Snoring can disturb those who sleep in the same room as you and make you feel tired when you wake up the next day. If you want to stop snoring, you can make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of snoring and take steps to keep your airways open. It is recommended to see a doctor as you may need medical treatment.
Change Your Lifestyle
Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity can worsen snoring. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising can help relieve snoring symptoms.
- Before starting an exercise program, it’s best to consult your doctor.
- People who are at a healthy weight may still snore, especially if they have an underlying condition such as sleep apnea.
Don’t drink alcohol before going to bed. Alcohol relaxes the body, but increases the risk of snoring, because the throat muscles will also relax, and the relaxed muscles will collapse, causing the airway to narrow, making snoring easier. If you have a snoring problem, you shouldn’t drink alcohol before bed.
- People who like to drink can limit themselves to a maximum of 2 servings or less a day, and then go to bed after drinking.
Sleeping on your back can cause the tissue at the base of your throat to sag, narrowing your airway. Sleeping on your side can alleviate this problem and reduce the risk of snoring.
If you must sleep on your back, raise your head at least 10 centimeters. You can raise the head of your bed or use an inclined pillow to raise your head while sleeping to reduce the relaxation of the muscles at the base of your throat and reduce the chance of snoring.
Use pillows designed to prevent snoring. Some patients claim to sleep better after using anti-snoring pillows. These pillows are available in several designs, such as wedge pillows, cervical pillows, curve pillows, memory foam pillows, and sleep apnea-specific pillows. Look for pillows labeled “anti-snoring.”
- Anti-snoring pillows may not be suitable for everyone.
Smoking increases the risk of snoring and can also worsen snoring. Generally speaking, quitting smoking makes you breathe easier, so try quitting.
- If you can’t quit smoking, talk to your doctor about smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine gum, patches, and prescription medications.
Use sedatives sparingly. Sedatives relax the central nervous system, which includes the throat muscles. This increases the risk of snoring. Avoiding sedatives can help reduce the risk of snoring.
- If you have trouble sleeping, adjusting your sleep schedule may help.
- Always talk to your doctor before stopping taking any prescription medication.
Sing for 20 minutes a day to help tighten your throat muscles. Since loose throat muscles can cause snoring, tightening them can help relieve snoring symptoms. Singing for at least 20 minutes a day can help tighten your throat muscles.
- You can also play instruments such as the oboe and French horn.
Keep Your Airway Open While Sleeping
Use nasal strips or nasal dilators to keep your airways open. Over-the-counter nasal ventilation strips are a simple and inexpensive way to keep your airways open. Place them against the outside of the nostrils to expand the nasal cavity. Nasal dilators are reusable and can be inserted into the nostrils to keep the airway open.
- You can find nasal dilators at your local pharmacy or online.
- These products may not work for everyone, especially people with underlying conditions such as sleep apnea.
Take decongestants or flush your nasal passages to relieve sinus congestion. Sinus congestion can block your airways and cause snoring. Over-the-counter decongestants can help relieve sinus congestion. Another method is to flush your sinuses with salt water before bed.
- Only flush your sinuses with over-the-counter sterile saline solution that you can make yourself or buy at a pharmacy. If you choose to mix your own, be sure to use distilled or bottled water.
- If your sinus congestion is caused by allergies, you can also take an antihistamine.
Use a humidifier to keep your airways moist. Sometimes, dry airways can cause snoring. Keeping your airways moist can alleviate this problem. You can easily avoid drying out your airways by using a humidifier. Run a humidifier in the bedroom while you sleep.
Seek Medical Treatment
See your doctor to rule out underlying conditions. If you suspect you snore, it’s best to see your doctor. There are underlying conditions that can cause snoring, such as sleep apnea. This is a very serious condition that can lead to other complications, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression. If you find yourself experiencing any of the following symptoms, be sure to consult your doctor.
- Lethargy.
- Headache after waking up.
- Difficulty concentrating during the day.
- Sore throat in the morning.
- Restless.
- Waking up at night because of gasping for breath or suffocation.
- The blood pressure reading is high.
- Chest pain at night.
- Have been told that you snore while sleeping.
Have your doctor perform imaging tests. Your doctor will use X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs to check for problems with your sinuses and airways, such as narrowing or a deviated septum. These tests can help doctors rule out potential causes and recommend appropriate treatment.
- These tests are painless and non-invasive. However, you will need to remain still for a while and may feel some discomfort.
If symptoms are not relieved with other treatments, a sleep test is recommended. Most people get better with lifestyle changes and medical treatment. However, some people may have more complex issues. For example, you might have sleep apnea, a disorder in which you briefly stop breathing during sleep and then resume normal breathing. Your doctor may recommend a sleep test to determine the cause of your snoring.
- Sleep testing is very simple. Your doctor will make an appointment for you at a sleep testing clinic. The clinic environment is like a hotel room where you need to sleep properly. The body is hooked up to a machine and feels no pain and only mild discomfort at best. A specialist monitors your sleep in another room and writes a report for the doctor.
- You may also be able to take a sleep test at home. The doctor will ask you to wear a device while sleeping to record sleep information, and then submit it to the doctor for analysis.
People with sleep apnea can use a positive airway pressure machine (CPAP). Sleep apnea is a serious condition that requires medical treatment for good results. Not only can it disrupt sleep, but it can also cause other life-threatening conditions. Your doctor will likely put you on a positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) to help you breathe easier at night.
- It is essential to use a CPAP machine every night and strictly follow all your doctor’s instructions.
- Clean your CPAP machine properly. The mask is cleaned daily and the tubes and tank are cleaned weekly.
- Using a CPAP machine can help control and ultimately cure sleep apnea, allowing you to breathe easier, snore less, and sleep better. Many people do not need a CPAP machine for life. Ask your respiratory therapist for more details about using and stopping your CPAP machine.
Use anti-snoring braces. Your dentist can custom-fit braces that push your jaw and tongue forward slightly to help keep your airway open. Although they are effective, they are very expensive and can cost thousands of dollars.
- You may be able to find over-the-counter anti-snoring braces that work, but they won’t fit as well as custom-fit braces made by your dentist.
If other treatment options fail, consider surgery. In rare cases, you may need surgery to treat the cause of your snoring. If your doctor thinks surgery is the best treatment for you, they will discuss this option with you.
- Your doctor may perform a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy, which removes objects that are blocking the airway and causing snoring, such as inflamed tonsils or adenoids. If you have sleep apnea, your doctor may tighten or narrow the soft palate or uvula. If your doctor finds that the tongue is blocking the airway, the tongue tie may also be tightened or narrowed to allow air to flow more smoothly through the airway.
Tips
- Lifestyle changes can be very helpful in stopping snoring, but it’s best to talk to your doctor first.
- Snoring is a physiological problem. Don’t feel guilty about it, it’s not your fault.