Thousands of people are awaken each night by a horrible rumbling noise. No, it’s not a train or a bear, it’s their spouse. Snoring not only affects the person doing the snoring, but also anyone sharing the room with them. Both suffer from a lack of sleep, with the snorer usually displaying a bruise on their shin from the non-snorer who spent half the time trying to get them to roll over.
Besides being loud and disruptive, snoring can also pose a serious health risk. Sleep apnea occurs when someone temporarily stops breathing.
What Causes Snoring ?
To put it simply, snoring is caused by a blocked airway. The blockage can occur when you are congested due to a cold or caused by over relaxed muscles of the throat and tongue. This relaxation can be brought on by the use of alcohol and drugs.
There are those whose soft tissue in the back of the mouth is large which helps to block the airway. Also, individuals that are overweight or have larger necks tend to snore more than others.
Sleeping on your back can also cause snoring. This is because while sleeping on your back, gravity pulls the tongue and jaw down which can cause the airway to be blocked.
Ways to Stop Snoring
First, let us start with the obvious. If you snore while sleeping on your back, try falling asleep on your side. If you have a cold or nasal congestion due to allergies, try taking a nasal decongestant.
Another way of keeping the airway open that does not involve over the counter medications is nasal strips. Nasal strips are applied to the nose and are designed to pull open the airway.
There are also mouthpieces that you have in your mouth that opens your mouth to allow air to flow and reduces the effects of soft palette vibrations in the rear of the mouth.
If snoring is caused by a dry nasal cavity, try a saline nasal spray.
Losing weight can also help with snoring. Individuals who are overweight tend to snore and have increased cases of sleep apnea.
Avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol and drugs relax the muscles which can cause snoring.
Having the right pillow may also help. When the neck is at an incline, the airway becomes restricted. You want a pillow that helps keep your spine aligned and your head level with your body, not above it.
Surgery to Cure Snoring
It is said that a quarter of the population snores and that most everyone has snored at sometime. Most snoring can be remedied by a few simple things, changing your sleeping position or losing weight. However, there are individuals who may have exhausted all the simple and natural ways of curing their snoring. There is a surgery known as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. This surgery is done to remove excess tissue in the throat that causes snoring. Once the tissue is removed, the airway is open again which makes breathing easier. This will eliminate snoring and possibly the bruise caused by your partner.
