Can Muscle Relaxers Cause Snoring? Understanding the Pharmacological Link

October 8, 2025 •

4 min read

While roughly three-quarters of all patients undergoing general anesthesia receive muscle relaxants, their effects on sleep are less understood [1.7.4]. Depressant drugs, including muscle relaxers, can relax the tongue and throat muscles excessively, which may create the conditions for snoring [1.2.2]. So, can muscle relaxers cause snoring? Yes, by relaxing the very tissues that keep your airway open at night [1.2.1].

Quick Summary

Muscle relaxants can cause or worsen snoring by excessively relaxing the muscles in the throat and neck. This relaxation can lead to a partially or fully blocked airway, increasing the risk of obstructive sleep apnea and disrupting sleep quality [1.2.1, 1.3.2].

Key Points

Direct Link: Muscle relaxers cause snoring by relaxing the tongue and throat muscles, which can collapse and obstruct the airway during sleep [1.2.5].
Risk of Sleep Apnea: These medications can worsen or even trigger obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts [1.3.4, 1.2.1].
Common Culprits: Benzodiazepines (e.g., Xanax, Valium) and skeletal muscle relaxants (e.g., cyclobenzaprine) are strongly associated with increased snoring [1.2.4].
Compounding Factors: The effect is amplified when muscle relaxants are combined with other depressants like alcohol or certain sleep aids [1.2.4].
Consult a Doctor: If you suspect a medication is causing snoring or sleep issues, consult your doctor; do not stop taking it on your own [1.6.5].
Sleep Position Matters: Sleeping on your side can help mitigate the effects by preventing airway collapse, a simple but effective strategy [1.3.2].
Alternatives Exist: Non-drug therapies like physical therapy, massage, and lifestyle changes can be effective alternatives for managing muscle pain without impacting sleep breathing [1.5.2].

The Pharmacology Behind Snoring and Muscle Relaxants

Snoring occurs when the flow of air through the mouth and nose is physically obstructed [1.2.5]. This obstruction causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate, producing the familiar sound of a snore [1.2.2]. While many factors contribute to snoring—such as weight, sleep position, and alcohol consumption—medications play a significant and often overlooked role [1.2.4].

Muscle relaxants, prescribed for conditions like muscle spasms and pain, work by depressing the central nervous system to reduce muscle tone throughout the body. Unfortunately, this effect is not limited to the back or neck muscles; it also affects the muscles in the throat, tongue, and soft palate [1.2.5]. During sleep, these muscles naturally relax. When a muscle relaxant is introduced, this relaxation can become so profound that the tissues collapse into the airway, narrowing it and leading to snoring or, in more severe cases, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) [1.3.4, 1.2.1]. Medications like benzodiazepines, cyclobenzaprine, and baclofen are known to have this effect [1.2.4].

Distinguishing Snoring from Obstructive Sleep Apnea

It's crucial to understand the difference between simple snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. While most people snore occasionally, OSA is a serious medical condition characterized by repeated breathing interruptions during sleep [1.2.2].

Simple Snoring: The airway is partially blocked, causing tissue vibration. Breathing continues, though it may be noisy.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): The airway becomes completely blocked, causing pauses in breathing (apneas) that can last for ten seconds or longer [1.3.4]. These episodes are often followed by gasping or choking sounds as the brain wakes the body up to resume breathing [1.2.2].

Muscle relaxers can worsen pre-existing OSA or even cause it in susceptible individuals by exacerbating the muscle laxity in the upper airway [1.3.2, 1.3.4]. If snoring is loud and accompanied by gasping, choking, or daytime sleepiness, it is a key indicator of a more serious issue like sleep apnea [1.2.2].

Which Medications Are Most Associated with Snoring?

Several classes of drugs are known to relax throat muscles and potentially induce or worsen snoring. These work similarly to alcohol by depressing the central nervous system and reducing muscle tone [1.2.4, 1.6.4].

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Drugs like cyclobenzaprine, baclofen, and tizanidine are prescribed for muscle pain and spasticity. Their primary function is to relax muscles, which directly impacts airway patency during sleep [1.2.4].
Benzodiazepines: Often used for anxiety or as sleep aids, medications such as alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), and temazepam (Restoril) have significant muscle-relaxing properties [1.2.4, 1.4.2]. They can increase the risk of OSA in users, especially at higher doses [1.8.5].
Opioids: Painkillers like hydrocodone and oxycodone can cause respiratory suppression and reduce the patency of the upper airway, contributing to sleep-disordered breathing [1.3.1, 1.7.3].
Barbiturates and Certain Sleep Aids: Like benzodiazepines, these hypnotics can overly relax throat muscles, leading to airway collapse [1.4.1].

