The 8 Healthy Ways to Control and Prevent Yourself From Snoring

When your throat receives air particles during sleep, it causes relaxation of the tissues and vibrates, thus giving out a harsh sound in the form of snores. Besides the general idea of people getting irritated about snoring, it can lead to severe health conditions such as sleep apnea and obesity.

The reasons for snoring can be many, ranging from stressful work life to excessive levels of alcohol consumption. Irrespective of the causal factor, snoring is dangerous in the long-run. From using anti-snoring products to entering a strict diet life, many individuals lack awareness on how to reduce and stop snoring. So, here are some of the probable ways to overcome, and prevent oneself from getting snores and achieve a good night’s sleep.

8 Best Remedies and Methods to Control Snoring

For severe and prolonged cases of snoring, a physician’s recommendation of the best practise to control is required. But for milder phases, the following measures can be helpful to have control over your snoring behaviour:

Smoking Cigarettes:

By smoking tobacco and other related products, you block the nasal and throat passage, hence irritating the connected muscles. And since the passage gets blocked by smoke, the chances are likely that you get snore sounds while you sleep. Thus, stop smoking. Practise measures such as nicotine patch and consume rehab-suggested gums to restrict yourself from smoking, eventually stopping snoring too.

Psychotic Drugs:

Many people affected with psychotic disorders and a few neurotic diseases would get drugs such as antidepressants and antipsychotics to control their symptoms. But on a negative note, the main side effect of these drugs is weight gain. This sudden weight gain will cause an unconscious snoring attitude. Besides snoring, OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea might also occur upon continuous usage. The only way to resolve this issue here is to reduce the level of dosage, or on the better side, go with a natural treatment option to control your psychological symptoms.

Sleep Posture:

The position or posture of sleep matters a lot in snoring. The type of snore you get denotes what sort of internal problem you may have, depending solely on the sleeping posture. A few individuals get disturbed by snoring sounds even if they sleep straight (laid-back). So, the only solution to control or prevent snoring is to change your present posture of sleeping. Try sleeping on the side alternatively if you are a straight sleeper or vice-versa.

Medical Conditions:

There might be a condition where a pre-existing medical condition can trigger snoring when sleeping. Cold, influenza, and sinus are some of the most common medical conditions that block the nasal passage and release snore sounds. It is advisable to use a nasal strip, neti pot, decongestant, or even an anti-snoring nasal spray to help yourself get relieved from snoring as well as the physiological issue. Even drinking hot water and warm milk is a suitable option to achieve a peaceful, snore-free sleep-wake cycle.

Physical Fitness:

It is an unsaid rule that individuals who are overweight and obese are highly prone to snoring and other sleep-related disturbances (due to fatty muscles formed near the neck region). Physical fitness plays a vital role in maintaining your body and mind at the optimum level. By having a regular exercise routine and following a healthy diet chart, you will see a vast difference in your snoring habits. Try specific workouts that strengthen the muscle fibres and keep the body relaxed. Because, when your physical body is balanced and healthy, then your mental fitness is eventually going to be impacted positively.

Bedroom Environment:

Your surrounding environment is a notable influencer to snoring. When the room is not sufficiently air-conditioned or if the walls are tightly packed, then it can affect your sleeping routine and may trigger snoring. For such situations, have your room neatly arranged, keep the corners free from any visible dust particles, and also have better fan speed. Never let yourself suffocate or feel breathless as it can even cause sleep apnea and might lead to cardiac issues. So, make sure that you sleep in a tidy, breezy environment because a relaxed sleep helps cut down excessive snoring sounds.

Staying Hydrated:

One of the cost-effective means to stop or at least reduce the snoring sounds is to drink plenty of water. Keeping your body well-hydrated is always an advantage and gives better health benefits. However, it is also a fact that drinking enough levels of water helps restrict oneself from snoring loud. This pointer may not work with other fluids since there are chances to lose your water level out of the body more than you consume first. So, it is better to choose water over other liquids and make sure to keep yourself hydrated and fresh all day. This way, you will stop snoring gradually and also experience other health advantages like enhanced memory and energetic daytime.

Head Elevation:

We now understand that the posture of sleeping can affect the pattern and may lead to issues of snoring and even sleep apnea. But specific to positioning your body, the head should be slightly elevated from the body. Using a soft cotton pillow or a straight bed with a rotatable turner works for this. The reason for this specific head raised position is because it will ease your breathing process and even during times of cold and cough, your nose may be free from blockage. Overall, it gives a better sleep and snore-free relaxation period.

