Snoring is a condition which is affecting 90 per cent of human beings and that number only grows when you think of all the partners and roomates who also have to endure this unfortunate condition second hand.
But it isn’t just the noise that is problematic. Snoring has been linked to many serious conditions including sleep apnea, difficulty breathing and even strain on the hart.
The good news is, there are several simple ways to stop snoring so you and those around you can get the sleep you all need.
1. Change your sleep position
You may find that snoring most often occurs when you are lying on your back. This is likely due to your tongue and soft palate (the part of your mouth responsible for closing off the nasal passages while swallowing) collapsing to the back of the throat.
When this happens, it closes off much of the airway, essentially causing air to eek through, making the vibrating snoring noise.
A simple fix is to change sleep positions to reopen those airways. This may be easier said than done, if you are traditionally a back sleeper. But, if you get that mid-sleep nudge from your partner, take it as a cue to roll over or find another room to sleep in.
If you sleep alone, you could always try strapping an uncomfortable object like a ping-pong ball to your back to give you that painful nudge to stay off your back until it becomes a habit.
2. Exercise your mouth
This one is debatable and may require a bit more research, but a study conducted at the Heart Institute at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil, found that Daily oropharyngeal exercises, as they’re called, reduced snoring levels compared with nasal dilator strips plus respiratory exercises.
The study looked at 39 adults with a primary complaint of snoring, and found that three months of these exercises reduced both the frequency and power of snoring. The exercises included things like elevation of the soft palate and uvula, pushing the tip of the tongue against the hard palate while sliding the tongue backward, sucking the tongue upward against the hard palate, and pushing the back of the tongue against the floor of the mouth.
3. Lose weight
If you are overweight, or have noticed that you have gained weight, this could be a reason for your snoring. It is quite possible that you have gained weight around your neck that has in turn put added pressure on your throat, causing it to collapse much like if you were laying on your back. Losing that weight could reverse the effects and help you get a quieter and more oxygen-filled night’s sleep.
4. Keep hydrated
Dry mouth and throat could be a reason for storing because the mucus in your nose and throat are stickier when dry. And when things are dry and sticky, air passes through with difficulty, causing you to snore.
However, when you are hydrated, it lubricates those areas, creating healthy mucus and allowing a steady flow of quiet and calm air to your lungs.
5. Avoid alcohol
When staying hydrated, alcohol is not included in the list of fluids to consume if you want to fix your snoring problem. More than that, if you snore, alcohol consumption can cause individuals to develop sleep apnea.
In fact, according to a 1982 study on the effect of alcohol ingestion on sleep-induced breathing abnormalities, it was found that alcohol increased the duration of obstructive apnea, and increased the tendency of the subjects to develop obstructive apnea.
6. Change your air filter
According to an article published by the Huffington Post, snoring is an indicator that you need to change your air filter.
When there are allergens such as pollen and dander in your home, you breathe those pollutants in, restricting your airways and causing snoring. If you have recently noticed or been told that you are snoring, try changing your air filter to see if any changes occur.
At the very least, you know that the air you’re breathing has been filtered, and is free from things that could cause health problems.
7. Get regular sleep
If you have irregular sleep habits, or go to bed late at night, you could be causing snoring. This is because when you finally get to sleep, you sleep hard, and your tongue and soft palate relax to the back of your throat, again, blocking your airway.
By practicing good sleep habits and staying away from sleep medications that could have the same effect, you can work toward having regular, healthy (and quiet) night sleeps.P