This content was last updated on 8th September, 2016
Snoring may seem harmless, but it can be hell for your sleeping partner. Here are some easy snoring remedies to make your lives easier.
Almost half of all men snore occasionally, and a significant number of them will do it every time they sleep. The statistics are almost the same for women, and whilst snoring might not pose any serious dangers to your health, it is still very annoying.
Although there are no magical cures there are lots of ways to help you deal with it. Here are seven surprisingly easy tips to beat the snoring blues.
1. Exercise your throat muscles
Training the muscles in your throat and tongue can help you reduce snoring. Stronger throat muscles reduce the chances of them slipping limply to the back when you are sleeping.
These exercises are even more important as you grow old because the muscle tissue loses elasticity and weakens with age. There are many exercises that you can try out and you can even consult a professional for advice on which ones are the best.
One of the most common practices will entail putting your tongue as straight as possible and then swinging it from one side to the other to touch the corner of your lips.
2. Change your sleep position
Your sleeping position is one of the main reasons for snoring. If you sleep on your back, your soft palate and the base of your tongue will collapse and lie on the back wall of your throat.
As you breathe in and out when sleeping the collapsed soft palate will cause a vibrating sound, and this is what people know as snoring. And so simply sleeping on your side may help solve this problem.
If you are having a problem with sleeping on the side for long, you should use a memory foam pillow for support so that you can get healthier and better sleep. Strapping a tennis ball at the back of your pajamas is also very useful in preventing you from rolling onto your back when sleeping.
3. Lose weight
The fact that even thin people snore suggests that there’s no relationship between weight and snoring.
However, this couldn’t be further from the truth because research shows that if you gain weight, your neck will gain excess tissue which will restrict and press on the airways, leading to the vibrations that cause snoring.
And so if you weren’t snoring before you gained the extra pounds, losing them might be all that you need to get rid of the problem.
4. Use an anti-snoring mouth appliance
Anti-snoring mouth appliances provide you with a modern way to deal with snoring, and they are one of the most useful things that you can use.
You should only wear these appliances when sleeping, and they fit like an orthodontic retainer or mouth guard for sports. If a doctor thinks that this is the only way to help you deal with your snores, then he or she will give you a prescription for an oral appliance that is custom made.
However, there are also other mouth appliances that are one size fits all or have an adjustment mechanism and so they will not require you to consult a doctor.
5. Clear your nasal passages
Most people tend to ignore the fact that snoring starts in the nose, and this is why it becomes difficult for them to deal with it. And so it is vital to keep your nasal passages clear and open so that air might move through slowly.
A blocked nose means that air tends to go through very fast and so you are more likely to snore. Also, when your nasal passage blocks, you find that you will be breathing through the mouth, and this also increases the probability of snoring significantly.
There are many ways of ensuring that your nasal passage is clear before you go to bed, and one of the most efficient ones is taking a hot shower. Nasal strips are also helpful in raising and opening the nasal passages. If neither nasal strips nor a hot shower works for you, you can also use a salt water rinse to unclog the blocked passages.
6. Avoid alcohol
People that don’t normally snore may find themselves doing so if they drink alcohol a few hours before going to bed. The same is also true for sedatives, and this is because alcohol will interfere with the resting tone of the muscles that are at the back of your throat.
Interfering with the normal resting tone of these muscles will cause some vibrations when breathing during your sleep, and so you are more likely to snore. Apart from this drinking alcohol before you go to bed may disrupt your sleep or even keep you awake.
If you have a snoring problem, make sure that you do not take alcohol or other foods and drinks with high alcoholic content at least five hours before sleeping.
7. Stay well hydrated
If you snore regularly or even occasionally, you should make sure that you stay hydrated as this is a very effective remedy. The secretions from the soft palate and your nose become sticky if your body is dehydrated and this will make the snoring worse.
You should take several glasses of water throughout the day, but the exact number is still debatable because different experts have varying opinions.
However, the point is to make sure that your body has enough fluids, and if you feel dehydrated at night, it is important to take a few glasses of water before you retire to bed. It is also not a bad idea to wake up in the middle of the night for a glassful of water if you feel thirsty.
About the author
Jane Collins is a main editor of g9sleeptight.com a site dedicated to healthy sleep. Follow me on Twitter @g9sleeptight
7 surprisingly easy ways to deal with snoring appeared first on Sleep Junkies.