How to Stop Snoring

Snoring affects people across all ages and gender, and is estimated to occur in upwards of 45% of men and 25% of women.  If you or a loved one has an issue, then you probably know how difficult it can be dealing with the persistent issue.  Snorers are often the target for mid night pushes, hitting, emotional attacks in the morning, and berated to search for cures on how to stop snoring.  Snoring often leads to an unneeded disconnect in marriages because of the need to sleep in separate rooms, and can create strain and stress on two individuals’ relationship.  If you are a chronic snorer, you have probably been heckled that you’re stealing all the oxygen in the room, or are going to break the windows in the bedroom.  Either way, snoring can seriously affect your health, the health of others around you, and may be a sign of an underlying health issue that hasn’t been treated.  Snoring often leads to daytime drowsiness, irritability, and other health related issues aside from relationship stress.  There are many options to help manage and eventually eliminate snoring for good.

The key to stopping snoring dead in its tracks is to identify the causation.  As with any problem, the best line of attack is finding out why the occurrence is happening and if it’s sporadic – why is it happening when it does?  Some people snore every day of the week, while others tend to snore only when certain situations and factors are present.  For this very reason, it is important not to jump to conclusions that the girl at works husband snores because of this, or my father snored all his life and it’s simply hereditary; everyone snores for different reasons surrounding their lifestyle or other dynamics and the root cause should be identified in order to stop it.  If you think you’ve lost all hope, relax; there are solutions to help you get a good night’s sleep for both you and any others sharing the space around you, regardless of the cause.

First we will look at some basic information about the body and how snoring begins.  Snoring is often found to be prevalent in persons who have excess throat and nasal tissue that can become worse with prolonged snoring.  The tissue is thus loose and vibrates easier to create the snoring sound that we hear.  Snoring can also be associated with being overweight, in a deep sleep, sleeping on your back, or even the position of your tongue in your mouth; but we will cover these and more causes and tips on how to stop snoring shortly.  Many people wonder if the snoring is happening in the nostrils, the mouth, the throat, or all three.  Snoring occurs when your airway is limited, or narrow, and air cannot pass through the mouth and nasal passages properly.  When this happens, the body tends to overcompensate and breathes in air harder; generating the vibration of the throat tissue that resonates to create the often cringe worthy sound of snoring.

Common Snoring Causes Identified

• Sleep position: Sleeping on your back is the quickest way for snoring to start and is often one of the major causes for those who snore.  While laying flat on your back, even with your head arched by a pillow, the throat relaxes and causes narrowing of the airway.
• Overweight: It is important to note that being overweight is not a definite cause because people who are healthy and skinny also have snoring issues.  Being out of shape and overweight however is a fairly common cause for snoring.  Gaining weight around the neck causes a squeezing motion on the throat and shrinks the airways which can induce snoring during sleep.
• Getting Older: As the body ages, it loses muscle.  Loss of muscle tone in the neck and narrowing of the throat that comes with age for men and women is often a cause for middle age and above snoring.
• Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol has sedative effects as it is classified in the downer category of drugs.  Its relaxing properties are why a lot of people enjoy consumption of the adult beverage after a hard day at work, and in order to ‘unwind.’  The relaxing effect also has its implications on the muscles in the back of the throat, also bringing on snoring in individuals who don’t normally snore.
• Gender: Men are far more prone to snoring because they have smaller air passages than do women.  A narrow airway is a direct cause for snoring and can be remedied.
• Genetics: Snoring is known to be hereditary, and can be passed down from biological parents.  Some common hereditary issues include a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids, and narrow airways.
• Deep Sleep: Much like alcohol creates deep sleep and relaxation, working long hours, being exhausted, or not getting enough sleep each night leads to ‘deep sleep’ in which the muscles of the throat become “floppier” creating augmented resonation and snoring.
• Blocked Nasal Passages: Having clear nasal passages allows the body to intake air into the lungs at a slower pace rather than quicker to overcompensate for the lack thereof.  If you are suffering from a cold or other issue where your nose is clogged, fast intake of air is more likely to induce snoring.  This is often compared to narrowing or stepping on a garden hose; the water rushes much quicker with decreased room for flow.
• Allergies & Medications: If you haven’t changed your pillow or washed it in a long time, it may be riddled with dust and allergens that can cause snoring.  It is important to also dust and vacuum your space as well as change bedding for this very reason.  Medications have side effects as well, and can be a direct cause of snoring that may have never been present in the past.
• Dehydration: Believe it or not, dehydration can be a cause of snoring.  The vast majority of people consume far less than the daily recommended serving of water.  Men should aim to consume around sixteen cups of water daily while women should have eleven.  With dehydration comes a sticky palate and nostrils, causing snoring to ensue.
• Smoking: Smoking can cause muscle relaxation as well as breathing difficulty which often results in snoring during sleep.
• Sleep Apnea: A medical condition in which an individual suffers from a breathing obstruction, and actually awakes in the middle of the night to resume actually breathing.  This is potentially life threatening and should be talked about with a doctor if you suspect you have sleep apnea.

