Below are some of the most valuable tips on how to stop snoring. Most of them won’t just reduce your nighttime noises – they’ll also make for an overall improvement in your physical well-being.
If none of these methods help you stop snoring, odds are you should visit a sleep clinic and stay for overnight observation (called a ‘sleep study’) to determine the nature of your disorder, and whether you’re a candidate for corrective surgery.
]]>Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder with a mixed bag of possible causes. While it can bring about loud snoring, this is not the best indicator of OSA. Rather, restless sleep with intermittent snoring and breathing punctuated by pauses and gasps (all of which the sufferer is typically unaware) is the surest suggestion of the disorder. Since breathing is regularly interrupted, sufferers are in fact ‘missing’ breaths, and are thus deprived of oxygen, the element most critical to the function and survival of bodily tissues.
The health risks of sleep apnea are various, and the disorder can have a severe effect on the overall health and lifestyle of the individual. Sufferers of chronic OSA usually become habituated to the daytime fatigue (known as hypersomnolence), morning headaches, memory problems and learning difficulties it brings about. Sexual dysfunction due to impaired circulation is another possible side effect.
Higher incidences of stroke, diabetes, arrhythmia, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease have all been linked to disorderly breathing during sleep, such as that described above. Interestingly enough, researchers have also discovered that OSA sufferers are at an increased risk of losing mamillary tissue in regions of the brain where memory is stored. Sufferers often differ from healthy individuals by as much as 20% – providing substance to the common link between OSA and memory loss, as well as the increased risk of OSA sufferers having accidents (usually due to impaired concentration).
Mental health can also be quite severely affected. People afflicted by OSA and other forms of sleep disordered breathing are known to be at higher risk of experiencing daily mood swings, irritability and depression. One study found that, upon receiving effective treatment for snoring, many former sufferers experienced a great improvement in their relationship with their spouse, whose own sleeping patterns and mood had been affected by their disorder.
There have been recent studies also linking high volume snoring to an increased risk of atherosclerosis in the carotid artery, which in turn leaves those afflicted at much higher risk of suffering from stroke. The reason for this is the vibration that causes snoring. This vibration can increase the turbulence of the blood flowing through the neighboring carotid artery, irritating and possibly damaging blood cells, encouraging them to form plaques or deposits on the arterial walls. These in turn can grow into life-threatening occlusions to blood flow.
Sleep centers offer overnight sleep studies to determine whether your snoring problem poses a potential threat to your health. Speak to a board certified sleep therapist to see if you’re a candidate for such diagnosis.
]]>It’s a pleasure with a dark side, of course, as thousands of studies over the last century (and common sense before that) revealed. Quite aside from its negative effects on the interlinked cardiovascular and neurological systems, its correlation with the increased risk of a variety of cancers, and its negative effects on mental health, Alcohol has also been more recently associated with increased incidences of snoring and sleep disordered breathing.
Snoring has been linked to a gamut of causes, but perhaps most common among them is poor tone in the soft tissues of the palate, as well as in the muscles of the throat. When the afflicted individual falls asleep, their throat collapses, making it very difficult for air to make the passage in and out of their lungs.
Unfortunately, the pleasant effects of alcohol – that relaxed feeling that comes over you after a few drinks – is also responsible for causing this problem in otherwise healthy individuals, and exacerbating it in sufferers. Aside from further relaxing the muscles of the oropharynx (at the back of the throat), it’s also known for the effect of creating congestion in the nasal passages, further obstructing breathing.
A UK study compared the effects of alcohol on men with and without histories of snoring. The study found that while the men were awake there was little indication of increased respiratory resistance, perhaps providing an explanation as to why most people would never guess that they have the problem. During sleep, however, both the snoring men and those who normally didn’t snore exhibited twice as much respiratory resistance.
Snoring has been conclusively linked to increased risk of sleep deprivation and hypoxemia, a condition of blood oxygen deprivation that brings about daytime fatigue and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The vibration that it causes in the carotid artery has also been linked to the most disturbing of snoring effects – the forming of atherosclerotic plaques, which cause stroke.
This is also the case for drugs that cause deep relaxation. Tranquilizers and sleeping pills, intended to give you a better night’s sleep, may ironically wind up keeping your partner awake. According to doctors, the sedatives’ effects, of relaxing the tissues around neck and head, may cause or aggravate snoring. Even antihistamines, often used in medications designed to reduce swelling and occlusion of the nasal passages, can do it.
