Are you frustrated by your sleep partner who keeps you awake all night long with noisy snoring? Have you even found yourself woken up from sleep because of your own snoring? No matter what you’re thinking about this, snoring is a natural occurrence. Everyone snores from time to time, so it is usually not something you should worry about. This occurs due to the reluctant movements of the throat that as it gets relaxed during sleep.
Here’s how you can to stop or at least reduce snoring throughout the night.
Self-help Strategies to Prevent Snoring:
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If your snoring doesn’t get serious yet, you should consider self-help strategies. Those act as a preventive measure and refer to sleep techniques or lifestyle changes.
As for the sleep techniques, you need to here are some bedtime tips that can to help you get rid of snoring.
- Change or correct your sleeping position. Try to prop your body up when sleeping. If you prefer sleeping on your back, add several pillows to lift yourself up. You should also consider adding a few flat boards under the legs of your bed. Make sure to place them under each leg at the top end. That will raise the head of the bed and do the trick if the snoring is minor.
- Sleep on your side. Using a full-length body pillow can help you maintain this position. It supports your whole body when lying in bed. If it can’t prevent you from sleeping on your back, there’s a little trick with a tennis ball. Sew a tennis ball (or a couple of tennis balls) to the back of your pajamas/sleeping shirt. That will make you feel uncomfortable lying on your back.
- Clear nasal passages. Are you suffering from a stuffy nose? If so, it’s a good idea to clear it before bed by rinsing sinuses with saline. You may also consider using nasal strips or a neti pot.
- Practice singing or take up the didgeridoo. Maybe this sounds strange to you, but it can be useful for preventing snoring. This way you’ll strengthen your throat muscles, so that will block air when sleeping.
- Keep your bedroom humid. Dry air irritates membranes in the throat and nose, and thus triggers snoring. Take a hot bath before bed or use a humidifier to keep your breathing channels moist.
When it comes to the lifestyle changes, you need to:
- Lose weight
- Don’t eat large meals before bed
- Quit smoking
- Stop drinking alcohol
- Avoid sedatives and sleeping pills
Medical Treatments:
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If these self-help solutions didn’t yield results, you should use a mouth guard or appliance. There is a wide range of anti snoring devices available today, which can help you stop snoring. Yet, it could be a daunting task to choose a device that will suit both your lifestyle and needs. Most of them use a thermoplastic and come in one size that fits all. It’s also possible fitting to ensure a device feels comfortable on your face.
Otherwise, you can talk to your doctor. There are some medical cures and treatments for snoring, including:
- Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP)
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
- Palatal implants
- Somnoplasty
- Surgical procedures
Talk to an otolaryngologist to find the best option. Luckily, there are many new advances that address this problem. They are becoming more comfortable and effective all the time. That makes all the difference to people who want stop snoring and sleep better at night.
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