Almost everyone snores occasionally — a stuffy nose, a late glass of wine, or sleeping on your back can all do it. But snoring is also one of the most common visible signs of sleep apnoea, which is a genuinely different (and more serious) thing. Here's how to tell them apart, and where a home noise recording can and can't help.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you're concerned about your sleep or breathing, please see a doctor.
Ordinary snoring
Snoring happens when air struggles to move freely through your nose and throat during sleep, causing the surrounding tissue to vibrate. Common causes include:
- Sleeping on your back
- Nasal congestion or allergies
- Alcohol or sedatives before bed
- Being overweight, or simply the natural shape of your airway
On its own, occasional snoring usually isn't dangerous — it's mostly a nuisance for whoever shares the room.
When it might be sleep apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is different: your airway actually closes, breathing stops for several seconds, and you briefly wake up (often without remembering it) to resume breathing — sometimes dozens of times a night. Warning signs include:
- Loud snoring interrupted by silent pauses, followed by a gasp or snort
- Waking up feeling unrefreshed despite a full night's sleep
- Daytime sleepiness or difficulty concentrating
- Morning headaches or a dry mouth
If these sound familiar, the right next step is a doctor's visit and, likely, a proper sleep study — not a home recording.
How a home noise recording can still help
A simple overnight recording won't diagnose apnoea (it can't measure breathing pauses or oxygen levels), but it can help you notice patterns worth mentioning to a doctor — or simply confirm whether you snore at all, without needing a partner to stay awake and listen.
Leaving a phone by the bed with noise-activated recording means you only get short clips from the loud moments, instead of hours of silence to sift through. That's usually enough to hear: how often it happens, roughly how loud, and whether it sounds continuous or comes with unusual gaps.
Try it tonight
The free Snore / Sleep Noise Recorder automatically records a short clip whenever the sound in your room crosses your chosen sensitivity level — no app install, and nothing is ever uploaded. Listen back in the morning, and bring a few real clips to your doctor if snoring is something you want to discuss.