The best solution is to avoid abuse of alcohol and other depressants – reducing or eliminating their use would be the ideal tactic. Alternatively, avoiding them for four to six hours before bed could help fend off the worst of the effects. If you simply must drink into the wee hours, try to drink beverages with low alcohol content. This might be the one occasion where switching from wine to beer is the healthy choice. Alternatively, eating while you drink helps reduce your level of intoxication.
When it comes to drugs, not all of them are bad. Some antidepressants have been shown to reduce the incidence of snoring. While they have the unfortunate side effect of inhibiting really deep, rejuvenatory sleep, this can sometimes be a worthwhile tradeoff in the quest to eliminate this noisy sleeping disorder.
]]>This blockage can have a wide variety of causes. These include: stiffening or loss of elasticity in the soft tissue of the throat; the buildup of fat deposits around the chest and neck, which press on the throat while forcing the head back during sleep (A simple check of whether this fat has reached unacceptable levels is to try touching your chin to your chest); and weakness in the muscles of the throat, which causes them to collapse in on themselves when under the gravitational strain of being in a horizontal position.
The fact that someone happens to be a loud snorer is actually insufficient for a diagnosis of full blown sleep apnea. Properly named, sleep apnea is only present if there are pauses in breathing during sleep (of which the sleeper is, typically, unaware). If the subject appears to be straining to breathe but failing, and pauses before resuming snoring, a diagnosis of sleep apnea is probable.
Quite aside from the negative effects of snoring (which include strained marital relations and the possibility of forming an atherosclerotic plaque, a known cause of stroke), sleep apnea can constitute a severe lifestyle disorder due to the constant missing of breaths during sleep. The result is that insufficient quantities of oxygen are absorbed during one of the most critical phases for rejuvenation of the body.
The consequent condition is known as hypoxemia, which, along with the laboratory studies showing the increased risk of cell death in the tissues of the brain, results in daytime fatigue, impaired levels of mental focus, reduced motivation, and an increased risk of depression.
There are a great many ways of treating obstructive sleep apnea. Your best bet is to try low tech before considering invasive surgery or buying any expensive machinery.
One of the most commonly recommended treatments for snoring is weight loss. Try ditching starchy, sugary and high fat fast foods for whole foods such as fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, grilled meat and wholegrain carbohydrates, like those in brown rice and wholewheat pasta. You’ll lose weight and have more energy to get through the day. Also, some supplements might help. Cellfood drops utilize water-splitting technology to provide a steady stream of oxygen to cells, helping to rejuvenate people suffering from low oxygen levels. Visit nuscience.com to learn about the benefits of this superb multivitamin.
Exercise can provide further benefits by way of weight loss and improved muscle tone. Try to get 4 exercise sessions of 30 minutes or more per week. Note that while systems promoting controlled breathing, such as tai chi or yoga, can help to improve the capacity of your lungs, you should focus on cardiovascular training, as this will improve the degree to which your body uptakes and utilizes oxygen.
Quitting alcohol and cigarettes is another way to address the problems of sleep apnea and snoring. Cigarette smoke, when inhaled, reduces lung capacity, and hence the pressure your lungs can exert to draw in and exhale air. Alcohol, aside from raising your levels of harmful cholesterol, causing you to gain weight, also relaxes muscles, reducing their resting tone. If your throat muscles are already weak, this can prompt them into outright collapse. If you can’t bring yourself to quit, try to keep from drinking for three to four hours prior to bedtime.
Sleep apnea can also be improved by altering your resting position. Sleeping on your side is best for keeping pressure off your throat. Anti-snoring pillows, such as those available from blackstonepillow.com, assist in correctly position the head, and cost less that $70. Alternatively, a chin strap of the kind available from mysnoringsolution.com may realign your jaw, and prevent your throat from caving in as you sleep.
If none of these methods work, it may be time to consider a CPAP machine, which will help to keep the pressure in your throat constant, preventing soft tissues from touching and vibrating as you sleep. Before you make such an investment (as these devices can be quite expensive), visit your nearest sleep clinic, and consider undergoing a night of observation to determine the nature of your particular disorder.
