Why do people and dogs snore when they sleep?
442079
dogs snore, not all of them, i think, but its because they might not breath as well, or my sister, she snores because theres a gap in her teeth...or ur sick
448287
people yawn when they are bored, not tired\n(dogs yawn when they are under stress)\npeople stretch to get blood flow..\n\ndogs also sneeze when they are happy...try it with your dog...he will sneeze if you sneeze at him
962237
Snoring is noisy breathing through the mouth or nose during sleep. Just about everyone snores occasionally. People snore when they are congested. Even the baby or a beloved pet may snore. Snoring is a problem if:\n\nyou stop breathing during sleep and have to wake up to catch your breath, \nyou are disturbing your sleep partner, or \nyou are losing sleep because of your snoring. \n\nIf you suspect that you snore, see a sleep specialist. This doctor will:\n\nexamine your throat, nose, mouth, palate, and neck, \ncheck for underlying health conditions, \npossibly enroll you in a test at a sleep clinic, where someone can observe your sleep patterns and diagnose your snoring problem, and \nhelp you to stop snoring. \n\nWhat You Can Do to Help Yourself\nA. Lose weight \nLosing weight will reduce the fatty tissue in your airway. Eating less and improving your fitness level can significantly improve your ability to breathe freely when you sleep.\n\nB. Sleep on your side\nSleeping on your back may cause the flesh of your throat to relax into your airway, so adjusting your sleeping position can alleviate snoring.\n\nC. Special pillows (commercially available)\n\nD. Wear a backpack with towels in it. \n Sleeping on your back may cause the flesh of your throat to relax into your airway, so adjusting your sleeping position can alleviate snoring.\n\n(Changing your sleep position may stop mild snoring, but severe snorers usually snore in any position.)\n\n* The tennis ball trick: Sleep with a tennis ball or other ball attached to the back of your pajama top. (You can sew a pocket or safety-pin a sock to the back of the pajama top, then put a tennis ball in it.) The tennis ball is uncomfortable if you lie on your back, and you will respond by turning on your side. Soon you will develop side-sleeping as a habit and not need the tennis ball.\n \nE.Sleep without a pillow\n Try sleeping without a pillow; pillows can block your airway by bending your neck.\n \nF. Elevate the head of your bed four inches\n(Placing rolled up towels under the head of the mattress is an easy way to change the angle of the mattress.)\n Elevation of the head of your bed may make breathing easier and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward. Elevating the entire head of the bed is better than using a pillow, which can crimp the neck and contribute to snoring.\n \nG. Eliminate smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke \n Stopping smoking can help with the noise and intensity of your snoring. Also, reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke.\n \nH.Avoid eating food or drinking alcohol before bed \n Limit the intake of food or alcohol before bed; do not eat or drink heavily within three hours of your bedtime. These substances relax your muscles and increase the likelihood of snoring\n \nI. Avoid high-fat dairy milk products or soy milk products before sleeping \n Non-skim milk products and soy milk products, because of their thickness, can keep mucus from draining properly. The result is mucus retained in the throat, which can lead to snoring.\n \nJ. Avoid antihistamines for allergies or stuffiness\n Antihistamines relax the throat muscles, which can in turn cause snoring.\n \nK. Try nasal decongestants to clear your nose passages \n Nasal decongestants can help people who are able to breathe through their noses while sleeping. Nose breathing circumvents the snoring sound that comes from breathing through a blocked throat.\n \nL. Avoid sleeping pills or other sedatives \n You may be taking sleeping pills or tranquilizers to help you sleep, but sedatives also relax your neck muscles, which can contribute to snoring.\n \nIn addition to the above self-help tips to treat your snoring, you can try various products that have been developed to prevent snoring, such as nasal strips, sprays, and dilators; special pillows; essential oils; and homeopathic products. Approach all such products with caution, as many have not been proven to significantly affect snoring. However, some of
242223
snoring is a sign of sleep apnia, if it is real bad then get it checked out with a sleep study
358470
Dolphin's don't 'sleep' in the sense that we do. They do however have conscious control over their breathing like we do, in which case loosing consciousness in the ocean could be quite deadly. Research into this area suggests dolphins 'sleep' one cerebral hemisphere at a time, meaning they close down one half of their brain for a little while, letting the other half take care of the necessary functions such as breathing.
287113
I don't know, but why not? They dream. Dogs twich when they dream about chasing something, they also run in their sleep, and growl.
872817
I don't think it's bad to sleep separately some nights, but if it bothers you maybe you should eventually get a bigger place with a guest room for the difficult nights. I would get the dog a nice,cozy dog bed that he or she can go to when tired so that you won't have to attempt to move them later. Keep the dog off of your bed at all times to start this habit.  You also might talk to your doctor about getting your snoring fixed. You could have sleep apnea and that can be a sign of some other health problem. If you have insurance they usually cover this type of problem. Good luck!  P.S. , In response to the gentleman above's answer who said animals belong outside:  if it's too cold outside for a human it's too cold outside for a dog, cat and many other animals.  This is a mistake too many people make that animal protection agencies are trying to correct all of the time. Don't leave your pets out in inclimate weather!
