Eli5 – how can people not snore laying down while awake but then snore as soon as they fall asleep

Question

I know head position and all that affects snoring but how can someone be awake and laying down and not snore, but then fall asleep in the same position and then start snoring

In: 79

Answer 1

When a person is awake, they have full control over their muscles. When a person is sleeping, most of the muscles are relaxed. This includes the muscles that keep airways open. When a person with the ‘correct’ anatomy sleeps, their airways partially close leading to snoring. The extreme end of this is sleep apnoea, where the airway closes completely.