]]>Snoring occurs when, either as a result of lax soft tissue in the throat or of weak throat muscles, the airways collapses in on themselves during sleep. The result is strained breathing and heightened turbulence of air in the throat, which causes the soft tissues in contact with one another to vibrate. Most snoring treatments focus on clearing the blockage in the breathing passage, in much the same way that a medic performing CPR tries to open up their patient’s airways.
Snoring treatments can be effected via long or short term solutions. Snorers are frequently advised that losing weight will help their condition, as it will reduce the deposits of fat around their neck and chest, which can weigh down on the throat during sleep. For this reason, exercise is also suggested, as, in addition to fat loss, it can bring about a strengthening of the lungs and the muscles of the throat. For many people, a dual approach, focusing on diet and exercise, can be one of the most effective snoring treatments.
Another frequently recommended change in lifestyle is for snorers to quit smoking. Smoking weakens the throat muscles, reducing the elasticity of soft tissues while also bringing about a reduction in lung capacity. Furthermore, it often causes the overproduction of phlegm, which can exacerbate breathing problems.
Alcohol has a less permanent but equally serious effect on the functioning of the airways. Alcohol’s pleasant effects are tied to its powers as a muscle relaxant, and the body’s resting muscle tone is diminished after consuming just two or three units of alcohol. Alcohol’s capacity to temporarily weaken throat muscles has been known to exacerbate snoring (even doubling the severity of obstructive sleep apnea), and any individual experimenting with snoring treatments should keep this in mind, even if alcohol is not the root of their problem.
One of the simplest home treatments for snoring is simply learning to change your sleeping position, sleeping on your side instead of your back. Sleeping on your back puts more pressure on the throat, and, in some individuals, can lead to the tongue falling back into the throat, blocking the airways. There are now anti-snoring pillows (see blackstonepillow.com for an example) that help to keep your neck in the right alignment for unobstructed breathing.
Other snoring treatment options include the use of nose clips, lubricating sprays, and even dental appliances, such as mandibular advancement splints. These devices pull the lower jaw slightly forward, causing a tightening of the soft tissue and muscles of the upper throat. This tightness prevents the upper airway from vibrating as air passes over it. Mandibular advancement has become increasingly popular and more convenient in terms of design – but the devices are still uncomfortable and can cause gradual movement of the teeth and temporomandibular joint disorder (essentially arthritis of the jaw). They can’t be bought without a prescription, as they are considered to be class two medical devices.
CPAP (which stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines provide a less invasive form of snoring treatment. They’re about the size of a shoebox and connect to a full-face mask, which delivers a flow of air at a consistently high pressure to keep the airways open, and the soft tissues of the throat separated. They range in strength (since different people will require different pressures) usually falling between 6 and 20 cm H20, as titrated pressure is measured. The unfortunate fact is that these machines are still quite expensive – in the range of five or six hundred dollars for the most basic of models.
There is, however, a much more low-tech device on the market which, while not effective for everyone, has been estimated to help or eliminate snoring in as many as 60% of cases. The inventor, one Stephen Matthews, manufactured the prototype by ripping off a piece of bathtowel, and tying it round his head, discovering that it allowed him to sleep hassle-free.
Since then, the device has been redesigned to be vastly more comfortable – yet it remains a cheap and effective solution to the problem, selling for less than $70. It’s available for online order at mysnoringsolution.com.
]]>The primary cause of snoring is the vibration of structures in the mouth and throat, which in turn is brought about by the obstruction of airways during sleep. If someone has weak throat muscles, or weak, easily collapsible tissues in their soft palate, the throat can close up, occluding the airway and bringing about snoring as air struggles to squeeze by.
The problem can also come from obstruction in the nasal passageway, having bent or deformed nasal passageways (due to injury or some congenital disorder), or nasal tissue swelling due to allergic rhinitis. This tends to be more of an irritation than a real hazard to your health. Unlike most snoring causes, nasal problems can typically be corrected either by simple nasal sprays of relatively risk-free surgical operations.
Being overweight is high on the list of snoring causes, for several reasons. One is that there can be an increase in the quantity of soft tissue at the back of the throat, so that tissues at the top of the airways touch each other, causing vibrations. Another is the formation of fat deposits in and around the throat, which place pressure on the airways during sleep.
Seemingly far less dire and easier to fix, one of the leading snoring causes is sleeping on one’s back, a position that can cause the tongue to be forced to the back of the mouth. Other aggravators include alcohol and relaxant drugs, which essentially tranquilize the muscles in the throat, making them more susceptible to giving way. Alcohol been known to cause snoring even in normally healthy individuals.
