Snoring is the hoarse or harsh sound that occurs when your breathing is obstructed in some way while you're sleeping. Sometimes snoring may indicate a serious health condition. In addition, snoring can be a nuisance to your spouse. As many as half of adults snore at least occasionally. Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe, which creates those irritating sounds. Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime or sleeping on your side, can help stop snoring. In addition, medical devices and surgery are available that may reduce disruptive snoring. However, these aren't suitable or necessary for everyone who snores.
Self-diagnosis of snoring can be tricky. Most snorers are unaware of their actions during sleep, so others may have to address the problem directly and tactfully. Once a snorer becomes aware of the condition, it should fall on him or her to find a workable remedy.
One treatment for snoring is to change sleeping positions. If you sleep on your back exclusively, your tongue may partially block your airway and cause a form of snoring. Try sleeping on your side or stomach for a few days to see if your snoring is reduced or eliminated. If you absolutely cannot change your sleeping position, a sleep clinic may be able to provide a device used by sleep apnea patients. A face mask is fitted over the mouth and nose as a gentle but steady supply of air keeps the airway open.
Some snorers find relief through over-the-counter sprays and breathing strips. If the root cause of your snoring is an involuntary closing of your throat and soft palate, a lubricating spray can be applied directly to the back of your mouth just before bedtime. The slippery nature of the spray should prevent any unpleasant noises from friction. Others find relief with the use of adhesive breathing strips. Some snoring is causes by restricted nasal passages, so these external strips gently hold the nostrils open during sleep.
Since there is a link between excessive weight and excessive snoring, one solution may be to lose weight through diet and exercise. Even if reaching an ideal size seems impossible, losing just 10 to 20 percent of your current body weight may reduce the intensity and frequency of snoring.
For severe snoring which cannot be addressed by over-the-counter treatments or a change in lifestyle, consult a trained sleep specialist. Overnight observation and thorough medical examination may be required to find the root cause of your condition. Many snorers actually suffer from sleep apnea, a serious medical problem which causes the body to wake up hundreds of times a night. If your snoring pattern consists of an extended silence followed by a very loud gasp for air, you may have a form of sleep apnea. Sleep deprivation can lead to a number of other mental and physical conditions, so seek treatment immediately.
Eating too much, drinking too much alcohol and smoking: they all make your snoring worse.
Some of the factors that can increase your snoring are:
sleeping on your back
increasing body weight
alcohol consumption
tobacco consumption
eating much food late in the evening
sleeping tablets or mood-altering drugs
Before you launch into some of the more drastic snoring cures, your doctor will usually recommend "conservative" therapy; i.e., change your lifestyle. He or she will probably offer advice like this:
Avoid sedatives and antihistamines before bedtime.
Avoid much food within three hours of going to bed.
Eat a well-balanced diet designed to keep your weight within a healthy range for your height, age, and body type.
If you're overweight, begin an exercise program to help you lose body fat.
Here's some more advice:
Avoid alcoholic drinks three hours before bedtime.
If you suffer from allergies, reduce bedroom allergens (dust, pet dander, mold) to alleviate nasal stuffiness.
Don't sleep with windows open.
Establish regular sleeping patterns and avoid getting overtired.
Sleep on your side.
Use a humidifier in your bedroom if air is too dry.
Certain foods increase the production of mucous which can lead to more severe snoring. Dairy foods such as milk, butter, cheese, and cream are the worst. These types of foods should be limited or eliminated two hours prior to bedtime.
Can a pill or nasal spray cure snoring? Several vendors believe that the easiest way to stop some types of snoring is a pill before bedtime.
How they work:
Anti-snoring pills contain natural plant enzymes and herbs that are able to break down body secretions, including mucous, allowing the body to reabsorb them and reduce congestion. The herbs are also said to prevent throat and nose tissue swelling, resulting in a more open and smoother airflow that helps reduce snoring.
A new daily pill is in development that shows patients experiencing a 40% reduction in symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea with virtually no side effects.
Not all homeopathic remedies are pills...
There are several products, packaged as nose drops or nasal sprays, that open your airways and remove congestion. Also, consider aromatherapy.
Another homeopathic remedy for nasal congestion is the neti pot. The neti pot uses saltwater to flush allergens out of the sinuses. This vessel has been used in India for a long time.
L.F. Liebhardt invented an anti-snoring device that involved strapping a ball to the snorer's back. “My invention consists of a hollow, compressible, imperforate body of suitable size, adapted to be centrally secured to the back of the sleeper and protruding sufficiently therefrom, to make it practically impossible for the wearer to lie upon his back for any length of time.” Most people snore more loudly when they're on their back. Several products, therefore, are designed to teach you to sleep on your side by making it uncomfortable to lie on your back. But even on your side, the position of your head can affect the movement of air through your nasal and throat passages, and the level of the vibrations that cause snoring. Several companies manufacture pillows, collars and even mattresses that will optimally position your body to reduce snoring and improve sleep quality.
If you are suffering from sleep apnea or are simply a heavy snorer, a sleep posture correction device is unlikely to be a complete solution for you but some may benefit from a device that helps you sleep on your side or in some way positions your head to improve your air intake.
Snorers often complain of a sore or dry throat. This is because the vibration of your soft palate for hours at a time will dry out and even bruise your tissues. A solution that may help your throat and cut down your snoring (or at least reduce the volume) is to use one of the numerous throat sprays on the market.
How they work:
Snoring occurs when your throat tissue becomes dry. The noise is typically produced by the soft palate, vibrating against the back of the throat or the base of the tongue. Throat sprays consist of natural oils that lubricate the back of your throat (soft palate), including the uvula (tissue dangling at the back of your throat). The lubrication dampens or even eliminates the sound of the vibrations. Manufacturers say that their products will keep your throat lubricated for up to eight hours. Related products that work the same way include gel strips that your place on the roof of your mouth and throat rinses.
If you or your spouse are heavy snoring while the other one tosses and turns, unable to sleep, an anti snoring chin strap can be the remedy that you are seeking. An anti snoring chin strap is an anti-snoring device that is strapped across the chin and around the back of the head to contain snoring caused by sleeping with the mouth open.
The chin strap, typically made of stretchy neoprene, assists in keeping the jaw and mouth shut and forcing the mouth snorer to breathe naturally through the nasal passage.
Snoring chin straps were considered to be “gimmicky” products when first released, however because of its simple and effective treatment, it has gained widespread acceptance, even in some hospitals and sleep clinics. Because the chin strap effectively keeps the slack jaw closed and the mouth shut, it encourages snorers to breathe through their nose. Mouth snoring represents about 85% of all snoring problems, so a large majority of snorers can achieve an immediate cure to their affliction with this non surgical, cost effective anti snoring device. Very few people snore when they are breathing through their noses.
The anti snoring chinstrap wraps around the chin and the back of the head to secure the jaw closed and mouth shut during sleep. It’s a very simple device that is easy to use, clean (hand or machine wash) and store (small and compact). Some user feedback about the anti snoring chinstrap is positive and most snorers report that after a few nights, they don’t even remember they are wearing it at all. Anti snoring chin straps will in most cases provide an almost instantaneous alleviation of a chronic snoring problem without expensive dental devices or invasive surgery.