How to Stop Snoring & Sleep Peacefully?

 

Are you tired of being woken up by your own or your partner’s snoring? If so, you are certainly not alone. Snoring is troublesome, not just for the person suffering from it but for anybody who can hear it, too. 

So, how do you stop snoring?

Let’s dive into the world of snoring, understand why we snore, discover ways to stop snoring, learn about some natural solutions and get familiar with some other options to help you with this annoying disruption in your snooze fest to get a more peaceful night's sleep!

Why Do You Snore?

When you sleep, air can travel into your neck, causing the relaxed tissues to vibrate and produce unpleasant noises. This may impair your or your partner's sleep. However, snoring may indicate a more severe condition, such as obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, or problems with your mouth, nose, or throat.

What are the Common Causes of Snoring?

To stop snoring, you need to understand what is causing it.

Let's look at the various elements that lead to this annoying disruption:

1. Colds and Allergies: Snoring can be caused by a stuffy nose or congestion because airflow through your nasal passages is restricted. With a cold, the nasal tissues might enlarge, causing snoring. Allergies can cause similar symptoms.
   
   
   • Being Overweight: Being overweight can lead to excess tissues in the back of the throat, which narrows the airways and causes snoring.
   • Abnormal Mouth Anatomy: Things like a low, thick, soft palate, large tonsils, or a long uvula can all contribute to the vibrations that cause snoring.
2. Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat, making it more likely for them to vibrate as you breathe during sleep. This vibration can lead to snoring.
   
   • Sleeping on your Back: Gravity can constrict your airway, resulting in frequent and loud snoring.
   • Air Sinuses: When the sinuses are blocked or inflamed, it can lead to difficulty breathing through the nose, which in turn can cause snoring.
   • Not Sleeping Enough: When you are sleep-deprived, the muscles in your throat relax. It causes them to vibrate while you breathe during your sleep, resulting in snoring.
   • Problems Such as a Twisted Septum: When your nasal passages are obstructed or restricted, it can make it difficult for air to go in and out as you sleep. This might cause the surrounding tissues to vibrate, producing the snoring sound.

What are the Symptoms of Snoring?

Snoring can present with a variety of symptoms, including:-

• Changes in sleeping postures
• Quiet vibrations and loud rumbling sounds
• Headaches and mood fluctuations
• Waking up with a dry, painful throat
• Sleep deprivation
• Fatigue throughout the day

Other subtle symptoms to watch for are:-

• Restless sleep
• Coughing and gasping during the night
• Poor attention span and academic performance in kids
• Chest discomfort
• Behavioural concerns like anxiety and frustration
• High blood pressure

How Might the Manner You Snore In Tell You Why You Snore?

Snoring can be caused by a variety of causes, including nasal congestion, sleep posture, and throat anatomy. Paying attention to the noises you produce when snoring may provide some insight into the underlying causes.

So, the next time your partner snores, pay close attention; it may provide some intriguing information! Also, ask your partner to monitor your snoring sound.

How to Stop Snoring?

There are some tried-and-true ways to help you (or someone you know) achieve a decent night's sleep without snoring. Various strategies might help, like altering your sleeping posture and attempting nasal strips.

The upcoming section in this post also discusses lifestyle adjustments and any underlying concerns that may be contributing to your snoring. Stay tuned to get to the bottom of this matter!

What to Do to Stop Snoring?

Let's dive into these 9 proven ways to stop snoring that might just be the ticket to a quieter and relaxing sleep.

• Sleep on Your Side:

It may seem like a minor adjustment, but changing your sleeping posture may have a significant effect. Try sleeping on your side instead of your back and see if it helps to stop snoring while sleeping. Try putting a tennis ball on the back of your top or T-shirt.

You can stitch a sock to the back of your shirt and then insert a tennis ball inside. Another method is to wedge a cushion filled with tennis balls behind your back.

• Clear Nasal Passage:

If your nose is clogged, consider washing your sinuses with saline before bedtime. You can also use a neti pot or nasal decongestant to improve your breathing while sleeping. If allergies are a concern, try decreasing dust mites and pet dander in your bedroom. Also, use allergy medicine whenever needed.

• Lose Some Extra Weight:

Carrying excess weight, particularly around the neck, can put a strain on your airways, resulting in snoring. So, if you lose a few pounds, along with achieving a great boy, you may also stop snoring naturally.

• Avoid or Limit the Consumption of Alcohol and Quit Smoking:

• Alcohol is a substance that is known for relaxing the muscles in your throat. This means that you should avoid the consumption of alcohol for at least 2 hours before going to bed. But if that is not possible, then limit the consumption of alcohol before bedtime.

• Smoking is a detrimental habit that can cause many health difficulties for you, including snoring. So, now you have one more reason to quit smoking as soon as possible.

• Get Enough Sleep on the Right Mattress:

Good quality sleep is critical, not just for feeling refreshed during the day but also for avoiding snoring naturally. So, if you snore frequently, strive for 7-9 hours of decent sleep every night.

Snoring might also be caused by being uncomfortable while sleeping. Your mattress may be one of the factors. An old, worn-out mattress can cause improper sleep posture. This can eventually lead to snoring. So, if you haven't updated your mattress in a while, it may be time to consider an improvement to control snoring.

• Do Mouth Exercises:

Have you considered trying out mouth exercises to aid with snoring? These activities, known as oropharyngeal exercises, give instant results to stop snoring. These exercises include moving your tongue and other parts of your mouth in particular patterns to develop the muscles in your tongue, soft palate, and throat.

