It can be frustrating when your sleep partner wakes you up because you’re snoring and yet, you never hear yourself snoring. Most people will declare, “I don’t snore!”
Why Can't I Hear Myself Snore?
But there’s a valid reason why you don’t hear your snoring. The brain stem has an area called the sub-coerulea region that is activated while we sleep. It reduces our sensory sensitivities so we don’t act out our dreams. This and other areas of the brain are responsible for stopping or suppressing sensory information. It works similarly to tickling: We cannot tickle ourselves but others can because we are expecting it if we try to tickle ourselves but if someone else does, we feel the tickling sensation.
There's a certain irony in the fact that the sound which can keep others awake all night doesn't disturb the perpetrator's sleep.
But why is it that you can't hear yourself snore? The simple answer has to do with your state of consciousness and the function of the auditory processing system. When you're in a deep sleep, you're not conscious of your surroundings. Your brain is turned off to external stimuli, including noise, to a large extent. Consequently, loud sounds like your own snoring do not disturb your sleep. This is also why you don't usually hear your loud alarm clock when you're in a deep sleep.
Snoring is caused when the muscles in your throat, mouth, and nose relax too much, leading to a partial blockage of your airway. The more narrowed the airway, the louder you snore. However, your brain smells danger when the airway is obsolete and wakes you up, leading to an interruption of your sleep cycle, which goes unnoticed by you.
Given the effect of sleep quality on overall health, understanding why you can't hear yourself snore could be more than a matter of mere curiosity. Heavy snoring could be a sign of health conditions like sleep apnea. If you're a heavy snorer or share a bed with a heavy snorer, it may be worth seeking medical advice.
There's a certain irony in the fact that the sound which can keep others awake all night doesn't disturb the perpetrator's sleep.
But why is it that you can't hear yourself snore? The simple answer has to do with your state of consciousness and the function of the auditory processing system. When you're in a deep sleep, you're not conscious of your surroundings. Your brain is turned off to external stimuli, including noise, to a large extent. Consequently, loud sounds like your own snoring do not disturb your sleep. This is also why you don't usually hear your loud alarm clock when you're in a deep sleep.
Snoring is caused when the muscles in your throat, mouth, and nose relax too much, leading to a partial blockage of your airway. The more narrowed the airway, the louder you snore. However, your brain smells danger when the airway is obsolete and wakes you up, leading to an interruption of your sleep cycle, which goes unnoticed by you.
Given the effect of sleep quality on overall health, understanding why you can't hear yourself snore could be more than a matter of mere curiosity. Heavy snoring could be a sign of health conditions like sleep apnea. If you're a heavy snorer or share a bed with a heavy snorer, it may be worth seeking medical advice.
