Are you suffering from snoring and always feel embarrassed about it? Or do you always wake up tired, irritated with a heavy head in the morning because of your snoring?
“Snoring” is no laughing matter. It is a health hazard not just for the snorer but for their unfortunate partner.
According to a recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 25% of married couples sleep in separate beds, and 10% even have their separate bedrooms. The main reason behind this is that 41% of sleep partners snore. Therefore snoring solutions are a must-have!
What are the symptoms of snoring?
Some of the symptoms associated with snoring are:
- A dry and sore throat when you wake up.
- Silent vibrations or whistles to loud snorting, rumbling, or grumbling sounds.
- Sleep deprivation can lead to headaches and mood swings.
- Feel drowsiness throughout the day.
- Having breathlessness.
There could also be other symptoms like:
- Restless sleep
- High blood pressure
- Chest pain, choking, and breathlessness at night
- In children, it may cause poor attention and poor performance in school
- Behavioral problems
Apart from being a nuisance to your partner or sleep mates, snoring also has adverse effects on your life. It disturbs your sleep quality which could lead to sleep apnea and chronic sleep deprivation.
Snoring often gets unnoticed. It is a common problem usually experienced by middle-aged people. People who take snoring lightly and don’t take any action to treat it usually face the social and medical effects of snoring later on.
Unrefreshing sleep, frequent awakening from sleep, daytime weakness, choking sensations, irritating behavior, or personality changes can be the common after-effects of snoring. Many times, snoring can lead to obstructive sleep apnea, a serious health problem characterized by periodic incidents of full or partial upper airway obstruction during sleep.
I think it’s time to do something about it because the spare room can be terribly lonely! And only a few folks can afford it! Isn’t it?
Are you really looking for ways how to sleep without snoring? Well, there are different natural snoring remedies that can help! But before knowing these snoring remedies, it is important to understand the reason for snoring.
What causes snoring?
When we sleep, our neck muscles relax. So, when we breathe, our upper airways (nose and throat) become too narrow to let the air travel to the lungs. When it occurs, the relaxed tissue vibrates and leads to harsh sounds, which we call snoring. The narrower your airway gets, the greater the vibration and the louder the snoring sound.
Are you thinking about how to sleep without snoring? Ok, let me help you!
How to stop snoring permanently
There are many ways to get rid of snoring, some medical and some natural. Medical therapy is usually recommended for people with extreme snoring issues such as sleep apnea. But before opting for medical treatment, you should try out these natural snoring remedies that work like magic to stop snoring permanently.
Maintain your body weight
People who are overweight are more likely to have snore problems than those who aren’t. The reason is simple- overweight people have extra fat around their necks. This will narrow their airways and causes them to snore.
So, try losing a couple of pounds which will minimize the amount of fatty tissue around the throat. Make some changes in your diet and try reducing caloric intake. Eat smaller portions of nutrient-rich food to lose weight. Try to do some exercise regularly.
Sleeping position matters
If a person lies down on their back while sleeping, there is a higher chance that they will snore. Lying down on your back can narrow down or block your airways and can lead the tongue to move to the back of your throat, which makes breathing difficult and can cause snoring.
Sleeping on your side is usually considered the best sleeping position to stop snoring. Sleeping on one side may help the air flow easily, reducing the vibrations or making the sound of a snore quieter. So, if you observe that you snore while sleeping on your back, you can change your sleeping position.
Old habits die hard, so it is quite obvious that you might roll back to your comfortable position. But don’t worry, you can also fix this. You can buy a body pillow that helps you maintain your side sleeping position.
You can also try one more trick- Sewing or attaching the tennis balls to the back of your track pants or T-shirts. If you roll over onto your back in a deep sleep, the uneasiness of the tennis ball will cause you to come back onto your side. After a couple of days, sleeping on your side will become easy, and then you can take out the tennis balls.
Understanding your snoring patterns
If you want to get rid of snoring, understanding your snoring pattern will help. All change starts with knowledge. Do you agree with this? Sleep Cycle allows you to track your snoring patterns. Figuring out when and where you snore is the primary step toward trying to make help yourself get rid of snoring.
Get enough sleep
Sleep deprivation may be one of the reasons for snoring. This is because it can make your throat muscles relaxed, which increases the chances of airway obstruction.
