How to Stop Snoring? From Bed-time Remedies to Somnoplasty

Snoring can be irritating and can also make you feel ashamed. But if you snore, there is no need to worry because almost 60% of the adult population snores. It runs in families and gets more common as we age.

Snoring is a sound that occurs when you can’t move air freely via your nose and throat while sleeping.

This causes vibration in the surrounding tissues, resulting in the snoring sound. Snorers frequently have excess throat and nasal tissue, or “floppy” tissue, which is more likely to vibrate. Smooth breathing can also be hindered by the position of your tongue.

Snoring during the night can degrade the quality of your sleep, resulting in daytime weariness, irritability, and an increase in health issues.

In this article, we will discuss the symptoms and causes of snoring along with tips to stop or avoid snoring and enjoy a peaceful sleep.

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Symptoms Indicate You Snore:

Snoring can also be associated with a serious health condition called obstructive sleep apnea but not all snorers particularly have this disorder. However, at any stage snoring can progress to obstructive sleep apnea.

Snoring sounds are usually heard by your partner. However, if you have any of the following symptoms, you might be snoring at night:

• Restlessness during sleep
• Breathing pauses during sleep
• Daytime drowsiness
• Sore throat after waking up
• Headaches
• Chest Pain

Causes of Snoring:

Snoring can be caused due to many factors including mouth anatomy, allergies, and body weight.

When a person goes to deep sleep, the throat muscles relax, sometimes these relaxed tissues block your airway and cause vibration which creates the snoring sound.

Some of the following conditions cause snoring:

• Nasal Congestion:
  • Snoring can be caused due to nasal congestion or crooked partition of the nasal septum
• Alcohol Consumption:
  • Excessive alcohol consumption can cause snoring as alcohol relaxes the throat muscles
• Age:
  • As you age, your throat muscles become narrower and muscle tone also decreases which leads to snoring
• Sleeping Position:
  • Your sleep position can also cause snoring problems. If you lie on your back, the throat muscles relax due to the action of gravity, which makes the airway narrower.
• Being Overweight:
  • Extra fatty tissue around the neck can also cause snoring.

How You Snore, Tells Why You Snore:

The way you snore pretty much indicates the cause of snoring. For example:

Closed-mouth Snoring:

• If you snore while your mouth is closed, this might be caused by your tongue.

Open-mouth Snoring:

• This type of snoring is often caused due to relaxed muscles.

Snoring while sleeping on your back:

• This is often mild snoring and can be treated by changing sleep posture.

Snoring in all sleep positions:

• This is a severe type of snoring that requires comprehensive treatment.

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Simple Bedtime Remedies to Stop Snoring:

Sleep in a different position:

• Lifting your head 4 inches can help you breathe easier and bring your tongue and jaw forward. Snoring can be prevented by using special pillows that ensure your neck muscles are not pinched.

Sleep on the side:

• Instead of sleeping on your back, try sleeping on your side. Place something like a cushion, pillow, or ball on your back that keeps you from changing the position until you get used to it.

Snoring mouthpiece:

• During sleep, these devices, which are like a mouth guards, help expand your airway by moving your lower jaw and tongue forward.

Clear your nose before going to bed:

• Rinse your sinuses with saline before going to bed if you have a stuffy nose.

Fill your bedroom with moist air:

• Dry air can irritate nasal and throat membranes, so if you have swollen nasal tissues use a humidifier.

Lifestyle interventions to stop snoring:

Your lifestyle impacts your overall health and it does affect the quality of your sleep. Some of these changes can help you avoid snoring.

Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives:

• Alcohol consumption particularly before sleeping and taking any sedatives greatly relax the muscles in your throat and interfere with normal breathing.
• A study of 279 patients suggests that alcohol consumption greatly affects sleep quality and plays a role in worsening the symptoms of snoring.[Ref]

Lose Weight:

• Losing even a few pounds might help to stop snoring. It reduces the amount of fatty tissue in your throat and greatly decreases the blocking of airways.
• One study suggests that weight loss combined with sleeping on the side and using a nasal decongestant greatly reduces snoring. [Ref]

Avoid eating heavy meals:

• Eating heavy meals and dairy products just before bedtime can make your snoring worse.

Exercise:

Exercise greatly helps to resolve the problem of snoring, even if weight loss is not achieved, exercising maintains muscle tone. Some specific exercises to tone throat muscles include:

• Saying each vowel (a-e-i-o-u) out loud for three minutes, several times a day.
• Placing the tip of your tongue beneath your front teeth for three minutes a day.
• Contract your lips and close your mouth. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
• Move your jaw to the right with your mouth open and hold in this position for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
• With your mouth open, contract the muscle in the back of the throat for 30 seconds.
• Try singing, it can improve throat and soft palate muscular control, minimizing snoring caused by slacked muscles.

Medical Treatments to Stop Snoring:

If your symptoms don’t improve, you might need a medical device or surgery to stop snoring. Some medical treatments include:

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine:

• This device will help in keeping your airway open while you sleep. It blows pressurized air through a mask into your mouth.

Palatal Implants to stop snoring:

• This procedure involves inserting plastic implants in the soft palate. These implants help to prevent collapsing of the soft palate.

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP):

• This technique uses a laser to shorten the length of the uvula and make small cuts on each side of the soft palate. This makes the tissue stiff and prevents snoring.

Somnoplasty to stop snoring:

• This procedure involves the use of radiofrequency heat to remove tissues that vibrate and cause snoring.

Conclusion:

Snoring can easily be cured by little changes to your sleep habits or lifestyle. But if it continues or gets worse, seek medical advice to avoid further complications and to get proper treatment for disorders like Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

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