In more sinister cases, snoring may be an indication of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). While mild, occasional sleep apnea is common and may not indicate anything untoward, severe and chronic sleep apnea can cause hypoxemia, a condition of low blood oxygen due to frequently missed breaths.
The obstruction in OSA occurs despite the efforts of the person to breath. However, loudness of snoring is not necessarily an indication of sleep apnea. In bad cases of apnea, the obstruction can be so severe that not much noise can escape at all. The most telling sign is if the snoring stops, while the snorer keeps trying to breathe. When breathing resumes, there’s usually a heavy gasp, followed by continued snoring.
There have been estimations that about one in every fifteen Americans is afflicted with OSA, making it not just one of the leading snoring causes, but also among the most common lifestyle disorders. It’s just as common as diabetes or asthma, with over 20 million sufferers in the continental US, most of whom remain undiagnosed and untreated. One study found that an average of 24 percent of men and 9 percent of women have sleep apnea. Due to the fatigue and hypoxemia that the disorder can bring about, such individuals usually require far more money for health care purposes – over a thousand dollars more than the average person without it.
If you suffer from snoring and wish to know if the problem constitutes a threat to your health, visit your nearest sleep clinic. By placing you under overnight observation, sleep specialists will be best able to determine the cause of your problem.
]]>Your quest for quiet sleep may be more complicated. It’s always possible that you’re a candidate for surgery, so if none of the above-listed snoring remedies work, visit a sleep clinic (you can find out about local sleep clinics at your nearest hospital). The sleep specialists you encounter may ask you to participate in an overnight sleep study to determine the best solution to your unique condition.
]]>A font of recent research has drawn convincing connections between snoring and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery. Doctors speculate that these plaques may have come about as a result of the continuous vibration of the tissues of the neck. Vibration has been known to irritate blood cells, to the extent of damaging them, causing them to stick to arterial walls and serve as the base for plaques, as more irritated blood cells latch onto them. Plaques of these nature can either block up the artery, causing a restriction in blood flow, or even detach, making their way to the brain where they typically result in stroke.
Obstructive sleep apnea, the type of sleep disordered breathing that commonly causes snoring, is characterized by intermittent cessations of breathing during sleep. These ‘missed breaths’ during the night can lead to very low levels of oxygen in the blood, a condition known as hypoxemia. Sufferers of hypoxemia are virtually always fatigued, and have very low levels of blood oxygen, a state that eventually leads to impaired concentration and even brain damage.
The chin strap, like many great innovations, is a simple device. It’s a low (read ‘no’) tech solution that’s cheap in an era when medical companies seem intent on peddling ever-more expensive devices to people desperate to find a cure to what can be a crippling disorder.
Stephen Matthews, inventor of the chin strap, recounts on the homepage of his website (mysnoringsolution.com) how he pioneered the device. Unable to sleep due to sleep apnea, feeling that he might meet his demise at any minute by swallowing his own tongue, Matthews tore a two-inch strip off a bathtowel, and wrapped it around his head. Awakening after his best night of sleep in years, he set about creating the company that became My Snoring Solution.
Nowadays, the chin straps made by Matthews’ company are comfortable, ergonomically designed neoprene straps made to be conducive to a peaceful night’s sleep. Researchers have found that chin straps achieve an amazingly high level of success at eliminating or greatly reducing snoring and the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.
As simple a change as it might seem, keeping the mouth closed (with the lower jaw in an upward-facing position) during sleep assists in maintaining the throat’s shape and position, opening airways, reducing air turbulence and soft tissue vibration, and ultimately training the mouth to remain closed without assistance. CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device users may discover that using a chin strap with the CPAP actually increases its comfort and effectiveness.
Note, of course, that snoring can be the indication of an array of serious underlying conditions. Visit your nearest hospital for directions to a sleep clinic, where doctors can use overnight sleep observation to determine whether you might need more specialized treatment.
]]>Of course, there are more holistic ways to go about it. Many experts recommend taking up better eating habits and a consistent exercise program to lose weight, as well as learning to live without the pleasures of alcohol and cigarettes, which relax and weaken the muscles and tissues of the throat.
All these things are long term solutions, however, and easier said than done. The bottom line is that 80% of people who take up new diets are off them as soon as they start to feel the pinch of caloric restriction; and that 20 percent of adults smoke, despite most having made at least one attempt to quit.
