Does snoring have an evolutionary advantage?

Snoring appears to confer no evolutionary disadvantage whatsoever. Even if snorers couldn’t find partners, many snorers are late to the party – only snoring in older-age once they have had plenty of opportunity to pass on their “snoring traits”.

Why did people evolve to snore?

There is no evolutionary advantage to snoring. It’s actually a byproduct of evolutionary changes humans have gone through over millions of years. Apes and humans both went through many of the same changes as they went from animals that walked on all four limbs to those that walked upright.

Is there a purpose to snoring?

This relaxation of the upper airway muscles during sleep may decrease the size of the airway space and cause airflow limitation and turbulence. It is the combination of turbulent airflow through the hypotonic airway structures that results in the harsh vibratory noise known as snoring.

Did ancient people snore?

But there is evidence that snoring and its ill effects have been plaguing people for millennia. There is evidence of snoring going back 3500 years to the ancient Egyptians, who were known to have treated snoring with thyme.

Do humans naturally snore?

Just about everyone snores occasionally, and it’s usually not something to worry about. Snoring happens when you can’t move air freely through your nose and throat during sleep. This makes the surrounding tissues vibrate, which produces the familiar snoring sound.

Is snoring a defense mechanism?

One theory is that snoring evolved as a defense mechanism. The noise supposedly enabled sleeping cave men to protect their women and children by frightening off wild animals prowling at night.

Why do snorers not hear themselves?

Your ears still receive while you sleep, but your brain filters out low-priority sounds – you’re more likely to wake if you hear your own name than a random word, for example.