Snoring is a common problem. It can both not just the person who snores, but the person they share a bed with too. Some people snore every night or most nights, while others might only snore occasionally. If you snore or you know someone who does, you might be looking for the right solutions to stop it. Snoring can disrupt your sleep and the sleep of your bed partner – or even other people in your home if you’re loud enough! Snoring is not usually caused by anything serious, but it can get very annoying. You can explore various solutions to deal with the problem.
Some people only snore or snore worse than usual when they have been drinking alcohol. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, which interferes with your breathing. This can also be true of sleeping pills, sedatives and some other medications. Limiting your alcohol intake can help to prevent this issue and hopefully you can avoid snoring. If you don’t want to cut out alcohol altogether, avoiding it too close to bedtime or sticking to a drink or two may help. If you take any prescription medications, consider talking to your doctor about them. Some medications are designed to help you get a deeper sleep, which can cause an issue with snoring.
This is one of the main causes of snoring. Losing weight can be tough, but it might help you if you snore. When you’re overweight, the fatty tissue at the back of your throat can cause a larger obstruction when you’re sleeping. This can make you snore, and it might mean you don’t get great quality sleep too. If you’re able to lose even a small amount of weight, you might be able to reduce the fatty tissue at the back of your throat. Sleeping well is also great for weight loss, so everything is connected. If you get better sleep, you can help your body lose weight, and if you lose weight, you’ll sleep better when you’re no longer snoring.
Change Your Sleeping Position
The position you sleep in can also make a difference to whether you snore or not. You or someone else might have noticed that you snore more when lying on your back. When you have your head back, your tongue might block your airway and your soft palate collapses against the back of your throat. Sleeping on your side is better to prevent snoring, and it can deliver other health benefits, such as being good for your back. You can get special pillows that help to keep you on your side through the night. Or, for a low-tech solution, you can strap a tennis ball to your nightclothes.
Smokers are more likely to snore too, so preventing snoring is another reason in the long list of reasons to quit. When you smoke, it irritates the membranes in the nose and throat. This can block airways and cause you to snore. Quitting smoking can be tough, especially if you’ve been a smoker for a long time. However, it can quickly stop or reduce your snoring, and you will soon start to feel a range of other health benefits too. You can find lots of resources to help you quit and various quitting aids, such as nicotine patches and gum.
Clear Your Nasal Passages
Having a stuffed up nose or sinus problems can lead to snoring. It’s not always easy to deal with the issue if you’re feeling blocked up, but there are ways to address it. Rinsing your sinuses with saline can be one way to help bring you some relief. You can also use a decongestant or nasal strips to ease your breathing. It will also probably help to deal with any allergies you have if they are making you feel congested or irritating your nasal passages.
See a Doctor
Lifestyle changes might not work to address your snoring. If you’re still struggling with snoring, seeing a doctor can help you to get to the bottom of your snoring. An ENT doctor might be the right specialist to meet your needs. They specialize in ear, nose and throat medicine, and they can help by exploring the physical problems that might be causing your snoring, and finding a solution. They can also assess you for obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause you not only to snore but to stop breathing and wake up multiple times a night.
You don’t have to put up with snoring. If you’re fed up with your own snoring or your partner’s snoring, you can explore the available solutions to solve it.