Stop My Snores

People, especially those who are not affected by a snoring partner, tend to joke about snoring problems. Snoring, however, can be an indication of other sleep disorders or serious illness. It can also create friction in the bedroom if the snoring constantly keeps your partner awake. This tension, in turn, may even drive devoted couples apart. So snoring is not really an issue to be taken lightly.

While there are plenty of “smoking cures” that you can buy over the counter, it just could be that you really don’t need them. The first place to look is at yourself, your lifestyle, and determine if something you are doing or not doing could be the cause of your snoring. Changing a bad lifestyle habit may not only be cheaper, it may actually lead to a more permanent cure for your snores.

Obesity

Have you put on weight recently? Did you notice that your snoring is worse than usual? Well, the two may be related. Obesity and being overweight have been shown to contribute to snoring. Having too much throat tissue or floppy throat tissue will aggravate or cause snoring. Exercises can help tighten up that tissue. Even better, lose that weight and your snoring could very well diminish or disappear! Why not both weight loss and exercise? This will not only help your snoring problem, but lead to a healthier life altogether.

Smoking

If you are a smoker, I know you are getting tired of hearing this, since smoking has been blamed for almost every malady known to man, but bear with me ;). Smoking, or even second hand cigarette smoke, has been proven to cause breathing problems. Many smokers experience lung and nasal congestion. To make matters worse, smoking relaxes the throat muscles. As I have said before, loose throat muscles, coupled with a restricted airway, results in snoring. So, just one more reason to throw that pack away and become smoke free!

Alcohol

Why do people drink excessively? Usually to relieve stress and relax. And relax they will. Unfortunately, among the muscles that are relaxed by alcohol consumption are those in your throat! To top that, excessive drinking has also been known to cause nasal congestion, which further restricts you breathing passageways. Try to limit the amount of alcohol consumed prior to bed time. If possible, don’t drink alcohol at all for at least four hours prior to laying down to sleep. This will allow the affects of the alcohol on the muscles time to wear off, and could well stop your snoring problem immediately.

Sleeping pills

Much like alcohol, sleeping pills and tranquilizers relax the muscles in your throat, and this can result in snoring. Unless you absolutely need them to sleep, it is highly recommended that these be left in your medicine cabinet.

Sleeping position

Laying on your back will aggravate a snoring problem, since this causes the muscles in the back of your mouth, as well as your tongue, to fall back, restricting the airway. It can be difficult to sleep on your side if you have been sleeping on your back for a long time. One way to train yourself to sleep on your side is to place a tennis ball in a sock and pin it to the back of your pajamas. This way whenever you sleep on your back you will be prevented from doing so and slowly you will start sleeping on your side.

There you have it! If any of these lifestyle tips apply to you, changing the habits can reduce or eliminate your snoring, without forking out the money for snore cure products. At a minimum, changing these bad habits can result in a better quality life.

Until next time… sleep well!

Posted July 1, 2008 Comments(0)

To start this blog, let’s go through a few of the basics concepts, causes, and treatments for one of the most common affliction known to mankind - snoring.

What exactly is snoring?

Webster defines snoring as

breathing during sleep with a rough hoarse noise due to vibration of the soft palate

In this definition there are two key points:

• breathing during sleep - Most people will not snore while they are awake, though there are some rare exceptions, which we will cover at a later time.

• due to vibration of the soft palate - This key is where we will find most of the treatments and cures focusing on.

What are some common causes of snoring?

Snoring is usually caused by some kind of blockage in the airway. This blockage can be anywhere between the tip of the nose and the vocal chords.

The more narrowed your airway is, the more forceful the airflow will become. As your palate relaxes, normally while sleeping, this forceful airflow results in snoring. Things that can aggravate the snoring include an already low, thick and soft palate, and enlarged tonsils.

Your lifestyle can also cause increased snoring.

Heavy alcohol consumption, especially just before bed time, can cause an increased softening of the palate.

Obesity is another major contributor to having a problem with snoring.

So what can I do about my snoring? Is there a cure?

First let me assure you that snoring is typically not a dangerous condition, though there are other factors that can point to serious problems. For the most part, snoring is more an annoyance and a frustrating condition. It not only disrupts the snorers life, but also the partner that sleeps alongside and in many instances anyone who sleeps anywhere in the house.

There are numerous products out there to help you stop snoring. Some deal with the physical reasons for snoring while others tackle the lifestyle causes of snoring. Different products have had success with some people, but not everyone. I wish I could say that there is a one size fits all solution, but there isn’t. This website will review some of these products in the future, and help you make up your mind if you want to try any of the methods.

Surgery may hold the last chance to stop your snoring. This should not be taken lightly, and I would recommend you try at least a few of the non-invasive methods prior to electing surgery. However, as always, it is a good idea to get your doctor involved early after you make the determination to try to stop snoring.

Until next time…sleep well!

Posted July 1, 2008 Comments(0)