With everything we go through every day, the only thing we look forward to is the time we go home and lay down in bed for a nice relaxing sleep. Stress at school and work can eat us up and leave us feeling drained at the end of the day that the only thing that’s keeping you going is the thought of being able to rest once nighttime falls. Well, it is easier said than done. There are people who are unable to go to sleep even if they want it so bad. Also, there are individuals who want nothing else but to sleep but are kept awake by their loud snoring partners.
Snoring is a prevailing problem in different parts of the world. Men and the elderly are the most widely affected. Not only is it distressing and annoying but embarrassing too. Snorers are the butt of jokes in the family but there is little they can do about it because they are asleep when they snore, totally oblivious of their nasty habit. Also, people who sleep on their back are likewise most susceptible to snoring than those who sleep on their sides. While snoring is often caused by a physical anomaly in the mouth’s structure, it can be prevented.
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Quit Bad Habits Such As Alcoholism, Smoking Etc
Intake of Alcohol, sedatives, and drugs that promote deep sleep can all cause snoring. Even excessive tiredness can have that same effect. If you tone your tongue and throat muscles, they will have less of a tendency to let loose tissues flop into the airway during sleep.
If you cannot quit drinking or using sedatives for one reason or the other, make sure you don’t take any of such stuff at least two hours before bedtime.
- Lose weight if you are overweight
This will help reduce the amount of tissue in the throat that might be causing your snoring. You can lose weight by reducing your overall caloric intake by eating smaller portions and more healthy foods. Make sure you get regular exercise daily. You may also consider seeing your doctor or a nutritionist for help.
- Change Sleeping Position – Adjust Pillows
Another thing that makes you snore is sleeping on your back can be the sole cause of snoring, so try to maintain the sideways position throughout the night. However, if you have formed a habit of sleeping on your back, you can sew a tennis or golf ball into your pajama shirts to make rolling onto your back uncomfortable, hence forcing you back to the side position. After a while, sleeping on your side will become a habit and you can dispense with the tennis balls.
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These are just some of the tips on how to prevent snoring. They’re not that difficult to do. It just takes some willpower and discipline to stick to this new lifestyle. And not all the time you have to just think of conventional treatments that often involves surgery and CPAP. They have their risks and aside from that, the compliance rate is also low for CPAP users because of the discomfort associated with its use.
Sleep is crucial for our good health, so don’t hesitate to make tweaks to your lifestyle just so you can get your lost sleep back. It may entail avoiding some of the things you used to do or vices you used to have but if it means being able to sleep like a baby at night, it is all worth it.
Say “No” to the Nightcap
Dr. Tadros recommends foregoing that glass of wine before bed. “Avoiding alcohol consumption close to bedtime can help with snoring. Alcohol further relaxes the muscles in the back of the throat, and can worsen both snoring and increase your risk of developing sleep apnea.”
Use a Humidifier
“Humidifiers are one of the most surprising tools for treating that pesky snoring problem,” according to Caleb Backe, a Maple Holistics health and wellness expert. “Snoring is often the result of dry air and congestion, which is why humidifiers are so effective. These machines attack the problem at the source while providing a wide array of other health benefits. Besides allowing for easier breathing, humidifiers also help prevent the spread of airborne germs and can even relieve allergy symptoms.”
(Via: https://www.rd.com/health/snoring-remedies-you-havent-tried/)
Aside from these remedies, you can also try handy and effective anti-snoring gadgets that offer almost the same features as CPAP but only in a more convenient format. There are plenty of popular choices like ZQuiet (https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet) and VitalSleep that are priced reasonably and works in reducing the snoring. Not only you, but also your partner can sleep peacefully for the first time in years. You can sleep more comfortably too as you can assume whatever sleeping position you are comfortable in and still be able to breathe easily without always gasping for air.
These mouthpieces often readjust the jaw to clear the airway and prevent any vibrations caused by air passing through a narrow airway. You can usually get a custom fit as most brands use the boil-and-bite method that will give you a mouthpiece that fits your mouth perfectly. Along with the lifestyle changes and natural remedies you adopt, the use of these gadgets can offer you the relief you desperately want against snoring and sleep apnea without all the hassles.
