How to stop snoring
25-03-2015
Do you snore? No doubt if you do your partner has let you know (am I right, men? And yes, it is mostly men who snore and mostly their partners who tell them all about it!). Then you will want to take care of it, if for no other reason than to calm the storm. The thing with snoring is that it is not usually a problem for the snorer themselves but it can cause serious problems for your relationship.
However, while most of the time snoring is not a problem for the snorer this is not always the case and snoring can be the sign of a much deeper problem. Sleep apnea is a syndrome where the sleeper stops breathing many times during the night, amongst its many consequences it disturbs the sleeper’s sleep cycle and can cause them to suffer all the symptoms of someone with serious insomnia. Many people with sleep apnea snore so if you are a snorer then you may want to get checked out for sleep apnea.
So no matter whether you are motivated by the need to help your partner out (or just shut her up!) or you are worried about your own health (don’t worry you can be motivated by both....) then you need to try to stop snoring. If you struggle to stop the night time lawn mower from going to work then this may be the sign that you have sleep apnea and you should go and see a sleep expert. Here are some of the simplest ways of stopping snoring
Change your sleeping position: Generally speaking the reason a large number of people snore is because of the position they sleep in. The worst sleep position for snoring is on your back as this is when your tongue will fall into the back of your throat, thus allowing for the skill saw to start up. While changing your sleep position takes some time it can be done, the thing is to be consistent, to make sure that each night you keep trying it, eventually it will become natural. The best position to kill the chainsaw is on your side, but even on your stomach is better than on your back.
Avoid alcohol: Yip, sadly your old friend booze is no good when it comes to snoring. Alcohol works as a muscle relaxant and it will make people who do not usually snore start the buzz saw up. While there are no hard and fast rules, if you want to ensure that you do not snore at night you should have your last drink about four to five hours before you go to bed, or maybe just sleep in the spare room that night so that your partner can get a good night’s sleep.
Lose some weight: Now you are really starting to hate these suggestions ay? Well sorry, but not only do you need to avoid the sauce but you may also need to shed a few kgs as well. The more excess weight you have around your neck the more likely you are going to snore. See the weight collapse your throat and this constriction is what causes the old weedwacker to start up. The other bonus is that the exercise required to lose the weight (yes, sorry the news only gets worse) will make you more tired and will help you sleep better at night.... oh, and that you are losing weight and not snoring may just make you that much more attractive to your partner (wink, wink!).
Open your nasal passages: This doesn’t have to be as painful as it sounds. You do not need to have a go at the snoze with pair of pliers or anything. All you need are some adhesive nasal dilator strips, these little beauties will open up your passageways ensuring that all the gear in the workshop is turned off for the night. Another way of opening up said passages is to have a good hot shower at night, then squeeze a little salt water up your nose to unblock the passages. There are also a bunch of other devices on the market that can help with the nasal passages so do some research and find one that comes with some good recommendations, though be warned that different devices can have different efficacy depending on the cause of your snoring and your personal physiology.
Get new pillows: The build up of allergens and dust mites on your pillow could be the cause of your snore. The older your pillow is the more of this gunk you have in it and for many of us we actually have an allergic reaction to this while we sleep. This causes your airway to swell and can kick start the extractor fan. It also pays to take your pillows outside once every six months to give them a solid whacking to get rid of all that gunk.
Don’t exhaust yourself: Finally some advice that doesn’t hurt! One of the causes of snoring can be going to bed too tuckered out. Make sure that you are getting enough sleep each night and that you are not exhausting yourself each day. This means that you need to stick to a good sleep schedule and that you should not overwork yourself. However, it needs to be well balanced as you do not want to be over-rested as this can make getting to sleep harder.
Stop your grinding: Grinding your teeth at night is more common than you may think and many people who suffer from bruxism may also find themselves revving the engine at night as well. When you grind your teeth the tongue goes to the back of the throat and next thing you are snoring at full throttle. A mouth guard from your dentist can help you with this.
If you are still snoring after all of these then you may want to go and see a sleep expert as this could be the sign of sleep apnea. Hopefully for most of you this has worked and things are a lot more civil (and even romantic) in bed!
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