell me to roll over. Get if check out your health depends on it. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317/6 "2022-07-05T10:25:12Z")
Interesting, thank you. I had no idea of the possible medical consequences. I will talk to my doctor ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-snore-when-awake/967317/7 "2022-07-05T10:53:36Z")
If you do have it, don’t have any expectations about how C-PAP is going to change your life. I’ve been using one for ~20 years and it does little for me… BUT, I got to see my diagnostic polysomnogram and a follow up. My arousal graph (that’s the thing that says you actually were not sleeping even though you thought you were) went from this, ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ to this, ⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜ Doesn’t matter what I think, the _machine that goes_ ‘_ping_ !’ knows more about what’s going on than I, or maybe you, do.