We are all familiar with snoring. If we are not the main culprits of this noisy nighttime problem, we know someone who is. Snoring affects about half of our population, and 25% of us are habitual snorers.
But why do people snore? When we go to sleep, our neck muscles relax. Sometimes they can be too relaxed. This causes your upper airway i.e. nose and throat, to become too narrow for enough air to travel to the lungs. When this happens the surrounding tissue vibrates and results in sounds we recognize to snore. The narrower your airway becomes, the greater the vibration and the louder the snores.
Asides from being a nuisance to your friends or your partner, snoring also affects how you sleep. It reduces the quality of your sleep, could result in sleep apnea , or lead to chronic sleep deprivation. Ever woken up in the morning tired, cranky, and not quite feeling like you got a good night time’s rest? Snoring might be the cause. The good news is there are natural snoring remedies that can help.
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Why You snore?
A couple of factors come into play here. One popular one is weight. Carrying excess weight around your neck and throat can cause snoring. Then there is good old biology. In general, men have narrower air passages than women and are most likely to snore.
Stuffy Nose. Anything that stops you from breathing through your nose can make you snore, like if you’re stopped up from a cold, flu, or allergies. Over-the-counter medicines or nasal strips can help open up those airways, but talk to your doctor if you’re stuffed up for weeks at a time.
You Sleep on Your Back. This can make you snore or make it worse. Sleeping on your side is better, and cuddling with your partner “spooning” – gets both of you on your sides. You also could try sleeping with two or three stacked pillows so you’re not flat on your back. If neither of those works, sew a small pocket between the shoulder blades of a shirt that’s a little tight. Put a tennis ball in the pocket so it’s uncomfortable when you roll onto your back.
Sleep Apnea. Snoring can be a sign of a more serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea. That’s a condition in which a person repeatedly stops breathing for brief periods of time during sleep. It may make you gasp for breath or wake you during the night. Signs of it include dry mouth, headache, or a sore throat in the morning. It’s linked to stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease, so see your doctor if you think you might have sleep apnea. They may recommend a device that helps you breathe while you sleep.
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Natural snoring remedies that can help.
There are a couple of ways to deal with snoring. Some medical and some natural. Medical treatment is usually recommended for extreme scenarios. Like when your snoring results in sleep apnea. But before turning to medical treatment try out these ten natural snoring home remedies that work like a charm.
Change your sleeping position. Sleeping on your back can cause your airways to become blocked or narrowed. If you notice that you snore while sleeping on your back it is time to switch up your sleeping position. Sleeping on your side is usually recommended.
Treat yourself to a humidifier. While dry air might not be the main cause of your snoring, it can certainly aggravate it. So get a couple of humidifiers to keep the air in your room nice and moist. The added moisture in the air will help lubricate your throat. Making it easier for air to flow in and out without causing any noisy vibrations.
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Exercise to prevent weak tongue and throat muscles. You snore when your tongue and throat muscles are too relaxed. Strengthening them would help you stop. There are a couple of exercises which could help you strengthen you do this. A great and easy hack to get some throat exercise in is singing.
Elevate your head while you sleep. If sleeping on your side instead of your back doesn’t stop your snoring, you might need to prop up your head a little bit. This will ease breathing and open up your airways. Using a pillow or two should do the trick. You could also slightly the front of your bed by a couple of inches.
Examine your diet and cut down on inflammatory food.
Get enough sleep.
Get to know your own snoring patterns.
Quit smoking and avoid alcohol.
Drink more water.
Lose some weight.
