They say about 1 out of 5 people today snores, so there's a strong possibility that someone you know has a problem with snoring. It's a problem that can lead to health problems for the snorer and believe it or not also the people around them.
The Causes
Snoring occurs when the tissue in your throat relaxes and vibrates against the back of the throat when breathing. The narrower the passage for air to travel through, the louder the snoring will be.
There are many, many possible causes of the snoring. Below is a list of the more common causes:
• Allergies
• A cold or the flu
• Alcohol
• Sleeping pills
• Overweight
• Smoking
• Naturally thick tissue in the throat
• Incorrect sleeping posture
• Low muscle tone in the throat muscles
• Sleep apnea
The Problems
Snoring can lead to more serious problems like high blood pressure, sleeping disorders, diabetes, strokes and even heart attacks. Snoring may also be an indicator of sleep apnea.
Snoring is something that is usally only taken seriously when the snorer's family can't take it anymore, but treating it before it gets to that point is better for the snorer and everyone within hearing distance.
If you live alone you may not know that you snore, but if you always wake up tired no matter how much sleep you get it may be because your snoring is preventing you from getting a solid night's sleep.
Excessive snoring may also mean you have a more serious problem like sleep apnea.
If you wake up with a headache, are extremely tired during the day, don't feel refreshed when you wake up, have trouble concentrating or a very low attention span, or wake up during the night choking and gasping for breath you should probably see a doctor.
The Natural Cures and Remedies
Here are some of those non-invasive tips to stop the snoring:
• Sleep on your side - there's a higher chance of snoring if you lie on your back, and sleeping on your stomach will kill your neck.
• Keep a regular sleep schedule - and make sure you get enough sleep, many people snore only when they are overly tired
• Elevate your head when sleeping - you can increase the angle of your bed by raising the head of the bed or use pillows to your upper body, don't just raise your head that'll put more pressure on your air way and have the opposite effect.
• Avoid alcohol and tranquillizers - they basically cause the muscles of your jaw and throat to relax, increasing your changes of snoring.
• Treat your allergies - if your nose is stuffy it may force you to breathe through your mouth when sleeping. If your nose is stuffed I recommend using a neti pot, the are incredibly effective, natural and pretty cheap to. If you have allergies and are taking allergy medication, make sure your allergy medication is antihistamine free.
• Buy a mouth guard - mouth guards will keep your jaw muscles from relaxing too much, and prevent snoring. It may not be too attractive to your significant other but it'll help you both get some sleep! :)
• Lose weight - when you're heavier the extra weight puts pressure on your airway, causing snoring.
• Avoid large meals right before bed
• If you smoke try to stop - smoking damages your respiratory system, nasal congestion and inflames the air passages, which doesn't help in the snoring department
• Start doing exercises for your throat - this will increase the strength of the muscles in your throat and prevent them from relaxing to the point where you snore
Mild snoring that isn't related to sleep apnea responds well to home remedies. Finding a cure for your snoring problem can result in an improved quality of life for you and your loved ones.
An effective and pretty simple solution is doing throat exercises, here's a website with interesting information on the snoring exercises: /?hop=4safetynow"