Ending Thoughts

Before purchasing any anti-snoring products or getting into a vigorous diet plan, make sure you understand the type (s) of snoring you get. We noted how sleeping position, food intake, water imbalance, and even other medical conditions trigger snoring behaviour. So, have a proper evaluation of your bodily conditions and employ an ideal control strategy that works best for your body. Though the measures discussed above work for all individuals, it is always better to ask for a physician’s opinion before getting into the action.

So, wait no more and try these methods to control your snoring habit.

Home remedies and lifestyle changes for snoring

It is a fact that if you are a mild to moderate snorer, lifestyle changes and home remedies can reduce your snoring. To start with, maintaining a healthy weight becomes vital in reducing snoring. The extra layers of fat around your neck can narrow the airways, increasing you to snore. Additionally, sleeping on your side prevents the tongue from falling into the throat, creating a partial blockage. Using pillows to elevate your head can help keep the airways open.

It is recommended by doctors to limit the consumption of sedatives and alcohol close to bedtime, as it relaxes the throat muscles and increases snoring. Treat allergies in time, and if you have nasal congestion, use saline sprays, steam inhalation to keep the airways open.

Medical treatments for snoring

Medical treatment for snoring is effective as it addresses the causes of snoring such as throat obstruction, nasal congestion and physical anomalies. For those with sleep apnea, CPAP device is recommended. Oral appliances such as Mandibular advancement devices and tongue stabilizers are used to reposition the jaw and tongue. That helps to keep the airways open. If snoring is due to nasal congestion, decongestants and nasal sprays can help.

In chronic cases, surgical options such as Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), radiofrequency tissue ablation, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) or even nasal septum correction to reduce snoring. It is important to talk with an ENT doctor and get the right diagnosis.

When to seek medical care

Though snoring occasionally is acceptable, but chronic and loud snoring can be a sign of health issues that have gone undiagnosed. You need to seek medical care of you are waking up at night choking or gasping for air apart from snoring heavily every night, you may have sleep apnea, a serios sleep disorder. Other signs include poor concentration, sleep deprivation, fatigue, morning headaches and irritability. Children that snore regularly need medical care as it can affect their growth and development. If you have tried Over-the-Counter remedies and lifestyle changes but snoring continues at the same pace, it is time to seek a consultation with a doctor. They might recommend a sleep study to find the problem.

Conclusion

If you are trying to stop snoring, it is all about finding a balance of lifestyle changes and healthy habits. This ranges from losing excess weight, elevating your head for airways to stay open to sleeping on your side and ensuring that any intake of alcohol is taken well before bedtime. You can use saline sprays to ensure that the nasal passages are cleared of any mucus while using anti-snoring devices can help. These are chin straps, jaw aligners, nasal sprays and strips and even CPAP machines as they help keep the nasal passages clear and promotes better breathing. Having a proper sleep schedule can keep you well-rested. Elevating your head by using pillows can help you breathe better. Additionally, staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol before bedtime can help reduce snoring.

FAQs

What are the best remedies to control snoring?

Some of the best ways to stop snoring include losing weight, avoiding consumption of alcohol before bedtime, sleeping on the side and using anti-snoring nasal strips. Treat allergies as it can increase snoring while using a humidifier to moisten the air helps stop snoring. Having a sleep schedule can improve the quality of sleep and reduce snoring.

Can smoking cigarettes cause snoring?

Yes, smoking increases snoring. The soft tissues in the nasal passage lining are irritated by the smoke and causes inflammation and narrowing of the nasal passages. Quitting smoking can reduces inflammation of the airway and enhances normal breathing, lowers snoring.

Does sleep posture influence snoring?

It is true that the sleeping posture affects snoring. If you sleep on your back, the tongue falls back into the throat, hampering normal breathing and blocks the airways. That enhances snoring. But if you sleep on your side, there is less pressure on the airways and they are open for normal breathing, reducing snoring.

Which medical conditions can lead to snoring?

There are many medical conditions that lead to snoring. Some of these include sleep apnea, chronic allergies, enlarged tonsils, deviated septum, obesity and nasal congestion. These health issues can impact normal airflow, leading to higher vibration of soft tissues in the throat, causing snoring. Thus, finding the underlying aspect of the snoring is important to that effective treatment can start.

Can physical fitness help reduce snoring?

It is true that being physically fit can reduce snoring effectively. By promoting losing weight and doing strength training of respiratory muscles can aid in stop snoring. With the reduction of excess fat around the throat, the airways are open for better breathing. Being fit with healthy weight can enhance quality of sleep, reducing airway obstruction that leads to snoring.