• Place the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth. Slide your tongue backward for three minutes a day.
• Close your mouth and purse your lips. Hold for 30 seconds.
• Repeat each vowel (a-e-i-o-u) out loud for three minutes a few times a day.
• With your mouth open, contract the muscle at the back of your throat repeatedly for 30 seconds. Tip: Look in the mirror to see the uvula (“the hanging ball”) move up and down.
• For a more fun exercise, simply spend time singing. Singing can increase muscle control in the throat and soft palate, reducing snoring caused by slack muscles.
• With your mouth open, move your jaw to the right and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the left side.

• Keep Your Meals Light Before Bedtime:

What you eat before going to bed might influence how much you snore. Eating large meals or drinking dairy or soymilk before bedtime might accentuate snoring. So, keep that in mind the next time you crave a late-night snack!

• Avoid Sedatives Before Bed:

Sedatives may appear to be a good idea for a good night's sleep. But they can instead cause snoring. These drugs might relax the muscles in your throat, resulting in more significant snoring. So, consider avoiding sedatives to stop snoring while sleeping.

• Lift the Head of Your Bed:

It's one of the simple ways to stop snoring. You may do this by supporting the head of your bed with some firm items or by investing in an adjustable bed. It helps to open your airways and achieve the ideal angle for snoring-free sleep.

How to Stop Snoring Naturally?

Let's take a closer look at these 7 time-tested natural home remedies to control snoring while sleeping.

• Peppermint Oil:

Peppermint oil can help open up the airways, making breathing easier and perhaps decreasing snoring. Simply breathing the scent of peppermint oil before bed or using a diffuser in your bedroom might have an impact.

• Ajwain:

Ajwain is known to contain bronchodilator qualities, which can help open up the airways and improve breathing. Consuming ajvain seeds or using them in cooking may help to stop snoring.

• Eucalyptus Oil:

Eucalyptus oil, like peppermint oil, is prized for its ability to cleanse nasal passages and make breathing easier. Adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a humidifier or steam inhalation will provide comfort and may lessen snoring.

• Musta (Nut Grass):

In Ayurveda, musta is known for its anti-inflammatory and decongestant effects. As a tea, it may help decrease nasal congestion and irritation. It can be significantly helpful in stopping snoring during sleep.

• Palash:

In Ayurvedic tradition, palash flowers are utilised as natural medication and home remedies to stop snoring. Boiling the petals to produce a tea might help relieve congestion and improve breathing.

• Black Pepper:

Black pepper is said to contain expectorant qualities that help release mucus and cleanse the airways. Incorporating black pepper into your diet or taking it with warm water may provide you some relief.

• Spider Wort:

Spider-wort has mucolytic qualities, which means it might help break down mucus and relieve congestion, perhaps stopping snoring at night.

How to Stop Snoring Using Other Methods?

The good news is that there are several scientific and medical treatments available to cure snoring. 

Here are the 12 most effective ones:-

• Use a Mouthguard:

Mouthguards function by gently pushing your lower jaw and tongue forward as you sleep. So they keep your airway open. Don’t worry if you find it expensive to buy a custom-made mouthguard from a dentist. More economical DIY kits are also available in the market.

• Get Nasal Strips and External Nasal Dilators:

These small miracles can help open up your nasal passages. Nasal strips and dilators make it easier to breathe through your nose and lower snoring. It's a little move that might have a major impact.

• Apply Nasal Spray:

Another effective way to stop snoring is to apply nasal spray. It can decrease inflammation in the nose and airways. It allows them to open up and relieve snoring symptoms.

• Wear Vestibular Shield:

The vestibular shield is worn in the mouth to help with snoring. It encourages breathing through the nose during sleep. It prevents snoring caused by the mouth falling open.

• Treat Chronic Allergies:

Chronic allergies can cause nasal congestion and worsen snoring. Seeking allergy therapy, such as allergy injections or prescription drugs, may help you stop snoring.

• Get a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP):

This is a laser-based surgical procedure that removes extra tissue from the neck to enlarge the airway. It is usually reserved for people with severe snoring or OSA and is conducted by an ENT specialist.

• Wear Palatal Implants:

The little palatal implants are put into the soft palate to tighten it and control snoring during sleep. This minimally invasive surgery can be performed in a doctor's office.

• Undergo Somnoplasty:

Somnoplasty uses radio waves to alter tissues in the mouth and throat. It can reduce snoring in certain persons but not as well as palatal implants.

• Consider Septoplasty:

If you snore because of a deviated septum, you can ask your healthcare provider about septoplasty. It's a simple procedure to straighten or mend the septum, which may assist with controlling snoring problems. Consult an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor to explore this possibility.

• Use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine:

CPAP machines are helpful in treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). They provide a constant flow of air to keep the airway open during sleep, which prevents snoring and improves sleep.

• Use an Oral Appliance:

Mandibular advancement devices move the jaw and tongue to maintain an open airway. These devices may be custom-fitted by a dentist and are commonly used as an alternative to CPAP for mild to moderate OSA.

• Consider Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA):

RAF is a minimally invasive technique that shrinks and stiffens tissues in the soft palate to reduce snoring. This outpatient surgery may be an option for you if you haven’t responded to other treatments.

When Should You Call a Doctor?

You should seek medical attention if:-

• You or your partner's snoring is disturbing your sleep quite often
• You feel excessive daytime exhaustion
• You suspect it is an indication of a more severe illness such as OSA,

A healthcare practitioner can assist in determining the underlying cause of snoring and provide suitable treatment choices.

As you can see, snoring interferes with your slumber and affects your health big time. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including being overweight, having allergies, and the shape of your mouth and sinuses. And guess what? It may affect people of any age, not just adults.

But don't panic - The home remedies mentioned in this post can assist you well, such as applying peppermint oil or anti-snore mouthpieces. Making lifestyle adjustments, like lowering weight and reducing alcohol use, may also help. But the most important solution is to evaluate if you are sleeping on the right type of mattress.