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Snoring is defined as the hoarse sound that occurs while a person is sleeping. This happens when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat. This causes the tissues to vibrate as you breathe. Almost everyone snores at some point in their lives, but for some people, it could be a chronic problem. However, snoring can be reduced over time through healthy lifestyle changes.
Snoring can be caused due to many reasons, such as the anatomy of the mouth and sinuses, excess alcohol consumption, allergies, or even your weight. If your airway is narrowed, the airflow becomes more forceful. This increases tissue vibration, causing your snoring to grow louder.
Snoring is often associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Not all snorers have OSA, but if the snoring is affecting the patient’s sleep, then they might have to consult a doctor. OSA is defined as loud snoring followed by periods of silence where breathing stops or nearly stops. People with OSA might experience breaks in breathing at least 5-6 times during every hour of sleep. This causes a lot of problems to the body and medical attention is required.
Snoring can be reduced with a few simple tips. Here are a few tips to reduce snoring and help you get a good night’s sleep.
1. Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position plays an important role in a lot of your body functions. Similarly, your sleeping position can also help you reduce snoring. When you lay on your back, your tongue and your soft palate collapse to the back of your throat. This causes the vibrating sound when your sleep. Sleeping on your side can help prevent this from happening. You could also recline the bed with the head up and the bed extended. This could help open up your nasal passages and reduce snoring. This may, however, cause neck pain.
2. Overweight
If you have gained weight and started snoring now but did not snore before, the cause could likely be due to the additional weight that you have gained. Losing this weight could help you stop snoring.
3. Alcohol Consumption
Any form of alcohol consumption four to five hours before bed can cause snoring. Even people, who have never snored before, will probably snore after drinking alcohol. Hence, watching your alcohol consumption before bed could help prevent snoring.
4. Sleep Hygiene
Sleeping at odd times or even sleeping late after working for long hours can also cause snoring. This is due to your body being overly tired, which causes the throat muscles to relax further causing snoring. Maintaining a healthy sleep and wake cycle every day could reduce snoring.
5. Free Nasal Passages
If snoring starts in your nose, keeping nasal pages open might help reduce snoring. In some cases, a bad cold could be the cause of snoring. Clearing your nasal passages of any excess mucus could help reduce snoring. A hot shower before you go to bed could help open up your nasal passages.
6. Nasal Strip or Snoring Spray
These nasal strips are designed to use tension to open up your nasal passage. They are highly effective as they improve the airflow within your nose. Some doctors even suggest using snoring sprays to reduce snoring.
7. Staying Hydrated
The mucus and secretions in your nose can become stickier if you are dehydrated. This, in turn, can cause more snoring. Drinking plenty of fluids can have a lot of benefits and also help reduce snoring.
Overall, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, consuming less alcohol, and maintaining healthy sleep cycles can help overcome snoring effectively. Follow the above tips regularly and you can see significant changes within a few days.
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