All people snore occasionally. According to the national sleep foundation, more than 45 % of American adults snore periodically. Snoring is caused by the blockage of the airwaves towards the mouth, throat, and nose as we breathe in and out, this leads to vibrations in the airwaves tissues producing a rattling sound usually referred to as snoring. Snoring is not entirely wrong until it leads to disturbances to those around you. Excessive snoring is a sign of other health and lifestyle issues that need to be addressed.
Different types of snorers.
When you identify the exact position, your snore is coming from makes you get the right help. Let’s distinguish the different types of sleepers.
Mouth-based snorer.
A mouth based sleeper usually breathes with their mouth when they sleep. They snore when the house closed or open. To establish if you are this kind of sleeper, Close your mouth and try to make the snoring sound if you can then you can try to cheat snoring by investing in a device to keep your mouth open. You should invest in CAP, EPA or UAS therapy.
Tongue -based snoring.
For this snorer, the tongue tends to fall back on the throat blocking the airwave either entirely or partially. The louder the snore, the more blocked the throat is.
To test if you are this kind of a snore, you should stick your tongue out and grit it between your teeth. Try to snore, and if you make a reduced snoring sound, you are a Tongue sleeper. Try using the Tongue Stabilizing Device like snoring mouthpieces or positional therapy which involves the use of anti-snoring backpacks to help you out.
Nose snoring
Nose snoring is as a result of the collapse or the congestion of the nostrils eventually causing a blockage. Test yourself by closing just one side of your nose using one finger and try breathing in through the other half with the stomach closed.
If the nose collapses, then you are a nasal snorer. If it is congested, you might have allergies. You should use nasal dilators to help reduce snoring and visit the Doctor if your problem is the allergy. Nasal snorer are also prone to bad breathes, headaches and dry mouth
Major causes of snoring
The major causes of snoring include
- Age,
- Pregnancy,
- Swollen tonsils,
- Obesity,
- Sleeping on your back,
- Lack of enough sleep,
- Smoking
- Taking alcohol.
Now that you already know the type of snorer you are and what causes snoring let's find you a solution.
Exercise.
Although it is done to get fit and stretching your muscles, this makes you feel relaxed and very active. Doing a few simple both aerobic and anaerobic exercises before you go to sleep can be helpful. It stretches your muscles opening up the airwaves and reducing snoring.
A study conducted in India, especially on the elderly tied the effect of aerobic and anaerobic on sleep, and they promoted sleep quality free of snoring.
Avoid sleeping on your back.
Sleeping on your back is one of the causes of constant snoring or lack of adequate sleep.When you sleep on your back, your mouth tends to open causing changes to the shape of the upper airway. The effect of the gravity on your face also tends to compress your airway especially if you are overweight due to the excess fat on your neck.
The good news is that you can hack a homemade solution. Use an inflated pillow and put it into the empty pillow case. Lie on the hollow portion of the pillow with your back resting on the inflated pillow. The chances are that you will sleep on the side since the pillow prevents you from rolling on the side.
Avoid alcohol
People who tend to take alcohol especially before sleep tend to snore. Alcohol is an antidepressant that is most people use it to help you sleep more.It makes you feel drowsy but it might be the reason why you are snoring.
Alcohol relaxes both your minds and muscles related to breathing. It also relaxes your jaws and throat collapses your airways restricting airflow and causing snoring.
Stop smoking
Smoking is known to cause more bad than good. Prolonged smoking causes diseases such as nose, lip, tongue and mouth cancer, tooth decay, increased risk to stroke and brain damage and lung failure.
Excessive smoking also causes dry nasal membranes that completely blocks the nostrils leading to snoring louder.
Get enough sleep
Snoring has been described as an aftermath of poor sleeping patterns. People who tend to get less sleep are likely to snore. Lack of enough sleep makes you accumulate sleep debt.
You end up compensating for this time at different times of the day. You are likely to end up adopting a wrong sleeping posture that blocks your airwaves causing you to snore.
Always ensure you get the 8 hours of sleep recommended. You may find that your sleeping environment is the cause of inadequate sleep. You should change your room décor if it is too busy. When you dread sleeping on your bed, you should replace your mattress. It is probably worn out. A verlo mattress is a good option that will help you sleep better.
Eat healthily.
You should always watch what you eat especially near bedtime. Eating heavy meals at night will lead to snoring due to troubles in breathing. Your body will concentrate all its energy to digesting the food instead of rejuvenating.
Eating sizeable portions of foods rich in Melatonin, calcium, carbohydrates, Tryptophan, and magnesium will enrich your body and enable you to get quality sleep.
Drink more water.
You all have heard that drinking up to 8 glasses of water in a day is right for your health. (0% of our body is made of water.
When you are dehydrated your secretions, tend to be stickier the soft palate, and the nose tends to be stickier closing the airwaves. When you are hydrated, they tend to be runny opening up the airwaves.
Taking water at various intervals during the day will help you sleep better and reduce snoring.
Conclusion.
Snoring especially when you have a partner can be disturbing and annoying at the same time. While these methods work for you, persistent snoring may indicate serious health problems. Consult your Doctor if the above methods do not work.
