As not all snoring is the same and not everyone snores for the same reason, it is of vast importance to identify the cause for snoring in your case. By doing so, you can find the cure and enjoy in a deeper and more quality sleep.
The major cause for snoring is too much throat and nasal tissue, also known as “floppy tissue”. The position of your tongue can be another thing that gets in the way of smooth breathing. What can help you in learning if the cause is within your control or not is the evaluation of how and when you snore. Fortunately, whatever the cause is, there are solutions that can help you.
The Most Common Causes for Snoring
– Sleep posture
Sleeping on your back blocks the airway by causing the flesh of the throat to relax.
-The Way You Are Built
Men are more likely to snore as a result to their narrower air passages. Apart from narrow passages other things that increase the risk of snoring are the enlarged adenoids and other physical attributes.
-Age
The throat becomes narrower as you reach the middle age and the muscle tone in the throat decreases.
-Overweight
Poor muscle and fatty tissue are common causes of snoring.
-Nasal and Sinus Problems
The block in airways leads to snoring by making the inhalation difficult.
-Alcohol and Smoking
These vices lead to more snoring by increasing the muscle relaxation.
Sleep apnea is a health condition which is life-threatening and it demands a medical attention. It is a breaking obstruction that forces the sleeper to wake up in order to breathe again. Snoring can often indicate sleep apnea. Normal snoring doesn’t interfere with the quality of your sleep to those lengths. So, your problem can be more than just snoring if you are suffering from extreme sleepiness and fatigue throughout the day.
The market offers lots of bizarre anti-snoring devices. Unfortunately, finding the right solution is a hard task because most of the devices are a complete waste of time and money. On the other hand, there are various proven methods that can really help you get rid of the annoying snoring. As not every remedy is right for every person, it is important to be patient, make some necessary changes and be willing to experiment. As mentioned in the very beginning, it is of vast importance to identify the cause of your snoring first. By observing the patterns in your snoring, you can identify what makes it worse, what is the reason for it, and how to eventually stop it.
The sleep positions reveal a lot as well as figuring out how you snore. Learning how and why you snore leads to finding the right cure.
-Open-mouth snoring is associate with the tissues in your throat.
-Closed-mouth snoring can be related to a problem with your tongue.
-Snoring when sleeping on your back is a mild snoring which can be solved by improved sleep habits and some lifestyle changes.
-Snoring in all positions can indicate more serious issues and it demands special attention.
Self-Cures for Snoring
Lifestyle Changes
-Quit Smoking
The chances of snoring are high if you are a smoker. Smoking actually blocks the airways by irritating the membranes in the throat and the nose.
-Lose Weight
Losing weight can decrease or stop snoring because it reduces the fatty tissue in the back of the throat.
-Avoid Alcohol, Sleeping Pills, and Sedatives
It is really important to avoid these vices because they interfere with breathing by relaxing the muscles in the throat.
-Exercise
Toning your legs and abs leads to toning the muscles in the throat too. This in turn leads to less snoring.
-Establish Regular Sleep Patterns
You need to create a bedtime ritual and stick to it. This will help you minimize snoring and sleep much better.
Bedtime Remedies
-Sleep on Your Side
It is recommended to avoid sleeping on your back because gravity enables your tongue and soft tissues to drop, leading to obstruction in your airway.
-Keep Bedroom Air Moist
It is proven that dry air irritates membranes in the nose as well as in the throat.
-Clear Nasal Passages
You can use a Neti pot, try nasal decongestants or nasal strips in order to clear the nasal passages. Having a stuffy nose makes inhalation difficult, creates a vacuum in the throat and leads to snoring.
-Avoid Caffeine and Heavy Meals
It is highly recommended to avoid heavy meals, caffeine, soy milk and dairy products before bedtime. They increase the chances of snoring.
-Reposition
Elevating your head four inches may ease breathing. You can also find specially designed pillows that help prevent snoring.
The Tennis Ball Trick
If sleeping on your back is the cause for your snoring, this trick is ideal for you. Just place a tennis ball to the back of a pajama of T-shirt. You will find this quite uncomfortable and you will respond by turning on your side. Eventually, you will develop a side-sleeping habit and hopefully get rid of the snoring.
Throat Exercises
These throat exercises can help you reduce or completely stop snoring. All you need to do is to practice for 30 minutes a day. The exercises include pronouncing certain vowels and curling the tongue in specific ways. This strengthens the muscles in upper respiratory tract and reduces snoring.
Close your mouth and purse your lips. Hold for 30 seconds.
Repeat a-e-i-o-u for three minutes several times a day.
Contract the muscle at the back of your throat repeatedly for 30 seconds.
Move jaw to the right and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the left side too.
Place the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth. Then slide your tongue backwards for 3 minutes. Do this activity for 3 minutes a day.
Alternative Remedies
-Playing the Didgeridoo
Even though you may find this strange, learning to play didgeridoo can strengthen the soft palate and the throat, which in turn reduces snoring.
-Singing
The snoring that is caused by lax muscles can be reduced by singing because this activity increases muscle control in the throat and the soft palate.
Medical Cures for Snoring
If the self-help solutions didn’t provide any significant results, don’t give up. You can find treatments and medical cures that could make the difference. Various devices are being made that are becoming more and more effective as well as more comfortable.
In case your own efforts don’t help, visit an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat doctor). If you decide to use some dental appliance, consult a dentist who is specialized in these devices.
-Traditional Surgery
Some of the most common surgeries are the Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty, Uvulapalatopharyngoplasty, Adenoidectomy, and Tonsillectomy. They increase the size of your airway by surgically removing tissues or correcting abnormalities.
-Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
This procedure includes putting a machine at your bedside which blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over your nose or face. This method keeps your airway open during sleep.
-Dental Appliances, Oral Devices, and Lower Jaw-Positioners
These devices resemble an athlete`s mouth guard. What they actually do is opening your airway by bringing your lower jaw on your tongue forward during sleep.
When to See a Doctor about Snoring
The snoring can often be an indicator of a more serious issue. That is why the doctor should find the underlying medical conditions, such as sleeping disorders or sleep-related breathing flags. If you notice some of the following signs, consult your doctor immediately.
-You fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as during a meal or a conversation.
-You snore loudly and heavily and are tired during the day.
-You stop breathing, gasp, or choke during sleep.
You may be referred to a sleep specialist for a home-based sleep test using a portable monitor. If the results show that snoring is not related to any breathing or sleeping disorders, you can try different treatment options mentioned above.
Source: http://besthealthyguide.com/