Does your bedroom sound like a busy harbor at night?
The sound of back-to-back foghorns—we've all experienced it at least once.
Before we get to the night-saving tips, let’s first understand how a snore works.
Snoring is the sound that occurs when air flows through the relaxed throat and upper airway during sleep, causing the surrounding tissues to vibrate. The sound is caused by the vibration of the soft palate, uvula, and other tissues in the back of the throat.
Now that we know what causes it...
Here are 7 tips to help you with your snoring problem:
- Lose weight: Being overweight can increase the risk of snoring. Losing weight can help reduce the fatty tissue in the throat, which can reduce snoring.
- Avoid alcohol and sedatives: Alcohol and sedatives can relax the muscles in the throat, making it more likely for snoring to occur.
- Sleep on your side: Sleeping on your back can cause the tongue and soft palate to collapse at the back of your throat, which can cause snoring. Sleeping on your side can help prevent this.
- Elevate your head: Keeping your head elevated while you sleep can help keep the airway open and reduce snoring.
- Use a humidifier: Dry air can cause nasal and throat irritation, which can lead to snoring. Using a humidifier can help keep the air moist and reduce snoring.
- Treat nasal congestion: If you have nasal congestion, it can be difficult to breathe through your nose. Treating nasal congestion can help reduce snoring.
- Quit smoking: Smoking can cause inflammation and swelling in the nose and throat, which can lead to snoring. Quitting can help reduce snoring.
Snoring can also cause disruptions in sleep quality, leading to daytime fatigue, irritability, and other issues. Therefore, it is important to address snoring if it is causing problems with your or your partner's sleep quality.
But you already know these awful effects, the next day is always worse, with that feeling of being a daytime zombie after your restless night.
You should note that not all snoring is problematic. On the other hand, loud and persistent snoring can be a sign of an underlying health issue such as sleep apnea, and should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
