How to stop snoring

Snoring is a common problem that affects about a quarter of adults. The market is flooded with gadgets that claim to beat snoring. But do they work and how do they compare with traditional remedies?

Almost everyone snores occasionally, but if snoring is loud and continuos as in many cases, it can affect the quantity and quality of your sleep and your family or roommates. Snoring can lead to poor sleep and fatigue of the day, irritability and increased health problems.

If your snoring keeps your partner awake and could create serious problems in the relationship. Fortunately, sleeping in separate rooms are not the only treatment for snoring. There are many effective home remedies and alternatives.

Why do people snore? Causes:

During sleep, the throat muscles relax, causing the throat to get narrower. Snoring occurs when there is a vibration of your soft palate (the back part of the roof of the mouth). There are a number of factors that cause this. The supporting muscles of the opening above the bottom of the throat relax during sleep.

When you snore, the structures of the mouth, throat, tongue and upper throat, palate and uvula vibrate against the tonsils and adenoids. There are many possible causes. Overweight people are more likely to snore, and experts believe that this is due to excess fatty tissue compresses the airway. 

Drinking alcohol before bedtime is another cause: Alcohol causes throat muscles relaxation and sagging resulting in airway blockage. And whenever you have a stuffy nose, colds or allergies, you are more likely to snore because the inflamed tissue and mucus interfere with the additional airflow. Other common causes include:

• Your age. As you reach middle age and beyond, your throat becomes narrower, and the muscle tone in your throat decreases.
• The way you’re built. Men have narrower air passages than women and are more likely to snore. A narrow throat, a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids, and other physical attributes that contribute to snoring are often hereditary.
• Nasal and sinus problems. Blocked airways make inhalation difficult and create a vacuum in the throat, leading to snoring.
• Being overweight or out of shape. Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring.
• Alcohol, smoking, and medications. Alcohol intake, smoking, and certain medications can increase muscle relaxation leading to more snoring.
• Your sleep posture. Sleeping flat on your back causes the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway.
• It can be a sign of other serious sleep disorder like sleep apnea. Which is a breathing obstruction, causing the sleeper to keep waking up to begin breathing again.

 How to stop snoring? Cure:

Snoring happens when you can't move air freely through your nose and mouth during sleep. Often caused by the narrowing of your airway, either from poor sleep posture or abnormalities of the soft tissues in your throat. A narrow airway gets in the way of smooth breathing and creates the sound of snoring.

Snoring is not the same thing. In fact, everyone snores for different reasons. To identify the cause is very essential for finding the appropriate cure. When you reach the bottom of why you snore, you can find good solutions and have a deep peaceful sleep.

It’s crucial to note the different ways you sleep and snore. Sleep positions reveal a lot, and figuring out how you snore can reveal why you snore. When you know why you snore, you can get closer to a cure.

1. Closed-mouth snoring may indicate a problem with your tongue.
2. Open-mouth snoring may be related to the tissues in your throat.
3. Snoring when sleeping on your back is probably mild snoring – improved sleep habits and lifestyle changes may be effective cures.
4. Snoring in all sleep positions can mean your snoring is more severe(Sleep apnea) and may require a more comprehensive treatment.

Effective treatments and home remedies

There are so many bizarre anti-snoring devices available on the market today, with more being added all the time, that finding the right solution for your snoring can seem like a daunting task. Unfortunately, many of these unusual devices are unproven or work by simply keeping you awake at night.
In fact improving the condition is in your own hands. Try these simple home remedies and applying some lifestyle changes can take you a long way in resolving the problem. 

1. Change Your Sleep Position.
Lying on your back makes the base of your tongue and soft palate collapse to the back wall of your throat, causing a vibrating sound during sleep. Sleeping on your side may help prevent this. 

If you find it difficult to sleep on sides, try the tennis ball trick. Sleep with a tennis ball (or similar sized ball) attached to the back of a pajama top or t-shirt. The tennis ball is uncomfortable if you lie on your back, and you will respond by turning on your side. Soon you will develop side-sleeping as a habit and not need the tennis balls.

2. Lose weight. 

Losing even a little bit of weight can reduce fatty tissue in the back of the throat and decrease or even stop snoring.

3. Exercise 

It can also help to stop snoring. Working out to tone your arms, legs, and abs, for example, also leads to toning the muscles in your throat, which in turn can lead to less snoring.

4. Quit smoking and alcohol 

If you smoke, your chances of snoring are high. Smoking causes airways to be blocked by irritating the membranes in the nose and throat.

Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives, especially before bedtime, because they relax the muscles in the throat and interfere with breathing. Talk to your doctor about any prescription medications you’re taking, as some encourage a deeper level of sleep which can make snoring worse.

5. Establish regular sleep patterns. 

Create a bedtime ritual with your partner and stick to it. Hitting the sack in a routine way together can help you sleep better and often minimize snoring.

6. Clear nasal passages. 

Having a stuffy nose makes inhalation difficult and creates a vacuum in your throat, which in turn leads to snoring. You can do it naturally with a Neti pot or try nasal decongestants or nasal strips to help you breathe more easily while sleeping.

7. Reduce bedroom allergens

Reduce bedroom allergens (dust, pet dander, mold) to alleviate nasal stuffiness by vacuuming floors and drapes. Change sheets and pillowcases often. Keep bedroom air moist with a humidifier. Dry air can irritate membranes in the nose and throat.

8. Reposition. 

Elevating your head four inches may ease breathing and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward. There are specially designed pillows available to help prevent snoring by making sure your neck muscles are not crimped.

With the help of these simple home remedies you will get relief from snoring. However if you have sleep apnea contact your doctor for proper treatment.