10 Tips To Stop Snoring

By: Urszula G-K on 03/10/2009

It is said that people may go on living some time without eating, but sleeping is essential for life. Sleeping is a tension reliever process that allows us to go on with our life on daily basis. Lack of sleep, not getting enough sleep or a bad sleep automatically ruins the balance of our life.

One of the main sleeping disorders is snoring which is basically a sound emitted during sleep because of some irregularities in our oral cavity, respiratory system or overall lifestyle. There are many simple tips to stop snoring that might prove effective in your case too and prevent you, this way, from taking more complicated measures like the ones based on medication, complex medical devices or even surgeries.

Over 40% of men and 25% of women snore. To these percentages, add the amount of persons sharing the bed with a snorer, because they do not get a good night sleep either. Snoring can lead to serious health problems related to heart and blood pressure. That's why we should do everything in our power to eliminate it.

Before your snoring becomes a serious health issue or very disturbing for the people sharing the room or the bed with you, try to follow the tips to stop snoring listed below:

1. Sleep on one side of the body. If you are afraid you might change your body position while sleeping put some pillows around your body or sew a small ball on your back, underneath your shirt. It will prevent you from lying on your back.

2. When your head is on a low pillow, your tongue falls back and generates some sounds at the base of the throat. Elevate your head by using a thicker pillow or more pillows.

3. When your nose is dry, the airways do not function at their fullest. Unblock them by putting a humidifier in the room, inhale the steam from boiled water or put some menthol moisture on the upper lip.

4. Changing lifestyle habits is one of the most efficient tips to stop snoring. Smoking affects the overall lung capacity, so drop cigarettes if you want a peaceful sleep. Late copious dinners and alcohol consumption are also among the main causes of snoring, which you should eliminate if you want to get a good night sleep.

5. Lose some weight. Overweight causes breathing problems. Try to reach a normal weight and your sleep can get close to normality as well.

6. Avoid dairy products before going to bed because they contain fats and alter the composition of the throat mucus, causing difficulties in breathing over night.

7. Doing some exercises to strengthen your jaws, facial and throat muscles can be one of the most effective tips to stop snoring, provided that they are practiced with regularity for a longer time span. Make vocalizes a few times per day, move your mouth as if you were chewing gum, strip your lips like preparing for a kiss or tight them as if you were in front of a photo camera. Allow yourself a few minutes per day to do some of these simple exercises and you will see amazing results, in the long term.

8. Yoga or other kind of meditation sessions is one of the tips to stop snoring that should be embraced especially by people experiencing problems in breathing due to some congenital or chronic health disorders. These exercises regulate the air intake and give rhythm to the breathing.

9. Use devices if you are having some physical small flaws that cause your snoring. People with not enough wide nostrils can use nasal strips to enlarge their nostrils and increase the air intake. A mouth guard is also a good device for persons with teeth problems because it brings them together and strengthens their jaw muscles. Consult your doctor if you think that using a device is one of the tips for you to stop snoring.

10. Many people snore because of the amount of stress they deal with during the day and the incapacity to put it aside. If you are one of these people, drink teas with relaxing effects like valerian teas or do some sports exercises in the evening to relieve the tension from your body.

Do not play with the quality of your sleep, as this is a very important aspect of your health. If none of these simple tips to stop snoring proves efficient for you, go for medical investigation and, together with your doctor, decide upon the best ways you should take to retrieve good sleep and daily life peace.