Help yourself or your partner to stop snoring
Are you or your partner snoring? Does that drive you crazy? Here are some tips to help you and your partner stop snoring and sleep better.
Snoring is often something you joke about and that becomes a fun topic of conversation around the dining table. But it is a problem that is often not very fun for those who actually have it. It is not uncommon for there to be a lot of anxiety, irritation and vulnerability around the subject. Not to mention lack of sleep. Not only for the snorer but also for the person or persons affected. For anyone who has ever experienced snoring can certainly sign that getting things can ruin a night as much as it does. And in reality, it is a nuisance that can create major problems and divisions in a relationship. Both in terms of emotional aspects and physical.
Snoring is common
Snoring is today a very common problem among all ages and among both sexes. Although it is more common in men and people who are overweight. And that it also has a tendency to get worse with age. It is said that about 30% of the Swedish population snores. And around the world, about 30% of women and about 50% of men snore regularly. And that 59% have a partner who snores. So it is likely that you snore yourself, that you know someone who snores or lives with someone who snores.
Regular snoring
But snoring from time to time is normal and nothing to worry about. However, if you snore regularly or have a partner who does it and it bothers you or your relationship, it is time to look at what can be done to improve the discomfort. Because one should not forget that regular snoring not only disturbs the sleep cycle and sleep quality for you who snore but also for those around you. In this post, we take a closer look at what causes snoring, but above all we give some tips that can help you and your partner sleep better - and quieter.
What causes snoring?
When you sleep, you relax all the muscles in the body and the muscles in the neck are no exception. The tongue falls backwards and when you relax in the upper airways, the air duct itself in the throat also becomes narrower. At this stage, the risk of starting to snore increases. The snoring itself is therefore due to the fact that it is crowded in the back of the throat during sleep. And in some, the tissue in the area from the back of the nose down to the larynx is so loose that it collapses during inhalation.
The characteristic sound that occurs during snoring is actually a vibration of the soft parts of the upper respiratory tract. When you breathe, simply, the walls of the throat begin to vibrate and the most common is that the sound comes at the inhalation but it can also happen at the actual exhalation. And the narrower the airway becomes, the greater the vibration. Thus, snoring also becomes higher.
Are your snoring really sleep apnea?
Your snoring can also be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. This is a condition where you get repeated breathing pauses while sleeping. This is usually due to the tongue falling backwards in the throat and obstructing the air flow. This is a serious condition that requires medical attention. Contact a health center if you know you are snoring and feel tired during the day. The same applies if someone in your vicinity tells you that you have a pause in breathing when you sleep.
Tips to help you or your partner snore less:
- Think about weight
Weight. Perhaps one of the first factors to think about to minimize or get rid of snoring. Studies have shown that weight loss has helped overweight people with their snoring. And that sometimes it also helped with only a couple of kilos of weight loss to reduce snoring. Many also say that, by far, it is about how the fat is distributed to one. That fat that has been stored around the neck, neck and inside the throat region can contribute to snoring. It is also worth mentioning that obesity and snoring can become a vicious circle. This is because snoring itself can be one of the reasons why you may have difficulty losing weight.
A scientific study, conducted at the University of Chicago, showed that sleep deprivation leads to metabolic changes. Something that often results in increased appetite. When a person snores, the body and heart must also work harder to meet the oxygen requirement. The body also does not receive a complete REM sleep or a healthy sleep. The fatigue it entails also turned out to lead to poorer food choices, which means that weight gain is promoted.
- Do not eat too late in the evening
Does it often happen that you eat a late dinner or go to bed stuffed? Sometimes the snoring itself can be triggered by you eating too close to your bed. An overfilled stomach creates a certain pressure on your chest muscles. This can lead to breathing difficulties, which in turn, can lead to snoring.
- Do not sleep on your back
Sleeping on your back is a very popular sleeping position. But there is a link to a higher degree of snoring among the people who sleep on their backs. The same goes for people with sleep apnea.
A US study by the National Institutes of Health found that the incidence of sleep apnea was twice as high among patients who slept on their backs. This compared to when they slept in a side position.
When you sleep on your back, the snoring itself worsens because the position causes the tongue and soft palate to be pushed back. This makes the throat narrower and thus the snoring itself higher.
So, an easy way to try to stop snoring is to be aware of the sleeping position and avoid supine position. If possible, try sleeping on your side. One tip is to use a pillow to support your new sleeping position. Another old tip is to sew a tennis ball to the back of your pajamas. This way, you will force yourself not to sleep in a supine position. Nowadays, there are also a number of technical solutions that can help you change your sleeping position. Feel free to read more about the latest solutions here.
Do not smoke
Smoking mainly increases the risk of chronic inflammation along the tissues and mucous membranes that line the airways. This can lead to swelling, which causes the secretion of mucus. Something that is often thicker and more viscous and that flows down the throat instead of going through the nostrils. Medically, this post is called nasal drip (PND) or chronic rhinitis. It occurs because the airway becomes blocked or narrower. Thus, the air flow moves more turbulently. The turbulent air flow can lead to vibration as the air passes through, leading to the sound of snoring.
In a study of 811 adults, the risk of snoring was 2.3 times greater among smokers. This means that the risk was more than doubled compared to those who did not smoke. In another large study of 15,555 people, snoring was 24% more common among smokers compared to 20% among those who had previously smoked, while among those who never smoked it was 14%. In other words, about one in four smokers snored compared to just one in seven people who never smoked.
- Avoid alcohol
"He always snores when he has drunk whiskey." Yes, that phrase you may have heard or once said yourself. In fact, all types of alcoholic beverages make your muscles more relaxed than usual. And when it comes to sleep and snoring, this is not a good combination. This is because if the muscles are more relaxed than usual in the neck, the probability of snoring also increases to a great extent. In short, you should avoid drinking alcohol before going to sleep. And if you have to drink, this should be done at least 3-4 hours before bedtime and then in moderation.
- Drink water
However, what promotes sleep and minimizes snoring is water. However, if you do not drink enough water, it can cause the airways to dry out and become sticky. Something that, in turn, can lead to snoring. To avoid this, simply try drinking plenty of water during the day. Just remember not to drink too much just before going to bed because then instead of snoring you will be disturbed by the fact that you need to run to the toilet.
Facilitate a narrow or stuffy nose
Sometimes snoring can be due to a stuffy nose. And if it is narrower in the nose, it can cause breathing difficulties. Something that, in turn, creates a vacuum in the throat and leads to snoring. What you want here is to keep the nasal passage open. There are a number of different tips on how to do this. You can, for example, try a nasal dilator that is available at pharmacies. A model is one in soft plastic that you fasten in the nose. It makes the nostrils open more. There are also nasal dilators that are taped on the outside of the nose. If you have a temporary nasal congestion, you can also try nasal spray or take a hot shower before going to bed. Or rub a few drops of essential oils into the nostril to keep them open.
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