Is your snoring making it hard for you or your loved ones to get a good night’s sleep? Snoring may not actually be a health problem, but it sure can be a source of discomfort—especially for the people around you, for whom the snoring can be much more than just a minor annoyance. Follow these easy tips; your spouse will thank you for it!
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Are you a smoker? Here’s one more great reason to quit. Smoke irritates your mucous membrane, causing your throat to swell and your airways to constrict. To make matters worse, smokers are more likely to suffer from nasal congestion.
2
Sleeping pills, sedatives, and other relaxants should be avoided, as they can prevent proper throat opening during sleep, which aggravates snoring. To help you get the sleep you need, go to bed only when you feel tired, and relax first—there are plenty of great relaxation techniques out there.
Alcohol relaxes the throat muscles, making snoring worse. Avoid drinking alcohol for three hours before you go to bed.
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When you sleep on your back, your tongue slides back to the back of your palate, which causes the opening of your pharynx to constrict. The air passage then becomes narrower, which can lead to snoring. To avoid having to change position during the night, try sewing a small ball to the back of your pajamas or just ask your bedmate to gently turn you over when your snoring starts to get bothering.
Simply losing weight can be enough to reduce snoring. When you are overweight, the volume of your neck tissue increases. This puts pressure on your airways and prevents air from passing, causing the vibrations that we call snoring.
If snoring is caused by nasal congestion (cold, allergies, etc.), take a decongestant or antihistamine before bed. Ask your pharmacist; he’ll be more than happy to help you find the best option for your needs.
Make an appointment with your pharmacist
For some people, snoring is a symptom of a more serious problem called sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnea actually stop breathing for short periods of time while they sleep. Sleep apnea can also cause other health problems such as heart diseases, high blood pressure, fatigue, etc.
The stronger your snoring is, the greater the risk of developing sleep apnea. If you snore and often experience serious fatigue, irritability, difficulty to concentrate, or a feeling of suffocating during the night, you may suffer from sleep apnea and should go see your doctor about it.