The above is a comprehensive list of causes for snoring, and is all subject for consideration when trying to figure out how to stop snoring for the duration of sleep cycles.  If you find that you are extremely fatigued during the day and awake many times throughout the night due to your belief of snoring and waking yourself up from the noise, you shouldn’t rule out getting checked for sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea affects a considerable amount of the average population and could be life threatening if left untreated.  Once you have ruled out sleep apnea as a cause of your snoring problems, an effective solution to stop snoring can be attempted.  The way in which a snoring sufferer snores, often gives much insight into why it is happening and this is a big step in the right direction.

Since you cannot watch yourself while you’re sleeping and snoring you may want to record yourself via video, or ask a significant other to help monitor and track when you snore, what makes the problem worse, and so on.  People who snore with the mouth closed often tend to have their tongue positioned in a way during sleep that activates snoring.  Snorers who constantly have their mouth wide open, catching flies as some say; usually have restricted and narrow airways leading to resonating throat tissues.  Snoring while on your back is often just a cause of minor throat collapse due to the position and can be rectified by changing to a different sleeping position like on your side.

Simple & Effective Steps to Stop Snoring That You Can Try

• Sleep on Your Side: By exercising good sleeping position habits you can eliminate snoring caused by sleeping on your back.  Sleeping on your side allows better airflow and less collapsing of the throat.  You may also try sleeping on your stomach, although this position is not comfortable on every individual’s neck.  Do what works best for you.
• Get Fit: Choosing to get in better shape and losing weight can help reduce and even alleviate snoring in some individuals due to gaining weight in the neck area.  Excess body weight around the neck causes partial collapse and narrowing of the airway.  Plus, there are many more benefits to being in shape and healthy than just stopping your snoring!
• Avoid Alcohol Before Bed: Alcohol has a sedative effect on the CNS, and can exacerbate sleep apnea.  If you have gotten into the habit of drinking to fall asleep, or cannot relax without it, this should be discussed with your doctor as it may be a direct cause for your snoring.
• Stop Taking Sleeping Pills: Much like alcohol, sleeping pills may help you fall asleep but they are also probably contributing to snoring due to deep sleep and their relaxing properties.  Once the throat tissue and muscles are relaxed enough, vibrating occurs.
• Take Up Singing: Lazy muscles in the throat and soft palate can cause snoring; signing helps to strengthen them and create greater muscle control of these areas.
• Treat Allergies & Clear Nasal Passages: Allergies and other issues can affect the nasal and sinus passages and often force a sufferer to sleep with their mouths open.  A humidifier can help put moisture back into the air and nasal sprays can help break up clogged passages in order to stop snoring.
• Stop Smoking: Quitting smoking has many more benefits than helping to curb snoring, as it damages the respiratory system and causes shortness of breath, and other adverse side effects.
• Get Proper Rest: Try to stay on a regular sleep cycle that provides an adequate amount of sleep each night (7-8hours).  Being constantly tired and exhausted leads to deep sleep cycles that can result in increased muscle relaxation and snoring.
• Prop Your Head:  Elevating your head and also your body while you sleep with proper support can remove pressure on the airway which causes difficulty breathing and the onset of snoring.  Elevating only your head can put increased pressure on the throat only, making breathing harder.
• Purchase a Snoring Remedy:  There are many products and solutions like mouth guards on the market.  Some are extremely effective, while others are just looking for your money and nothing else.  Click here for a list of the most effective and popular solutions to help stop snoring.

Is snoring putting a wedge between you and your partner, and is it even beginning to affect your intimacy together?  Chronic snoring can lead to sleeping in separate beds, and the guilty party being ordered to leave at the first glimpse of getting sleepy; chastising and yelling, resentment, and even physical violence during the night to ‘make it stop.’  It is important that you understand and know how to communicate with each other and to discuss and take the proper steps to effectively address, manage, and treat the situation methodically.  The best news is that you can kick the bad habit of snoring, so don’t let it ruin something great.

While it can create hostility between individuals, it is in your best interests to talk about the issue well after being annoyed and “in the moment” of a snoring episode when anger and rage are likely to be present.  In order to stop snoring together, and resume a fulfilling relationship, avoid being bitter, assuming that it’s intentional when it is not, and treat each other with mutual respect.  The snoring sufferer should understand that causing their partner to be low on sleep and irritable all day is not healthy and can impair their overall quality of life as well.  When mutual respect and communication are on solid ground, addressing things like removing hostility, empathizing, and refraining from kicking and slapping can all be communicated and make both sides feel better about the situation.

If you feel you’ve hit a roadblock and simply cannot make any progress with the at home solutions and are baffled on how to stop snoring, it may be time to consult with a professional.  Snoring is sometimes the warning sign of an underlying medical issue and should be evaluated by a doctor.  High audible snoring, extreme fatigue during the day, awakening with headaches, waking up gasping for breath, and other symptoms may be the sign of something serious; including but not limited to, sleep apnea.  Seeing a doctor for a proper analysis and undergoing medical treatments can give hope to those who have given up on the fight against snoring.  New products are coming to the market all the time, and many of them are safe and doctor approved; meaning they actually work and are more comfortable than a lot of other gimmicks out there.