Why do people snore?
Snoring is the result of the obstruction of airflow through your nasal passages, which causes a loud harsh sound. As you fall into a deep sleep your muscles and tissues relax. As the air begins to flow past these relaxed tissues, it causes them to vibrate in your throat, creating those annoying sounds that keep everyone awake.
A lot depends on the size of your nasal passages, the narrower your nasal airways, the higher chance you??ll be a snorer. If someone in your family snored, it??s likely, you??ll snore too.
Want to stop snoring?
Try these remedies. It will be gratifying when everyone gets a good night’s sleep.
- Keep Your Nasal Passages Open – Your snoring can stop if you keep your nasal passages open. If your nasal passages are stuffed or you have a cold or sinusitis, breathing can be difficult causing you to snore. Saline sprays can help thin the mucus in your sinuses and open your nasal airways. Moisture from a warm shower before bedtime can help. Keep a neti pot in your shower and rinse your sinuses out while showering. Your drugstore carries nasal strips that help to open your nasal passages.
- Drink Plenty of Fluids – Hydrating is the key to keeping your sinuses and air passages from drying out, causing these areas to shrink. By drinking an ample amount of fluids and water, will keep you from dehydrating and drying out your sinuses.
- Check Your Bedding – How old are the pillows you sleep on? For people who snore or have allergies, allergens, dust mites, pet hair and dander on old pillows can produce allergic reactions causing you to snoring. To lessen the amount of allergens in your bedroom, change your sheets regularly and replace your pillows every six months to keep these allergens at bay.
- Keep a Consistent Bedtime – Maintain a normal sleeping schedule so that you don’t end up over tired. Try to go to bed the same time every night and get 6-8 hours of sleep every night. Getting over tired will drop you into a deeper sleep, relaxing the nasal tissues that cause you to snore and wake everyone up.
- Manage Your Weight – It’s believed that if you lose weight, your snoring will stop, yet thin people also snore. Added weight in your throat area can shrink the inner diameter of your throat, restricting the airflow through your nasal passages. Losing weight may be the answer to a better night’s sleep!
- Avoid Alcohol and Strong Medications – The avoidance of alcohol and strong medications is suggested. Try not to drink alcohol 4 to 5 hours before bedtime. It puts you into a deep sleep, causing you to snore, even if you aren’t normally snorer.
- Don’t Lie On Your Back Your chances of snoring increase if you lay on your back while sleeping. People who sleep on their sides don’t snore. Try using a body pillow placed against your back or attach tennis balls to the back of your pyjamas to keep you sleeping on your side for a quiet night sleep. Soon you??ll automatically sleep on your side.
What if the remedies don’t work?
If you try all of these simple snoring remedies with no relief, it could mean a more serious problem is at hand. If you continue to snore, it could be a symptom of obstructive sleep disorder, better known as sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition, which not only interrupts your sleep but your breathing as well. When your breathing is disrupted while sleeping, you’re cutting off essential oxygen to vital organs and your brain.
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Nobody wants chronic snoring to continue to keep everyone awake? If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, take my sleep questionnaire and I’ll reply with a free, no obligations diagnostic recommendation. Once you determine the cause of your problem, you’ll be closer to finding effective treatment.