Do you know that about half of people snore at some point in their lives? Snoring is caused when the air can’t pass freely within the airways. This makes the surrounding tissues vibrate and produces that familiar hoarse sound that we all know and loathe. This occurrence is common, but it can also be annoying at night when you just want to hit the sack.
Lucky for you, there are products which can help you avoid this condition, like using a snore guard. However, there are also plenty of ways to reduce snoring. Achieve that good night’s sleep with these helpful tips to ensure a pleasant and quiet slumber!
What You Should Do to Stop Snoring
- Lose Weight
If you’re overweight or out of shape, you should consider reducing weight as it contributes significantly to your snoring. People with more weight than usual tend to have excess skin around their necks. This results in more fatty tissues in that area, constricting their throat airways and causing snoring.
With a proper diet and exercise, you can lose the extra weight around your neck and sleep comfortably.
- Elevate Your Head When Sleeping
Sometimes, people snore because of poor sleeping positions. It will help if you try to keep your head elevated by four inches. Either reclining your bed or using a pillow should do the trick. The benefit of raising your head when sleeping is that it decreases the pressure in your airways, allowing you to breathe easier.
Doing this also helps with improving heart health, circulation, and it reduces acid reflux.
- Practice Getting Enough Sleep
Doctors and medical practitioners always remind us of the advantages of having enough sleep. One of these perks is reduced snoring. When you deprive your body of getting enough sleep, it can make your throat muscles relax and cause that noisy breathing. It’s essential to get that recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night to ensure optimal health benefits.
- Consider Using Oral Appliances
Oral appliances are products that support the jaw and help maintain an open airway, which is usually worn while sleeping. Various studies proved that oral appliances are an effective tool for treating sleep apnoea and snoring.
An example of this is a snore guard, which is like an anti-snoring device that lightly pulls your jaw forward to make the muscles and tissues no longer relax at the back of your throat. These products may be uncomfortable at first, but it gets better the longer you use it.
- Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
To minimize your snoring, you should lessen your alcohol consumption and quit smoking. If you’re intoxicated, your throat muscles close faster than when you’re sober, which increases your chances of snoring. On the other hand, smoking obstructs your airways because doing this will irritate the membranes in your nose and throat, making you more likely to snore your way into sleeping every night.
Snoring is a pretty common condition that affects half of the population. However, this occurrence can also be a sign of something serious such as breathing problems, throat irritation, obstructive sleep apnoea, and other illnesses. That’s why it’s important to consult your physician and maybe try one or two (preferably all) of the tips from above to make sure you get your snoring under control. Sweet dreams!