Snoring is a very ordinary problem. Believe it or not, everyone does it occasionally. Even you might have done it sometime but perhaps no one has confronted you. Sleeping with a snoring partner can be frustrating.
What causes snoring?
Image courtesy: www.snoringaids.com
Snoring is caused by vibrations. When we are asleep, the posterior area of the throat narrows due to muscle relaxation. Because of the now smaller opening, the air gets less space to pass and therefore causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate. These vibrations result in the sound of snoring. Some people also snore because of nasal congestion. So basically, snoring is a sound formed by the airflow that causes tissues to vibrate during sleep.
Related: 11 Best Sleep Hacks
How to get rid of snoring?
Snoring is not something to ignore. It surely affects not only your sleep but also your partners. Snoring can be an underlying symptom of health problems such as (i) obstructive sleep apnea (a potentially serious sleep disorder), (ii) stress, (iii) obesity or (iv) some mouth, nose or throat abnormality. Below are a few tips that will help you or someone you know stop snoring.
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Nasal strip
Nasal strips are very common and easily available in stores. These are strips that can be stuck on the nose. They help to open up the nasal passage and lessen the airflow battle. This makes breathing easy and keeps snoring at bay, or at least reduces the decibels.
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Sleep position
For people who snore, sleeping on their side is an ideal option. When you sleep on your back, the tongue falls on the back of the throat blocking the normal air passage from the throat. This can be avoided by sleeping on your side. You can keep a full-length body pillow behind you. However, when you have a body pillow, do not forget to use a cover. You can use something like anime body pillow covers if you are an anime lover. By using a pillow cover, it could be possible to prevent the development of dirt, germs, and dead skin inside the pillow. This will further promote healthy sleep. Anyway, besides using a body pillow, you can also try the tennis ball trick. In this trick, you can stitch a tennis ball on your t-shirt back or on your pajamas. This will assist you in not rolling on your back in your sleep and can make an effective change in snoring.
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Head elevation
If you have a mild snoring problem, then you can raise up your head using a thick pillow to keep the nasal airway clear of obstruction. Generally, raising the head up by four inches is good enough to tackle the problem. You can also try using adjustable beds that recline your head up without causing neck problems. Learn about the Glideaway adjustable bed for all types of head elevating possibilities.
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Install a humidifier
Closed doors and windows, especially during winter results in dry air. Dry air sucks up the moisture from the throat and nose creating dryness and congestion. A humidifier removes the dry air and comforts the tissues of nose and throat for normal breathing. Experiment by adding a few drops of essential oils and feel the magic!
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Herbs and essential oils
Essential oils such as peppermint oil unblock the nasal or chest congestion helping you to keep away from snoring. This oil has been proven to be an effective aching throat reliever and liberates nasal passage from jamming. Goldenseal is an herb used for common cold and stuffy nose. It can be consumed in capsule, powder or liquid form.
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Avoid alcohol and smoking
Alcohol eases out the muscles at the rear of the throat which might cause snoring. If you want to consume alcohol before bedtime, ensure that there is a gap of a minimum of two hours between the two activities. However, in case it sounds like a challenge to you, maybe because your sleep has become completely dependent on alcohol, then an alcohol detox (at a rehab facility similar to Fusion Recovery) could be recommended. Besides alcohol, smoking is another culprit of bedtime snores. Smoking annoys the inner lining of your airway and causes mucus to pile up. This aggravates the problem of blocked air passage and snoring.
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Allergies
Allergies give rise to blocked airflow through the nose causing you to breathe through your mouth. A bedroom has many allergy triggers specifically pet hair, dust mites or bedding material that irritates your beak. Having said that, you can also be more susceptible to allergies and therefore snore more, if your air conditioner or other cooling system is not maintained properly by HVAC professionals (such as the ones found at a reputed HVAC company like Epic Electric, Heating & Cooling). How, you ask? When your air conditioner becomes dirty, and the filters aren’t tuned up often, they become a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and fungi. This oversight can result in the black mold as moisture can build up in the coils and ducts from condensation that forms when the cool air passes. These tiny buggers can enter the nose, causing allergy and increasing the chances of you snoring. Therefore, it is important to maintain cleanliness and good hygiene. Moreover, treating allergies using medications can give you a quiet night’s sleep.
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Correct abnormalities
Some people might have a nose, mouth or throat abnormality since birth while some might have experienced an accident leading to one. In any case, it is recommended to correct these abnormalities by surgical treatments which will help to stop snoring.
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Lose weight
It is not that only people with more weight snore, thin people snore too! When lying down excess weight around the neck narrows the throat and disrupts the regular airflow even further. This increases the likelihood of snoring. Maintaining a good body weight aids in less or no snoring and improved sleep in addition to other health paybacks.
10. Buy an adjustable bed
Modern adjustable beds such as the Leggett and Platt Prodigy 2.0 have an in-built anti-snore feature. Basically this posture raises the head resulting in cessation of snoring. Spending $2 – 3K on an adjustable bed may not be the most cost-effective way of tackling snoring for most people. However, if you’re up for it, adjustable beds are a great solution for snoring.
Try these tips that will do the trick and help you tackle your problem of snoring. If the problem still persists then you may require medical attention. Some machines and surgical procedures including but not limited to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), Palatal implants, Somnoplasty, Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP) etc. widen the airway channel permanently.
Getting rid of snoring is a good idea in the long run for yourself and your beloved giving you both a healthy sleep and a far healthier relationship.
