Snoring usually doesn’t bother the snorer but it can be a major nuisance to the person trying to sleep beside them. It occurs due to a relaxation of the muscles in the neck and a narrowing of the airway.
What causes snoring?
It can be caused by numerous health and lifestyle factors, including:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSAS), a disorder that affects your breathing when asleep.
- Being overweight
- Upper airway abnormality
- Endocrine disorders – the endocrine system is a system of glands that produce and control hormones, affecting bodily functions
- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
How to reduce your snoring
There’s no need to stop sharing a bed yet. Here’s some things you can do to help reduce your snoring:
Keeping a sleep diary
Loads of things can make your snoring better or worse. A good way to identify what those things are is to keep a sleep diary. Write down in a notebook on the nights where you snore more or less than usual, and take note of what you ate for dinner and when, what time you went to bed, and what position you slept in. All of these things affect snoring.
Get active and eat well
A big contributor to snoring can be being overweight. Looking after your diet and excercise may help with your snoring. For information on healthy diet and excercise, check out this article.
Make sure you get enough sleep
Not getting enough sleep can be a major factor in snoring. Make sure you’re going to bed early enough, and at the same time every night.
Smoking is a big contributor to snoring. Kick the habit!
Don’t drink alcohol close to bedtime
Drinking alcohol before bed can wreak havoc with your snoring. Avoid it for a few hours before bed to help reduce your snoring.
Sleep on your side
Snoring is usuaslly worse when sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your side is one way to help this.
Keep the your upper-body elevated
Prop up your upper-body with a few pillows. This can help.
Look after your allergies
If you have allergies, make sure to dust your whole room, and wash your bed clothes to help get rid of dust mites and other allergens.
Go to the doctor
Snoring is often a symptom of other sleep problems, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. Other symptoms of OSAS include stoppage of breathing, fragmented and restless sleep, night time sweats, morning headache, and issues functioning during the daytime. If you have any of these symptoms and if your snoring is persistant, discuss it with your doctor,