168615
Maybe she snores or smells (or both)
732359
The interesting thing is, no scientists actually know WHY we have to sleep.  They know what causes it, and how much we need, but no one can answer that large question (about sleep) "Why?"
44601
Snoring is caused by an airway that is not quite open totally (like the tongue falling back slightly when sleeping).  So any age person can snore.  If you are concerned, repostion the child during sleep.\n\n"The cause of snoring is some kind of blockage in the breathing passage. Those blockages can be of many kinds—here are just a few:\n\nTongue falling into the throat \nAllergies \nThroat weakness causing the throat to close during sleep \nMispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in muscles \nFat gathering in, and around, the throat"\n\nRead more here: \n\n http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoring
364350
Heredity: You can inherit a narrow throat, which can cause snoring.\n \nBeing overweight: Excess weight and fatty tissue in the neck cause the throat to become smaller. \n\nBeing middle-aged or beyond: As people age, their throats become narrower, and the muscle tone in the throat decreases. \n\nBeing male: Men have narrower air passages than do women and are more likely to snore. \n\nA history of smoking can cause snoring \n\nLack of fitness: Poor muscle tone and lax muscles contribute to snoring. \n\nNasal deformities, such as a deviated septum, cause obstructed breathing. \n\nEnlarged adenoids or tonsils cause obstruction and additional vibration during breathing. \n\nA long soft-palate or uvula dangles and can cause fluttery noises during relaxed breathing. \n\nAlcohol or medications (sleeping pills or antihistamines) increase relaxation of the throat and tongue muscles, which makes snoring more likely. \n\nAllergies, asthma, a cold, or sinus infections block nasal airways and make inhalation difficult. This creates a vacuum in the throat, and noisy breathing. \n\nSleeping on one's back and on overly soft pillows: Moderate snorers tend to snore only when sleeping on their backs, so adjusting their sleeping position may alleviate snoring. Pillows increase the angle of the neck and can contribute to obstruction of the airway, which causes snoring.
746457
I'm a little less than 100 lbs and I snore loud. I don't deny any accusations, I already know I snore. I've snored so loud before that I have waken myself up.
869453
Well, snoring can actually be a symptom of the potentially fatal condition knows as apnoea, where the sleeping person actually stops breathing for a few seconds and then emits a loud burst of snoring.  In fairness to the snorer, you really should tell him or her to get to the GP and get checked out.  There are steroid sprays and anti-histamine pills available that can help (if it is a form of allergic rhinitis) and the sufferer may be required to be assessed more fully by an ENT specialist.\n\nIn any case, it is doing no one any good, so it needs to be addressed and hopefully resolved.
586280
We don;t necessarily know why humans yawn, whether its to increase oxygen intake, equalize barometric pressure...  We're not sure.  While you're asleep, however, the environmentmay not change all that much, and your body doesn't need a yawn to readjust.  If the reason we yawn is for increased oxygen, then the slower, deeper breaths keep the blood oxygen at an acceptable level.  If it's because of the barometric pressure, presumably it's not changing rapidly enough to force our bodies to make a gross adjustment like on an airplane.  If it's for another reason that we yawn... Well, I guess the sleep state preserves that, too.
216884
do research on obstructive sleeping disorders. being overweight can make your stomach compress your lung causing lower lung volumes, more weight around the neck area canc cause the antatomy of the throat to be tighter and cause snoring.
121202
Snoring comes from a variety of conditions.  Often nasal passages become blocked and the head is in a position that cause partial blockage of air from the throat.  Snoring is vibration of the partially obstructed passages as air passes through them.
622847
Sleep is the regular state of natural rest observed in all mammals, birds and fish. Sleep is not actually "unconsciousness," but rather, it is a natural state of rest characterized by a reduction in voluntary body movement, decreased awareness of the surroundings, an increased rate of anabolism (the synthesis of cell structures) and a decreased rate of catabolism (the breakdown of cell structures). Therefore, since consciousness is literally the awareness of the surroundings, being asleep is just an altered state of consciousness, as opposed to being unconscious. It is heavily influenced by circadian rhythms and by hormonal and environmental factors. Sleep performs a restorative function for the brain and body as evidenced by the myriad symptoms of metabolic dysfunction that result when animals are deprived of sleep.\nThe function of sleep in health and in disease is being increasingly studied in specialized sleep laboratories throughout the world. Not only insomnia, but more recently elucidated sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy are evaluated in such facilities. The increasing prevalence of sleep disorders is likely to be a function both of more sophisticated diagnostic tests and the disruption of the normal day-night cycle in modern societies.