Comparison of Sedating Medications and Their Effect on Snoring


Medication Class	Primary Use	Mechanism of Snoring	Risk Level	Example Drugs
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants	Muscle spasms, pain	Direct relaxation of throat and tongue muscles [1.2.1]	High	Cyclobenzaprine, Baclofen [1.2.4]
Benzodiazepines	Anxiety, insomnia, seizures	Central nervous system depression, muscle relaxation [1.4.1]	High	Alprazolam, Diazepam [1.4.2]
Opioids	Severe pain	Respiratory suppression, reduced airway patency [1.7.3]	High	Hydrocodone, Morphine [1.4.2]
Antihistamines (Sedating)	Allergies, colds	Sedative effects relax throat muscles [1.4.1]	Moderate	Diphenhydramine

What to Do If You Suspect Your Medication Is Causing Snoring

If you've started a new medication and noticed the onset or worsening of snoring, it's important to take action. The first step is to consult the healthcare provider who prescribed the medication [1.6.5]. Never stop taking a prescribed drug without medical guidance.

Steps to take:

Consult Your Doctor: Discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider. They can determine if the benefits of the medication outweigh the side effect of snoring and may be able to suggest an alternative medication that doesn't carry the same risk [1.6.1, 1.6.5].
Keep a Sleep Diary: Track your sleep patterns, the times you take your medication, and the severity of your snoring (as reported by a partner, if possible). This can help establish a clear link between the drug and the symptom [1.6.1].
Adjust Your Sleep Position: Sleeping on your side instead of your back can prevent the tongue and soft palate from collapsing into the back of your throat [1.3.2, 1.6.4].
Avoid Other Depressants: Do not consume alcohol, especially close to bedtime, as it will compound the muscle-relaxing effects of your medication [1.2.4, 1.6.4].
Seek a Sleep Study: If sleep apnea is suspected, your doctor may recommend a polysomnography (sleep study) to diagnose the condition and determine its severity [1.9.3].

Exploring Alternatives

Depending on the reason for taking a muscle relaxant, non-pharmacological alternatives may be effective.

Physical Therapy and Exercise: Strengthening and stretching exercises can alleviate muscle pain and tension [1.5.2].
Massage Therapy: Can help manage chronic muscle pain.
Topical Analgesics: Creams and patches containing capsaicin or other analgesics can provide localized pain relief without systemic side effects [1.5.1].
Oral Appliances: For those with diagnosed OSA, a custom-fitted mandibular advancement device can help keep the airway open by moving the jaw forward [1.2.1, 1.5.3].

Conclusion

The link between muscle relaxers and snoring is clear and based on their fundamental pharmacological action. By relaxing the muscles of the upper airway, these medications can create or worsen the obstructions that lead to snoring and the more dangerous condition of obstructive sleep apnea [1.3.2, 1.2.1]. Patients taking muscle relaxants—especially those who are overweight, consume alcohol, or have a pre-existing tendency to snore—should be aware of this potential side effect. Open communication with a healthcare provider is essential to manage this issue, whether through lifestyle changes, medication adjustments, or exploring alternative therapies [1.6.5]. Prioritizing both pain management and healthy sleep is crucial for overall well-being.

For more information on sleep apnea, you can visit the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, even a single dose of a muscle relaxant can relax your throat muscles enough to cause snoring, especially if you are already susceptible to it or combine it with other factors like alcohol or sleeping on your back [1.2.4, 1.2.5].

While not every person will experience snoring, most muscle relaxants have the potential to cause it due to their mechanism of action. The risk is particularly high with centrally-acting skeletal muscle relaxants and benzodiazepines [1.2.4, 1.4.1].

If your snoring began or worsened shortly after starting a new medication, there is a strong possibility they are linked. Keeping a sleep diary and discussing the timeline with your doctor can help confirm the connection [1.6.1].

If the medication is the primary cause, the snoring should decrease or stop after you cease taking it under a doctor's guidance. In one case study involving baclofen, withdrawal was associated with complete resolution of sleep apnea [1.7.1].

Yes, muscle relaxers can significantly worsen existing obstructive sleep apnea. They relax the airway muscles further, potentially leading to more frequent and longer breathing pauses during sleep [1.3.2, 1.3.4].

All medications that work by systemically relaxing muscles carry a risk of causing snoring. However, the degree can vary. It is best to discuss alternatives with your doctor, which may include non-pharmacological treatments like physical therapy or different classes of medication [1.5.2, 1.6.5].

The mechanism is very similar. Both muscle relaxers and alcohol are depressants that reduce the muscle tone in your upper airway, making the tissues more likely to collapse and vibrate [1.2.4]. Combining them greatly increases this effect.