Snoring is not a normal occurrence during sleep. According to sleep experts, whenever you snore, you are spending too much energy to breathe. It is similar to fever as it tells you something is going on but you cannot tell what.
Oftentimes, this annoying noise leads to sleeping disorder, sleep apnea. Other than that, snoring can be a root cause of marital misunderstanding that can taint a relationship.
People snore because they have too much throat and nasal tissue that is more vulnerable to vibrate. Likewise, your tongue’s position can hinder smooth breathing. Assessing how and when you snore can help in knowing the real cause of your snoring. It can also help in determining if your snoring is within your control or not.
Fortunately, snoring can be solved as there are ways to stop this unnecessary condition during sleep.
Snoring occurs when you cannot move air freely through your nose and mouth during sleep. It is caused by narrowing of airway, poor sleep posture or abnormalities of the soft tissues in your throat can trigger snoring. A narrow airway hinders smooth breathing, creating the sound of snoring.
Factors that causes snoring are age, your body built, nasal and sinus disorders, being overweight or out of shape, sleep posture as well as medications, alcohol and smoking.
As mentioned earlier, snoring could indicate sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening condition that requires medical attention. This condition affects breathing, causing the person who sleeps to keep waking up to begin breathing again.
There are simple ways to stop snoring. Consider doing the following lifestyle changes in resolving this sleep problem.
- Shed some pounds. Gaining weight can add tissue to the neck that presses and restricts airways, activating vibrations that produce snore. Losing even a little bit of weight may help in alleviating the snore as it diminishes fatty tissue in the back of the throat or even stop snoring.
- Get moving. Exercise can help to stop snoring. Doing some toning workout for your arms, legs and abs can also benefit the muscles in your throat that can result to less snoring.
- Say no to alcohol. Alcohol relaxes muscles in the throat by keeping the airways open, interfering your proper breathing. So, never drink alcohol before bedtime if you want to achieve quality sleep. Skip the nightcap is the best thing you can do to stop snoring.
- Quit the bad habit of smoking. If you smoke, you have high chances to snore during sleep. Smoking blocks the airways as it irritates the membranes in the nose and throat.
- Develop regular sleep patterns. Make a bedtime routine with your partner and stick to it. Doing this will help you sleep better and minimize snoring.
- Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back creates greater pressure on the throat, that is why it is recommended to sleep on your side.
- Sleep with a humidifier. Nasal congestion can make inhalation hard and creates a vacummin in your throat that leads to snoring. If you have nasal congestions or allergies, you may opt to sleep with a humidifier. This move can help as it minimizes the gravity of snoring. Furthermore, dry air irritates membranes in the nose and throat.
- Avoid midnight snacking. Do not eat heavy within two hours before you go to bed.
- Reposition your head. Elevate your head four inches may ease breathing and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward.
- Consider CPAP. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a machine at your bedside blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over your nose or face. This is helpful in keeping your airway open during sleep.
- Use oral devices. Using this kind of mouthguard will help to stop snoring. Resemble to an athlete’s mouthguard, oral devices can help in ceasing snore as they help open your airway by bringing lower jaw or tongue forward during sleep.
However, if these changes could not help you stop snoring, seek medical treatment. Through these lifestyle changes, you can now sleep safe and sound without distraction caused by loud and annoying snores.
