We all know that we should aim to get around eight hours of sleep per night. But this can be dramatically interrupted by snoring. Now, most people tend to assume that snoring is unavoidable. But the truth is that it can actually be prevented and stopped. So, here’s a little information that should help you to understand snoring and bring it to an end!
What Actually is Snoring?
We’ve all been exposed to snoring at some point or another. Whether we snore ourselves, have to put up with a loved one snoring, or simply happen to sit next to someone who falls asleep and snores in public. But very few of us actually understand what causes this phenomenon. Put simply, the sound of snoring is caused by the vibration of our respiratory structures due to obstructions that limit air movement in our respiratory systems. There are various problems that come hand in hand with snoring besides the fact that it often makes it difficult for others to sleep near us. It can cause sleep deprivation within ourselves, as we may wake suddenly and regularly throughout the night due to not getting enough air while we are sleeping. Snoring can also be indicative of further health problems, such as sleep apnea.
Surgery
Seeing as snoring is an unconscious activity, you may think that it cannot be helped. But there are solutions out there. Now, there are certain lifestyle choices that can increase the chances of snoring that we will go through in a moment – if you find that your snoring is a result of any of these, then you should tackle those causes first. However, if you find that your snoring is caused by inherent issues in your bodily makeup, you may want to consider snoring surgery. If you snore due to excessive tissue in your throat, for example, you might want to consider uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (or UPPPP for short), which will remove excess tissue from around the throat, widening your airways.
Preventative Measures
As we have previously mentioned, there are certain aspects of your lifestyle that can increase your chances of snoring. The most common tend to be obesity, smoking, or drinking alcohol. Overweight individuals are much more likely to snore. The fatty tissue around the neck can squash individuals’ airways and result in excessive snoring. Losing weight may reduce this pressure and consequently reduce the amount of noise created. Cigarette smoke irritates the lining of the throat. It can cause swelling and a build-up of catarrh. This limits the passage of air through your throat and nasal cavity. Quitting will allow you to recover and will stop the cycle of irritation and snoring. People also tend to snore more when they’ve drunk before heading to bed. Alcohol makes the muscles in your throat relax more than they usually do. The soft palate is more likely to vibrate as a result of this. Your airflow, in general, is also more likely to be disrupted. So, if you’re looking to stop snoring, you should also cut out alcohol.
As you can see, snoring can be tackled using a variety of methods including sleep strips such as the ones found at , lifestyle changes, special pillows, mouthpieces, or if necessary a medical device such as a CPAP. You may want to conduct a little more research into the area to find the solution that suits your personal needs,
My husband sometimes snored. I’d just poke him and he’d turn over.