Consider trying to sleep with a loud diesel engine running in your bedroom. Snoring noise is often this loud. This horrific sound can actually endanger your health as well as that of your sleep partner. Fortunately there are many self-help tips, professional snoring solutions and even snoring mouthpieces which may help solve this problem.
What causes Snoring?
The flabby relaxed tissues in the back of the throat including your palate and uvula can vibrate, if there is enough air force moving by during sleep breathing. Think of a flag when there is no breeze; it is just lying there but when there is a big breeze the flag flutters and makes a loud noise. Of course a stiff fixed flag will not likely flutter. Age, certain anatomical variations, and sedative medications including alcohol all can relax the airway tissues creating the flappy flag comparison. Weight gain increases fat around the neck which can further narrow the airway. Greater airway force or wind speed is required to get enough air while sleeping when the airway is narrowed from fat in the neck or any other type of obstruction. Treatments which open or tighten the airway like some surgical procedures or a snoring mouthpiece can improve breathing during sleep and reduce snoring.
Social and Medical Snoring Problems
Snoring is the number one medically related issue cited as cause for divorce. The health of your sleep partner may also suffer since their sleep is fragmented from their disturbed sleeping. Sexual performance issues are common with snoring. Generally as the snoring volume increases so do the potential medical problems. Since snoring is also seen with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), there is a great deal of concern because OSA is associated with multiple medical problems including cardiovascular disease, GERD, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, stroke and other illnesses.
Stop Snoring Self- Help Tips and Remedies
Most people try the self-help tips first before consulting with professional sleep physicians or dentists.
Nasal Airway
- Since mouth breathing is frequently seen with snorers, you can try to breathe through your nose by using a chin strap to force you to breathe through your nose or some form of nasal airway enhancement such as a nostril expander.
- Use one of the over the counter nasal sprays, if you have trouble breathing through your nose. Some effective sprays require a prescription from physician. For example people often snore, if they have a cold and cannot breathe through their nose.
- Breathing nose strips can hold open the nostrils to prevent nasal collapse during sleep. Since the strip makes it easier to inhale through your nose, the reduced inspiratory air pressure may reduce the vibration force which causes snoring.
- The Neti Pot or other similar nasal irrigation products help keep the airway moist and clean. This may reduce nasal obstruction during sleep and reduce the snoring.
Life Style Alterations
- Lose weight. Since excess fat blocks the airway, losing weight can open up the airway again to reduce snoring. Extra fat also reduces the diaphragm breathing efficiency.
- Stop Smoking. Smoking causes throat irritation and inflammation and snoring.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption especially within 3 hours before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes all muscles including the airway muscles in the upper airway. Alcohol further complicates your sleep because the usual sleep patterns are disrupted. You may have drunk dreams. Sedatives can cause a similar relaxed airway problem.
- Do not eat a lager meal or consume caffeine within 4 hours of bedtime. A very large meal may affect the movement of the diaphragm. This reduced efficiency will require a greater breathing effort and increase in the wind speed during inspiration while sleeping. More wind speed equals more vibration and snoring.
- You could sleep alone to prevent disturbing your partner.
- Some partners have used white sound machines and ear plugs to block out the snoring.
Sleep Habits
- Keep your head elevate while sleeping. Some pillows have a certain configuration which claims to reduce airway collapse.
- Do not sleep on your back since gravity tens to close the airway in that position. Sleep on your side.
- Sleep at the same time every night.
Get a Snoring Mouthpiece Online
These mouthpieces stiffen and open the airway by moving the jaw forward or by holding the tongue toward the front of your mouth which opens the airway to reduce your snoring.
- For some persons a user self-fit snoring mouthpiece available online may be the answer.
- While others may want a custom fit mouthpiece form a dental laboratory to help with their snoring.
- Some prescription mouthpieces are available which hold the tongue forward. These require interaction with a sleep professional from an online service since a medical history questionnaire is required.
Professional Stop Snoring Solutions
Dentists trained in treating sleep breathing disorders as well as sleep physicians can offer the best solution for persons with complicated snoring problems. These professionals often work as team to provide the best stop snoring solution.
- If you have allergies preventing nasal breathing these should be treated to overcome the nasal obstruction. Treat your allergies.
- Surgery in some cases can remove or stiffen the floppy tissues causing the snoring sound. Carefully approach this solution since results are not always successful.
- Professionally trained sleep dentists can fabricate dental mouthpieces to treat the snoring. These dental mouthpieces will offer a more durable and comfortable fit that the self- fit varieties available from the internet.
There are many stop snoring solutions available. If you are not successful with the self-help solutions, consult with your dentist or medical professional.
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