People may laugh at snoring and think of it as a laughing matter but the truth is snoring can kill you. Doctors can emphasize enough that snoring is often associated with sleep apnea. It is a serious but underrated medical condition that leads you breathless in your sleep. People often focus on the loud snoring sound of sleep apnea sufferers since snoring is one of its main symptoms but if you think about it, the breathing gaps are scary in itself. Imagine not being able to breathe in your slumber. Your brain always has to make that painful decision whether to let you breathe in your sleep and it leads to oxygen imbalances that can prove disastrous over time and it is a danger faced by all habitual snorers once they close their eyes for the night.
Aside from the medical dangers of snoring and sleep apnea, it can also put a strain on relationships especially if only one of the couple is snoring. It will drive the non-snoring partner insane especially that they constantly lose sleep at night because it is impossible to drown out the loud snoring of their partner. Women are already moody by nature and since most snorers are men, it causes conflicts in the couple’s life that the woman may end up nagging the man to get checked and treated or worse, they break up or sleep in different rooms just to stay sane and get the sleep they need.
You probably didn’t need science to tell you this, but “snoring can affect your quality of sleep as well as your bed partner’s,” says Neil Kline, a sleep physician with the American Sleep Association. If you don’t believe us, take a look at this 2006 study, which found evidence of sleep disruption in children and adolescents who snored, or this 1999 one, which found that people slept an entire hour longer each night after their spouses stopped snoring. This is important because we know that good-quality sleep improves your overall health.
However, sleep disruption may be one piece of a larger, far more worrying health issue. Snorers produce that gravely sound because the tissues in the back of their throats are obstructing their airways, vibrating as they inhale and exhale. In some cases, the obstruction can be so bad that the airway closes entirely. This is called sleep apnea, and it’s a huge problem. It means you’re essentially suffocating for a few moments until your brain wakes up and restarts your breathing.
(Via: https://www.popsci.com/stop-snoring)
Snoring is already a danger in itself since a relaxed tongue often blocks the throat and restricts the airway but it also puts the snorer at risk of other medical conditions like diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure, obesity, and stroke. Moreover, snorers also have poor sleep quality and often complain that they are sleep deprived, which is true most of the case. As a result, they become more prone to accidents when driving or when moving around. They may fall because they easily lack focus as they feel drowsy most of the day. Snorers who operate machinery may also face some occupational hazards because they constantly feel sleepy while doing their work. These dangers should be enough to scare any snorer to get themselves checked by a sleep specialist and undergo sleep-related tests to confirm sleep apnea as their diagnosis.
Exercise One
“Push the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and slide the tongue backward. Repeat this 20 times.”
You can try this while you’re lying in bed, or sitting up in a chair.
Exercise Two
“Suck your tongue upward so that the entire tongue lies against the roof of your mouth.
“Repeat 20 times.”
Exercise Three
“Force the back of your tongue downward against the floor of your mouth while keeping the tip of your tongue in contact with your bottom front teeth.”
You should also repeat this action several times.
Alongside these, the National Sleep Foundation also recommends playing a musical instrument, like a didgeridoo, to strengthen your airways and reduce snoring.
(Via: https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/961647/how-to-sleep-snoring-snore-stop-three-tips)
Non-snoring partners can provide all the support their spouse or partner need. At times, you may have to wake them regularly throughout the night especially once they start snoring to urge them to sleep on their sides. But more than this kind of support, snorers need medical attention. Sleep is a vital human need. Your body will have a hard time performing important body functions if you are not able to get the rest you need in your daily life.
Embrace a healthy lifestyle. Doing certain tongue and mouth exercises can also help but you’d be able to sleep better and your partner too by using anti-snoring mouthpieces that are able to reduce the snoring and give you the peace you and your partner need to sleep soundly at night. Check out oral devices like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution as well as https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx to overcome the many cons of snoring.
