Peter Lee, age 12, of Utica, N.Y., for his question:

WHY DOES DAD SNORE?

Snoring is the rasping sound often produced by the fluttering of the soft palate and two strips of tissue at the entrance to the throat as a sleeping person breathes through his mouth.

The relative position of the tongue and soft palate has an effect on the vibration. One reason why your father and other older people may snore, is that often there is a loss of firmness and elasticity in the soft palate and tongue as a person advances in years.

A sleeper is also more likely to snore if he is lying fiat on his back, because in this position the tongue and soft tissues tend to drop toward the back of the throat. The sounds will usually stop if the sleeper is turned over on his side.

Obstructions of the airways in the nose or the upper throat above the soft palate also contribute to this noisy breathing.

Sometimes children snore because of enlarged adenoids.