1. According to legend, 19th-century Texas gunfighter John Wesley Hardin once shot the occupant of a neighboring hotel room because the man snored too loudly. 2. It is estimated that 88 million Americans are snorers. 3. Fifty percent of all people who snore do so on a nightly basis. 4. Over 85% of men who are over the age of 40 snore. 5. Chronic snoring can lead to sleep apnea. Conversely, apnea can be a cause of snoring. 6. Because snoring can cause what's known as 'fragmented sleep,' snorers often have lower-than-average concentration and memory. 7. Snoring can be caused or increased by obesity, aging, or cigarette smoking. 8. Among adult women, severe snorers count for 20%. 9. The average snore generates between 60 to 100 decibels of noise. 10. Habitual snoring that is left untreated worsens over time. 11. Sleepers with severe snoring problems score worse on IQ tests taken after a night of snoring than they do on a test taken after they didn't. 12. Several cases have been documented in which the decibel levels of a snore were comparable to that of a jet fighter plane. 13. In extreme cases, machines to aid ventilation and even surgery are necessary for the treatment of snoring. 14. Snoring can be caused by the shape of a person's mouth or throat. 15. Nearly half of all human beings have an episode of snoring at some point in their lives. 16. Snoring can cause repeated, tiny arousals from sleep that over the course of the night can create enough of a sleep deficit to affect a person's mental and physical health. 17. Snoring is caused by the vibration of a person's tongue and throat muscles as they breathe during sleep. 18. March 24 has been declared the annual 'Stop Snoring Day' by the American Sleep Association. 19. Chronic snorers are five times more likely to develop heart disease than people who only snore sometimes or not at all. 20. The occurrence of snoring can increase as a person ages, because the muscles of the throat and tongue naturally become more relaxed. 21. In the U.S., snoring is the third leading cause of divorce. 22. For the average snorer, sleeping on their back makes the snoring worse. 23. Pregnancy and menopause can make snoring worse for women. 24. Because sleeping medications cause muscles to relax, they can increase the likelihood of snoring. 25. Snoring can occur at any point during a person's sleep cycle. 26. Thirty-seven percent of American adults regularly snore more than a few nights a week. 27. Shorter women snore more than taller women. 28. Preschool-aged children who chronically snore are more likely to be anxious and emotional. 29. Of reported snorers, only 59% acknowledge or are even aware of the problem. 30. Forty percent of middle-aged adults snore. 31. Snoring occurs among 10% of all children. 32. Snoring can be caused at least in part by genetic predispositions. 33. The average snorer snores for 22 minutes a night. 34. British grandmother Jenny Chapman has the record as the world's loudest snorer. 35. New York, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C. have been ranked as the worst states when it comes to number of residents with extreme snoring problems. 36. Medical experts on snoring describe the top five sounds made by snorers as 'a growl,' 'a saw,' 'a roar,' 'a train,' and 'Darth Vader.'