What Makes a Snore? | Sale Ending

From eNewsletter 9/30/2026

DID YOU KNOW ever wondered what actually makes a snore? A new study in Physics of Fluids used a 3D computer model of the throat to find out, focusing on ordinary snoring (the kind not tied to sleep apnea, which is a separate and more serious condition).

It turns out snoring works a lot like a wind instrument: as air flows past the soft palate, the flexible tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth, it settles into a steady, repeating vibration, much like the reed of a clarinet buzzing as long as air keeps moving through it.

The researchers found that the sound comes almost entirely from this back-and-forth "tug of war" between airflow and tissue, not from air rushing turbulently through a tight space as was once assumed. Their model even predicted snore volumes of around 75 decibels, roughly as loud as a vacuum cleaner, which will surprise no one who shares a bed with a snorer.

Beyond satisfying curiosity, the finding helps explain why treatments that stiffen the soft palate can quiet snoring, and it points the way toward smarter, better-targeted fixes down the road. To read the rest of today's issue, please go to this page.