An estimated 45 percent of adults snore occasionally, while 25 percent snore regularly often disturbing their bed partner’s sleep and possibly their own too.
Snoring is the sound of obstructed breathing, which can be caused by some basic factors, such as poor muscle tone, bulky throat tissue, or a long soft palate or uvula.
It may also be a red flag that you have a treatable health condition that is interfering with breathing while you sleep—such as nasal congestion caused by a sinus infection or allergy, nasal polyps (noncancerous growths in the nose) or a deviated septum.
But in some cases, snoring may be connected to more serious, even life-threatening, health concerns.
You’re more likely to snore if you’re overweight, are a middle-aged or older man, or are a postmenopausal woman. These night noises seem to worsen with age.
Snoring may disrupt your sleep, or that of your partner. Even if it’s not bothering you too much, it’s not a condition to ignore.
In fact, snoring may be a sign of a serious health condition, including: obstructive sleep apnea (blocked airways), obesity, an issue with the structure of your mouth, nose, or throat, sleep deprivation.
Here are the 7 habits to engage, in order to stop/prevent snoring.
1. Change Your Sleep Position.
Lying on your back to sleep can be very comfortable, but it 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.
Taping tennis balls to the back of your pajamas can also stop you from sleeping on your back, and help you sleep on your side.
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2. Lose Weight.
Weight loss helps some people but not everyone. “Thin people snore, too,” Slaughter says. If you’ve gained weight and started snoring and did not snore before you gained weight, weight loss may help.
“If you gain weight around your neck, it squeezes the internal diameter of the throat, making it more likely to collapse during sleep, triggering snoring,” says Daniel P. Slaughter, MD, an otolaryngologist and snoring expert at Capital Otolaryngology in Austin, Texas.
3. Avoid Alcohol.
Alcohol and sedatives reduce the resting tone of the muscles in the back of your throat, making it more likely you’ll snore.
“Drinking alcohol four to five hours before sleeping makes snoring worse,
“People who don’t normally snore will snore after drinking alcohol.” Says Sudhansu Chokroverty, MD, FRCP, FACP, program director for Clinical Neurophysiology and Sleep Medicine at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J.
4. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene.
Poor sleep habits (also known as poor sleep “hygiene”) can have an effect similar to that of drinking alcohol, Slaughter says.
Working long hours without enough sleep, for example, means when you finally hit the sack you’re overtired. “You sleep hard and deep, and the muscles become floppier, which creates snoring,” Slaughter says.
5. Open Nasal Passages.
If snoring starts in your nose, keeping nasal passages open may help. It allows air to move though slower. Your nasal passages work similarly.
If your nose is clogged or narrowed due to a cold or other blockage, the fast-moving air is more likely to produce snoring.
A hot shower before you go to bed can help open nasal passages, Slaughter says.
6. Change Your Pillows.
Allergens in your bedroom and in your pillow may contribute to snoring. When did you last dust the overhead ceiling fan? Replace your pillows?
Dust mites accumulate in pillows and can cause allergic reactions that can lead to snoring. Allowing pets to sleep on the bed causes you to breathe in animal dander, another common irritant.
7. Stay Well Hydrated.
Drink plenty of fluids. “Secretions in your nose and soft palate become stickier when you’re dehydrated,” Slaughter says. “This can create more snoring.”
According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should have about 11 cups of total water (from all drinks and food) a day; men require about 16 cups.
Overall, get enough sleep, sleep on your side, avoid alcohol before bedtime and take a hot shower if nasal passages are clogged, Slaughter says. “These simple practices can make a huge difference in reducing snoring.”
Culled from WebMD
