How to Prevent Snoring With These Easy Remedies
Presently, snoring has become so common that most of us do not even care to address it as a problem anymore. In some cases, snoring can be prevented using simple techniques or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. However, it might also be a symptom of more serious health problems like sleep apnoea. Besides taking a doctor’s advice on how serious your snoring is, given below are some easy remedies that can help you prevent snoring.
Control your body weight
An increase in body weight is one of the most common causes of snoring. If you gain weight around your neck, the tissues present in your air passages relax. This restricts the airflow in your air tube. While sleeping, your throat may constrict, creating vibrating sounds. If you are overweight, losing weight might be an effective option to prevent snoring. A balanced and healthy diet, along with regular exercise and timely sleep, will always go a long way!
Pay attention to sleep hygiene
At least 7-9 hours of daily sleep is necessary to avoid snoring, among many other health complications. The main cause behind this is the fact that your muscles don’t recuperate when you don’t get the essential rest you need. Workaholics beware: if you don’t get enough sleep time regularly, you may end up snoring when you’re finally asleep!
Stay snore-free with a clean and pet-free bedroom
Make sure you clean your bedroom and dust your pillows before heading to sleep. Otherwise, you might develop allergic reactions to dust mites that gather in pillows. Health professionals say that allergies reduce the airflow in your respiratory system. This may force you to breathe using your mouth, increasing your chances of snoring.
If you have pets and tend to snore, don’t allow them into your bedroom. Pets carry an irritant called animal dander, which also causes allergies related to the respiratory system.
Control your posture
Sleeping on your back makes your soft palate and tongue collapse. Relaxed, the base of your tongue shifts to the back of your throat. As a result, it partially blocks the airflow and leads to snoring. The solution? Just try sleeping on your side. In this position, your tongue is less likely to collapse and block your air passage.
Additionally, you can prop up your head’s level by a maximum of four inches. For this, you can use normal pillows. If you experience neck pain, try using pillows that are specifically designed to prevent your neck muscles from getting cramped. Moreover, you can use full-length body pillows to help you sleep on your side. Experts say that these remedies will free your air passage and reduce snoring.
Avoid alcohol, sedatives, sleeping pills, and tobacco
Smoking irritates the membranes in your nose and throat. This leads to tissue inflammation, which blocks the airways in your body. Try to give up smoking if you wish to lessen your bedtime noises! You can also seek professional help for this purpose.
Drinking alcohol, especially before going to sleep, relaxes the muscles present in your throat. This, in turn, hampers airflow while you sleep. On the days you do consume alcohol, avoid drinking at least two hours before your bedtime.
While sedatives and sleeping pills let you get deep sleep, they might also be the reason you snore at night. These substances not only affect your throat muscles but also affect breathing. Try contacting your doctor to address this issue and check whether the pills you take make you snore. If possible, avoid consuming sedatives before going to sleep.
Hydration is key
Physicians recommend drinking plenty of water to prevent snoring. When you are dehydrated, your nose and soft palate secrete stickier mucous. This eventually leads to nasal congestion and snoring. To avoid dehydration, women and men require about 2.7 liters and 3.7 liters of water, respectively.
Clean your nasal passages
Your nasal passages may get partly blocked or congested if you have a cold or allergic reaction. Since they lead to snoring, a hot shower before bed can keep your nasal problems away. Otherwise, try rinsing your sinuses with a saline solution; a neti pot will come in handy! Alternatively, you can use facial steam bowls. Breathe in enough steam to clear your nasal passages and sleep without a sound.
Exercise your tongue and throat muscles
Your over-relaxed tongue and throat muscles block your respiratory pathways. There is a simple exercise to avoid this: position the tip of your tongue behind your top teeth, and move it back and forth for a few minutes per day. If that is too boring, start singing in the shower every day!
Install humidifiers
Dry air in your bedroom might increase your chances of snoring. With humidifiers in your room, your throat remains lubricated with the added moisture. The moist air also ensures that your nasal tissues do not swell up.
Apart from these effective measures that will help you in reducing snoring; meditation and yoga is another promising practice that will lower your snoring problem. Finally, try to have a diet free of dairy or gluten products. With these precautions, you will surely have a sound(less) sleep!
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