Snoring can also increase your risk of sleep deprivation since it causes interrupted sleep. Thus, 7–9 hours of sleep every night is important for an adult to reduce snoring at night. Sleeping pills and sedatives can also have a similar effect on your tongue and throat muscles. So, if you have trouble sleeping, you might need to opt for some natural home remedies before trying out those pills.
Say no to smoking and alcohol
Drinking alcohol habitually, especially before bed, might be the reason for your snoring. Try not to drink alcohol for at least 3 hours before sleeping because it relaxes your throat muscles, which causes you to snore.
Smoking can disturb your sleep and increase the risk of snoring. It irritates your throat tissues, resulting in inflammation that further causes snoring. Regular smokers also snore.
Use humidifiers
Dry air might be one of the reasons for your snoring. However, this is not the key cause of your snoring; it can only aggravate it to some extent. So, using a couple of humidifiers to increase the moisture level in the air in your room is one of the best snoring solutions.
The extra moisture in the air will help keep your throat moist, allowing air to flow smoothly in and out without resulting in noisy vibrations.
Stay hydrated
Drinking more water is another great option when you are looking for a natural way how to sleep without snoring. Dehydration can cause mucus to form in your nose, which could increase your chances of snoring.
Though drinking water is important not just to reduce snoring but also to offer you other health benefits, still, I do not recommend drinking more water just before bedtime because you will have to wake up from sleep to use the washroom.
Try tongue and throat muscles exercise
A person snores when their throat and tongue muscles are too relaxed. Strengthening them would greatly help you to stop snoring. There are several exercises that could aid you in toughening your tongue and throat muscles.
One of the easiest hacks to get some throat exercise is singing loudly. Your roommates or partner might find it annoying, but it’ll still be less irritating than your snoring. So, give yourself a chance to become a bathroom singer. You can also try placing the tip of your tongue behind the top of your teeth and slide it to and fro for a couple of minutes a day.
Examine your diet
Gluten and dairy products are major culprits for causing fatty tissues in your throat and nose to become inflamed. You don’t have to completely avoid your favorite glass of chocolate milk or cheese you have every day. Choose some days when you have some green tea instead, and don’t have it too early before bed.
Get some steam
Taking steam helps to open up your airways just before going to bed. This becomes helpful, especially when you have a stuffy nose from a cold or allergies which is further causing your snoring. Use a towel or a small piece of cloth over your head to lock the moisture inside. Taking a warm bath also has the same effects.
Assisted Snoring Solutions
If these natural snoring remedies are not effective for you, you can try the below-mentioned modern appliances to get relief from snoring-
Use an oral appliance for sleep apnea
Oral appliances are a great option for people with sleep apnea. These devices enlarge the size of the upper airway while sleeping, which helps to reduce snoring.
Oral appliance for sleep apnea typically works by one or more of the following mechanisms-
- Moving the lower jaw (mandible) forward
- Retracting the tongue
- Shifting the place of the soft palate
These oral appliances are customized and fitted by dentists, and prescribed for people with severe snoring problems.
Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard
Mouth guards are devices that save your teeth from grinding or clenching while you sleep. They are also used to avoid injuries while playing sports.
Sleep apnea mouth guard helps to reduce snoring. Not all mouth guards are the same. Mainly there are three types of mouth guards – Stock mouth guards, Boil-and-bite mouth guards, and custom-made mouth guards. Depending on your needs, you can choose the best one for you.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine
If you are suffering from OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) and the natural snoring remedies are not helping you to decrease snoring, you might need to opt for a CPAP machine. It is the standard treatment for OSA.
CPAP machine allows you to wear a pressurized air mask over your mouth, nose, or both when you sleep. This help to keep your airways open. Still, you can talk to your doctor if you want to stop snoring without CPAP. They might suggest you some other solution.
Final Thoughts
Though snoring is common, you shouldn’t take it lightly. Snoring can disrupt your as well as your partner’s sleep. Besides being irritating, it may indicate a serious health problem. Connecting with a doctor and trying one or more natural snoring remedies can help you manage your sleep.
For the past 20 years, John Myers has focused solely on sleep apnea, snoring, head and facial pain, and TMJ disorder treatments at the Center For Sleep and TMJ in Taylorsville, Utah. He has worked at the accredited dental sleep center for more than 20 years, treating sleep and TMD, and he knows how to help. He is committed to delivering the best possible treatments for patients and creating an environment where they feel valued.
