Imagine it’s the middle of the night. You get shaken out of a dream. Why? You still haven’t figured out how to stop snoring, and your partner is tired of it. They berate you for the loudness, but you know it isn’t your fault. When is the snoring ever going to go away? Or, perhaps it’s here to stay? As you try to drift back off to sleep at three o’clock in the morning, you roll over to your side. You can’t sleep in this position, but you don’t want to snore anymore. All you want to do is learn how to stop snoring.
If this situation sounds familiar, take comfort in knowing that you aren’t alone. In fact, a lot of people experience the same thing night in and night out. During one’s lifetime, about 50 percent of people snore on a consistent basis. In terms of gender breakdown, 40 percent of men and 24 percent of women snore every night. With these numbers in mind, it’s clear that snoring is prevalent among the human population. But, what exactly is snoring? And how can it be prevented?
The Science of Snoring
The act of snoring is quite simple. Even though the sound is harsh and can cause quite a disturbance during the middle of the night, the process only involves air and the throat. Normally, when you breathe in air, the air flows through your nose and mouth. If everything goes as it should, the air flows without any obstruction. However, the snoring occurs when this flow is interrupted. When the air begins to vibrate the tissues in the back of your throat, you snore. Most of the time, the person who is snoring doesn’t even realize that they’re doing it.
It’s also intriguing that there are a variety of snorers out there. The mouth is a complex system. The tongue may be one of the culprits. Some people’s tongues sit at the back of their mouths. If this happens when you sleep, snoring is sure to follow. Likewise, if you breathe through your mouth when you sleep, this can lead to the annoying act of snoring. You may even have a combination of things occurring that cause you to snore. If that’s the case, then the snoring may be difficult to tame.
It’s important to realize that snoring doesn’t just obstruct your sleep, it could also cause some safety concerns. Learning how to stop snoring pays off in more ways than one!
Effects of Snoring on the Body
It may seem as if snoring isn’t a big deal (and if it isn’t consistent, then you shouldn’t worry). However, snoring can lead to something a bit more severe if it’s not treated. One of the ways in which snoring can affect the body is the decrease of oxygen in your blood.
When you breathe, the oxygen you breathe goes into your lungs. When this air intake is restricted, the vessels of the lungs can become constricted. In turn, this can contribute to pulmonary hypertension. These health concerns need to be considered when learning how to stop snoring.
Another health concern that you should be aware of is sleep apnea. Although all snorers won’t necessarily develop sleep apnea, it is something that may pose a threat to you. Sleep apnea is no joke, as you stop breathing for a prolonged period of time. Besides the obvious health risks involved, sleep apnea also feeds into a lack of oxygen into the lungs. The art of how to stop snoring is a tricky one to master, but it is something worth looking into if you experience some of these problems.
How to Stop Snoring
With all of these negative effects on the snorer, what can you do to make sure that you’re healthy and happy while you sleep? If you can’t think of any solutions, you don’t need to worry. A variety of answers are at your fingertips, as you can always improve your sleep. Learning how to stop snoring can be fun, and you can implement these tips starting tonight!
Fall asleep faster
One of the first things you can do sounds a bit basic, but understanding the context behind it makes you more appreciative of it. First, you can figure out how to stop snoring by falling asleep quicker. But, how exactly do you do this? It’s easier than it seems, as there are plenty of distractions in your life that you can set aside to help fall asleep faster. Shut down any screens you may be staring at. Do this about an hour before you go to bed. You can also cut out your caffeine well before you fall asleep. Meditation and journaling are also excellent ways to alleviate your stresses and put your mind at ease.
Stay hydrated
Figuring out how to stop snoring can seem like a chore, but another quick fix lies within your refrigerator. One of the hardest (yet simultaneously easiest) things a person can do is stay hydrated. Drinking water shouldn’t be a challenge, yet 75 percent of Americans are dehydrated. This is due to a variety of factors, including the increase in soda consumption. Plus, with so many alternatives to water (drinks such as Powerade), it seems Americans don’t find enough time to gulp down the recommended cups of water. Hydration can lead to a reduction of snoring, so you may want to refill your water bottle if you want to truly learn how to stop snoring.
Lose weight
If you really want to learn how to stop snoring, then one of the key factors you need to utilize is good health. In general, being healthy eliminates a lot of health issues that can arise. And being healthy means keeping a healthy weight. Nearly 30 percent of the world’s population is obese. That’s a staggering number and a true testament as to how widespread snoring really is. Losing the weight puts less stress on the body. Less stress on the body means that you don’t need to struggle to breathe. It’s a cyclical partnership.
Reduce smoking, alcohol, and drugs
Even if you personally don’t do any of the above, chances are you know someone who does. If this is the case, then it would bode well for them if you shared this knowledge. All three of these activities don’t directly lead to snoring, but they do damage and hinder a healthy night’s sleep. Over time, the bad quality of your sleep leads to side effects such as snoring.
With all of this information so far, knowing how to stop snoring should make you feel confident in yourself. But, what if these natural solutions don’t seem viable enough or they just don’t work for you?
Sleep Devices
If natural means don’t seem to pan out, then feel free to try a sleep device. These nifty gadgets may all seem different from each other, but they have one common goal. And the end goal is for you to learn how to stop snoring. For starters, you can buy small devices such as nasal strips. These help to open up the airways in your nose so that you can breathe freely and without obstruction. If you want to get a little more advanced, you can utilize mouth guards and tongue stabilizers. Finally, if none of these work, you can try to gain access to a BiPap machine (although, these are on the expensive side). These last options may be pricey, but they work wonders if you truly want to know how to stop snoring.
Medication for your Snoring
Probably easier than machines and gadgets would be simple medication. Many medications you should be able to get over-the-counter. A nasal spray can also work wonders if you would like to go down that route. However, if these medications don’t work, you can always contact a sleep specialist. There are doctors out there that specialize in sleep disorders, and it may do you well to visit one if the snoring can’t be remedied by any of the suggestions above.
Take Action Now
The options listed above represent a wide array of solutions to your snoring woes. There are a variety of ways to learn how to stop snoring and they come in every price range. But, the truth is that theory won’t do you any good. Instead, you need to take action now.
You shouldn’t wait until your snoring develops into something more severe. If you or someone else you know is snoring consistently, it could lead to something worse. Intervene and start small. Most of the time, you’d be surprised at how effective natural remedies are. Just know that you have an array of choices. And don’t ever feel alone. Snoring seems benign but can morph into something else. Try something new today, so you can begin the practice of learning how to stop snoring.
