Terri Ramsey Beavers Are you one of the 90 million Americans that suffer from snoring?
Is snoring noise driving your partner crazy? Are you waking yourself up with your own snoring sounds?
Maybe you’re just realizing this is a problem, or maybe you’ve tried everything from medication to nose plugs for snoring.
Keep reading and we’ll look into five ways you can stop snoring naturally.
1. Try Sleeping On Your Side
If you or your partner have issues with snoring, it might be exacerbated by your sleeping position.
Sleeping on your side rather than your back can help prevent your soft palate and the base of your tongue from falling onto the wall of your throat, which can cause a vibrating sound. If you’ve always been a back sleeper, it might be a big adjustment to switch sleeping positions.
Make sure you have a pillow that keeps your spine and neck in alignment while on your side. This will ensure that your airways stay open.
If you’re wondering how to tell if you snore, check-in with your partner and ask for their honest feedback. If you live alone, there are a number of apps you can download to help you understand if you snore or not.
2. Lose Weight and Watch Your Diet
One thing that is associated with snoring is having a higher neck circumference. If you’re overweight, losing weight could make a huge difference in the volume and frequency of your snoring.
Watching your diet to help reduce snoring isn’t just about what you eat, but when. Eating your final meal of the day several hours before sleep can reduce snoring.
3. Exercise Regularly
Exercise can help you stop snoring in two different ways.
First, regular exercise can lead to weight loss. As we’ve already discussed, losing some weight if you’re overweight could really help with your snoring.
Second, exercise helps strengthen the muscles throughout your body. If you have stronger muscles, they’ll be more likely to stay open and not collapse while you’re sleeping.
4. Avoid Alcohol and Tobacco
Smoking cigarettes can have a lot of negative health effects. It can exacerbate snoring because of tobacco’s tendency to irritate the membranes of your nose and throat. This can create blockages and lead to issues with snoring.
Quitting smoking is easier said than done, but if you’ve tried everything else and your snoring won’t cease, you might consider it.
You might associate drinking a nightcap with having restful sleep, but drinking alcohol can make your throat muscles more relaxed and increase snoring.
5. Up Your Water Intake
Having a dry mouth can increase the likelihood that you’ll snore.
There are a lot of reasons to stay properly hydrated. Drinking enough water can boost your skin health as well as keep your digestive system, organs, and muscles working properly. Pay attention to how much water your drink during the day and see if upping your water intake has any effect on the amount you snore.
Cut Through the Snoring Noise!
If snoring is affecting your sleep or the sleep of others, it can be stressful, embarrassing, and exhausting. Luckily, making some changes to your lifestyle and sleep habits might have a dramatic effect on the amount of snoring noise you make.
There are different types of snoring: nose, mouth, tongue, and throat-based snoring being the most common. Determining what type of snorer you are can help you decide what actions you should take.
If you found this article helpful, be sure to check out the rest of our blog!