Snoring is the bane of sleep-time for so many of us. It is an increasingly common problem that affects many millions of people of all ages worldwide – so it’s no surprise that “how to stop snoring” represents more than 21 million Google search results!
Snoring not only leads to embarrassment; it actively impacts the quality of your sleep in a negative way and this has flow-on effects on your physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing overall.
There is hope! There are numerous very effective ways that you can prevent snoring. When you adopt some changes, you can minimise snoring’s impact, and enable yourself to achieve a much better night’s sleep.
Why Do I Snore?
Figuring out exactly why you snore is very important so that you can then properly address the problem. You will be better able to identify what causes your own snoring when you understand that various things that contribute to snoring overall.
People snore for a wide variety of reasons, and many of these are modifiable.
What is Snoring? Snoring occurs when the upper airways (mouth and throat) partially close up when you are asleep. This is due to the relaxation of the muscles of the neck. When they relax too much, the airflow between the mouth and the lungs is compromised and the body doesn’t receive enough oxygen to properly function. The vibration of the soft tissues in the mouth and neck cause the stereotypical snoring rattling sound.
Snoring is a way the body alerts the brain that it is not getting enough air to function properly. As a result, many people will wake up, but not enough to actually remember doing so. It simply resets the breathing, which is important, but it also disrupts sleep.
Things that trigger snoring include:
- Sleeping on the back
- Carrying excess weight in the neck area
- Flaccid oral and pharyngeal tissues
- Enlarged tonsils
- Enlarged tongue
- Individual nasal (nose)or mandibular (jaw) anatomy
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
You may need to consult with your GP or a sleep specialist to properly establish the individual reasons why you snore. By doing so, you can then address the problem properly for ongoing relief from snoring.
How Can I Prevent Snoring?
Adopt healthier bedtime habits to help alleviate snoring. These may include:
- Raise the head of your bed slightly
- Take a warm shower or bath before bed
- Use an anti-snoring pillow
- Diffuse essential oils such as eucalyptus oil in your room
- Use an oral stop snoring sleep device
- Take an antihistamine if you suffer from allergies
How to Stop Snoring – Naturally
- Manage your Weight: Gaining weight can cause accumulation of fatty tissue in the neck and throat. This can narrow your airways. Losing weight may be the most effective ongoing way to stop snoring.
- Sleep on your side: When you sleep on your back, your tongue can relax back into your throat. This may at least partially block your airway. Sleeping on your side prevents this from happening.
- Exercise: Exercising regularly promotes better quality sleep and helps you maintain a healthy weight. By improving your muscle tone, your throat and soft palate may also be better able to maintain their optimal shape while you are asleep.
- Hydrate: To properly function, you need to drink plenty of water. Dehydration can cause mucus buildup in the throat and mouth – and this can block the airways and cause snoring.
- Moderate Alcohol Consumption: Drinking alcohol (or using other drugs) at night or in excess inhibits your ability to get a restful night’s sleep. Even sleeping pills make snoring much more likely, diminishing your sleep quality.
- Stop Smoking: Smoking is very bad for quality sleep and overall health and wellbeing. Smokers experience more intense snoring episodes and are more likely to develop conditions including insomnia and sleep apnoea.
- Maintain a Healthy Diet: Sugar and high-fat, high-carbohydrate meals, especially large meals later at night, can overload your system and impact healthy digestion, impacting sleep and even contributing to snoring.
Stop Snoring Solution: ApneaRX
ApneaRx provides an effective stop snoring solution. It is a top-quality, patented, medical-grade oral device developed by medical scientists and biomedical engineers based on many years of research. Worn in the mouth while you sleep, ApneaRX is a revolutionary device that gently repositions the lower jaw during sleep – and it has helped thousands of people around the world to stop snoring and may even assist in the treatment of sleep apnoea for a better night’s sleep. ApneaRX is comfortable to wear, it is a natural method to help stop snoring that is suitable for use by adults of all ages.
Learn more about ApneaRX today – browse our website or give us a call today in NZ on 0800 111 325.