The truth is that for many cases of snoring and even severe obstructive sleep apnea, the key to healthier sleep and reduced risk of heart disease can be as simple as changing your sleeping position. Studies show that sleeping on your side reduces the strain on the muscles of the throat while you sleep, allowing airways to open, for less turbulence and soft-tissue vibration in the throat. This is especially the case if you are overweight, as fatty deposits in the neck and chest contribute to the problem, pressing down on the airways.
If simply changing your position doesn’t work, an anti-snoring pillow can help you find the ideal posture. Anti-snoring pillows cradle the head, elevating and aligning the neck and raising neck away from the chest into an ideal position, for less obstruction of the airways.
Medically, anti-snoring pillows have been shown not only to be effective at treating mild obstructive sleep apnea and improving the quality of a snorer’s sleep, but have also demonstrated the capacity to reduce muscular pain in the upper back, neck, head and shoulders.
For an affordable and accredited anti-snoring pillow, you’d be best advised to visit blackstonepillow.com, where you can purchase one for a little under $70.
Anti-snoring pillows have even been found to reduce daytime fatigue, a result of relieving hypoxemic individuals whose airways don’t allow sufficient air into their lungs during sleep. To determine whether you suffer from hypoxemia or obstructive sleep apnea, visit your nearest hospital or sleep clinic to engage in an overnight sleep study.
]]>It can also serve as a clue that some other, underlying problem has reached the point at which it really needs to be dealt with. That’s the case with drinking and smoking, two common causes of obstructive sleeps apnea. It’s most certainly the case if you’re overweight.
Weight gain has become a true epidemic in many Western countries. The massive infiltration of fast food emporiums into modern society is one big part of the problem. Such foods require no effort on the consumer’s part when it comes to preparation, are cheap, taste delicious and ultimately put you at risk of a smorgasbord of disorders, including heart disease, stroke and Type-II diabetes.
That said, the products you’ll find touted as nutritional sources in most supermarket aisles are often just as hazardous. Processed foods are, for many people, their main sources of nutrition, and are as frequently depleted of all wholesome nutrients as they are rife with additives that lead to hardened arteries and weight gain.
Weight gain affects snoring by the creation of fat deposits around the throat and chest. While sleeping, especially on one’s back, this fat can press down on one’s throat, obstructing airways and leading to the air turbulence and contact between tissues that results in the sonorous vibration of a snore. Since fat deposits also place pressure on the belly and chest, it also becomes harder for overweight individuals to expand their lungs, reducing the force they can exert to draw air in.
By first addressing your diet, you can bring about weight loss and reduce your level of snoring, along with diminishing your risk of numerous other diseases. Eat fresh vegetables, and grill meats instead of frying them. Add plentiful servings of green salad and steamed vegetables to your diet, and you’ll soon see results. For a comprehensive approach to healthy eating and weight loss, see the works of Patrick Holford (patrickholford.com), whose Low GL eating system is among the most effective at reducing cravings and improving mood.
A dual-functional way of addressing snoring and weight gain is to stick to a good diet while participating in healthful exercise. Authorities recommend that you engage in 30 minutes of cardiovascular training four times a week for optimal health, though you might want to do more if you’re trying for serious weight loss.
Exercise isn’t only a good way to burn calories – cardiovascular exercise can actually improve the capacity of your lungs, along with their power to take in and utilize the oxygen in air (a capability you can have measured at your local gym, via the VO2 max test). It can also help strengthen the muscles of your throat and the muscles that expand your chest and rib cage during breathing.
Note that yoga might be more helpful when it comes to strengthening the airways – but that, while this might help to reduce snoring, it is less efficient than aerobic exercise at bringing about comprehensive weight loss. Weight gain may well have been the root cause of your disorder. By training your throat muscles, you may only be treating the symptom, not the disease.
If your snoring problem needs more immediate attention, and you don’t have the energy to engage in exercise for weight loss, you should probably visit a sleep clinic. In the past few years, sleep disorders have finally been recognized as serious illnesses, and specialist should be able to advise you on the best treatment for your problem. Depending on their diagnosis, they might advise you to undergo surgery, purchase a CPAP machine, wear a chin strap (of the kind seen on mysnoringsolution.com) or sleep with an anti-snoring pillow (like those pictured on blackstonepillow.com).
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