You’ve probably spent a sleepless night because of someone else’s snoring. You’ve tossed and turned in your bed; you’ve put on earplugs and listened to Beethoven instead; you’ve tried moving the person around and shaking him to get him to stop – but to no avail.
Snoring is caused usually by a disruption in the passageway of air. Normally, air passes from the nose and throat to the lungs unhindered. But for the snorers, the soft tissue in the upper palate or throat usually gets in the way and starts vibrating, thus explaining that Zzzzzzzzzz sound you hear when you’re asleep.
So you think it’s hopeless? No, it’s not. Like any physical condition, snoring has many remedies, ranging from the natural to more complex types like surgery and the use of technology and other devices and aides.
So here are a few solutions you might want to try for that peaceful, good night’s sleep:
Alcohol, caffeine, smoking, overeating, the lack of physical activity and too much stress are some of the identified causes of snoring. So the easiest way to start is to change your lifestyle. Steer clear of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine as they suppress breathing drive. Don’t go to sleep yet while the stomach’s full. And take a moment to rest after a hard day’s work or if under stress before hitting the sheets. Likewise, overweight people have a greater tendency to snore because of the bulky neck tissue. To solve this, try shedding off even at least 10% of your body weight.
Most snorers sleep on their back. Snoring happens when the soft palate, uvula, tongue, tonsils and muscles in the back of the throat come in contact, creating a vibrating sound. Learn to vary your sleeping positions. Try sleeping your side. Proper sleeping posture should also be maintained. Make sure that the head is properly supported by a nice, comfortable pillow. Raise the head of your bed at least four inches higher. You can place a book or a wedge under your mattress.
Inhale steam before going to bed. Nasal congestion is one of the reasons for snoring. To reduce congestion, deeply breathe in steam through your nose before going to bed.
And as snoring is largely a breathing problem, make sure to correct your breathing. Learn to breathe through the nose. Loud snores are aggravated when we breath through our open mouth. To start, make sure that your mouth is closed when you’re asleep so that the air would pass only through your nose.
You can also try nasal strips that provide relief from congestion. These nasal strips hold open the nostrils, helping you to breathe through your nose. There are also throat sprays that coat the soft tissue of the throat, allowing the air to move freely.
Of course, for more serious cases of snoring, there are more complex, technology-assisted remedies such as the CPAP, a machinery that blows air through the nose via a mask; surgery which removes the palate and the throat tissue for easier breathing.
Try these remedies and see what works. One remedy may not work for you so make sure that you know the cause of the problem. It may be lifestyle or a physical condition like a breathing problem. Unless it’s a serious case, these natural remedies are workable and easy to follow. In no time at all, there’s no more tossing and turning in bed or plugging your ears with Beethoven’s Symphony.