How To Stop Snoring: 6 Possible Ways To Sleep Better At Night

Do you share your bed with a snorer, or perhaps you’re the snoring culprit yourself? Either way, this blog will help you tackle this annoying — and usually uncontrollable — habit. Don’t worry, it won’t be a snoozefest!

Tips To Sleep Better & Stop Snoring

Check out the following tips and remedies to help prevent snoring and see which one works for you:

1. Treat Nasal Congestion

When nasal passages are congested or blocked, it forces you to breathe through your mouth. Mouth breathing causes soft palate turbulence and snoring as air flows past the loose tissue. Taking a hot, steamy shower at night helps to open up nasal passages and provide relief. Rinsing the nasal cavity with a saline solution can also help clear out mucus and open airways.

You can also use a humidifier to prevent dryness in the nasal passages or nasal strips to promote easier breathing. Explore nasal dilators that are inserted into the nostrils to open nasal valves for improved airflow. Avoid drinking alcohol or taking antihistamines close to bedtime, too.

2. Try Over-the-Counter Devices

Many people find relief from snoring by using specialized mouthpieces. For example, Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) are designed to position the jaw and tongue forward, preventing airway obstruction. Chin straps can also be helpful, as they wrap under the chin, ensuring the mouth remains closed, which can deter snoring. For those with nasal issues, nasal dilators, sprays, and strips can assist in opening the nasal passages for easier breathing.

Additionally, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines are popular solutions for sleep apnea, a condition often associated with chronic snoring.  If you’re exploring the use of a Philips CPAP device, it’s essential to be informed about the likelihood of these machines malfunctioning and this could give you the right to file a Philips CPAP lawsuit. Always prioritize safety and consult with a healthcare professional before starting any treatment or using a medical device.

3. Change Your Sleep Position

Believe it or not, but your sleeping position plays a huge role in how much you snore (or not). Sleeping on your back allows gravity to pull on throat tissues, narrowing your airway. This obstructs breathing and causes snoring noises as you struggle to inhale. Switching to side sleeping can open up your airway and reduce snoring. Sleeping on the side allows air to flow smoothly down the throat without any obstruction.

Here is something you can easily do: try sewing a pocket into the back of your pajama top and insert a tennis ball. Having a tennis ball on your back will make sleeping on the back very uncomfortable. It will keep you from rolling onto the back while you sleep. You can also place pillows or a body pillow on either side to prevent rolling onto the back. Using a body pillow can also prevent you from rolling onto your back. The body pillow provides a physical barrier to keep you comfortably on the side all night.

4. Evaluate Your Weight

Carrying excess weight, especially fat deposits around the neck and throat region, can constrict the airways. Losing weight helps to slim down and tone the throat muscles and tissues. It also reduces any fatty deposits in the airway passages. Even a small amount of weight loss can open up the airways and throat, allowing air to flow smoothly and reducing snoring.

Losing just 10-15 pounds can make a huge difference if you are overweight. Following a healthy diet and exercise regimen focused on gradual weight loss can reduce obesity-related snoring. Consult your doctor to create a safe, sustainable weight loss plan. As the weight comes off, you will notice improvements in sleep quality and less snoring.

5. Avoid Alcohol Before Bed

This point is bound to induce eye-rolls, but hear us out. Drinking alcohol is a key culprit when it comes to snoring. Yes, you read that right! Alcohol is a potent muscle relaxant that causes excessive relaxation of the throat muscles. Just having a few alcoholic drinks in the evening can overly relax the muscles and tissues in the throat and increase snoring intensity.

Alcohol also deepens sleep which triggers long periods of loud, disruptive snoring. So, try to avoid consuming any alcoholic drinks for at least 3 to 4 hours before your bedtime. Want to stay hydrated? Drink water, preferably plenty of it during the day.

6. Stop Smoking & Vaping

Like alcohol, smoking cigarettes or vaping irritates the delicate tissues lining the throat and airways. It causes inflammation that prompts turbulence and snoring. Chain smoking damages the throat tissues, alters normal throat bacteria, and increases the risk of nasal and throat infections.

Quitting smoking and vaping can significantly improve snoring in the long run. The irritating effects of smoke and vaping start to subside when you stop, allowing throat inflammation to decrease. This leads to less turbulence and easier breathing.

Granted, quitting can take patience and perseverance, but the benefits are well worth it. If you feel it is difficult for you, maybe see a doctor. They can suggest smoking cessation aids and programs to help you quit successfully.

What Causes Snoring & Its Effects

Now that you have a fair understanding of some of the possible reasons snoring occurs, the following are a bunch of other possible reasons you or someone close to you might be disrupting someone’s peaceful slumber:

• Bulky throat tissue: Excessive throat tissue or large tonsils and adenoids narrow the airway. This is common in overweight people.
• Sleep deprivation: Overtiredness causes deeper sleep, further relaxing the throat muscles.
• Medications: Some medicines, like sedatives, have a muscle-relaxing effect that can worsen snoring.
• Aging: As we age, throat muscles weaken, and throat tissue can sag, obstructing airways.

Frequent snoring can deprive you (and the person sleeping next to you) of quality sleep. It has been linked to medical problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Persistent snoring may also indicate sleep apnea, a serious disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts as you sleep. Therefore, it is important to treat snoring and its causes.

Conclusion

Snoring can significantly disrupt sleep, but there are many effective solutions. Start with simple lifestyle changes like sleep position adjustment, exercise, weight loss, and better sleep habits. Over-the-counter devices like mouthpieces can also provide relief. For chronic snoring or sleep apnea, consult an ENT specialist for prescribed treatment. With patience and perseverance, you can find the right snoring remedy and achieve restful, quiet sleep. The benefits of reduced irritability, improved concentration and work performance, and better overall health make it worth the effort.