That noisy and annoying sound brought by snoring will not only manifests health risk but will affect your family members’ sleep. And with poor sleep will turn into irritability, early daytime fatigue, as well as increased health risks. Snoring can become a relationship problem with your partner, especially if you keep her wide awake.

Fortunately, sleeping in different rooms is not an option anymore as there are many practical and cheap solutions available in the market today. Once you select a remedy that works effectively on stopping your snoring problems, you’ll remarkably improve your health, sleep, and relationships.

Why People Snore?

Snoring happens due to the difficulty of moving air freely through the mouth and nose while sleeping. It is caused by the airway narrowing, either from the abnormalities of the throat’s soft tissues or from poor sleeping posture. The narrow airway gets in the breathing passage; thus, generating the snoring sound.

What are the most common causes of snoring?

Aging: When people reach middle age, throat passage becomes narrower; thus, decreasing the muscle tone in the throat.

Alcohol and smoking: Smoking and severe alcohol intake will increase muscle relaxation which leads to extreme snoring.

Overweight: A poor muscle tone and excessive fatty tissues definitely contribute to snoring.

Sleeping posture: Sleeping flat will cause throat relaxation and will in turn block the airway.

Nasal problems: Blocked airways will make inhaling tough and will generate a vacuum in the throat, leading to the snoring sound.

Genetics: Men have narrower passages than women and more prone to snoring. A cleft palate, narrow throat, and enlarged adenoids that are snoring culprits are often seen in genetics.

Stop Snoring Devices

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of devices that help combat snoring. Knowing their functions and usage will aid you in selecting which anti-snoring device works best to your needs.

Snoring Mouthpiece

Commonly termed as dental appliances, mouthpiece devices have been proven effective for most snorers, especially those who are suffering from moderate sleep apnea. These are normally small plastic instruments worn in the mouth in sleeping to avoid soft throat tissues from blocking the airway. It works by putting your lower jaw forward and lifting the soft palate. Others even prevent to tongue from falling back over the windpipe.

Pros: The result can be detected fast. The wearer can experience the results on the first night after wearing it. Also, it is inexpensive as it can be found on major medical establishments.

Cons: At least once a year, the wearer must replace his/her mouthpiece as it is prone to wear and tear due to teeth grinding.

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Snoring Chin Strap

Known as jaw supporter, a snoring chin strap wraps around the back of the head and across the jaw. It aims to support your jaw in place while sleeping and this will prevent the user from opening his/her mouth. Open mouth sleeping results to extra pressure on the throat area which leads to vibrations that cause the snoring sound.

Pros: No concerns on side effects

Cons: Uncomfortable at first use

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Anti Snore Pillow

A snoring pillow supports the neck vertebrae in the appropriate position, which avoids tension and stress on the neck muscles as well as pressure on the nerves. This results in maintaining the airways open throughout the sleep. When sleeping on the back, the pillow works by helping the chin remain inclined so the air passages are not blocked. While lying on the side, the pillow sustains a forward jaw position. It also avoids the neck from kinking and head from rolling.

Pros: Most snore pillows are hypoallergenic, meaning that if you suffer from allergies, the pillow will not aggravate your condition. Snore pillows have removable sheets so you can wash them as frequent as you want.

Cons: A snore pillow may work for some users, may not work on others. In order to determine if a snow pillow is effective for you, you must go and spend money to have one. These products are not normally returnable, so if it won’t work, you wasted money.

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Snoring Spray

There is a wide variety of snore relief sprays in the market today. Majority of them are extracted from organic ingredients like almonds, sunflower oil, vitamins, and olives. Flavors are added to snore spray, making them relaxing to the throat and it acts as breath freshener as well. Users must be warned that drinking an acidic drink such as fruit juice reduces the effect of the spray. A glass of water should do.

Pros: proven above average success rate, relatively cheaper than other methods, easy to use, and it comes with different flavors

Cons: only provides non-permanent relief and is only effective on particular type of snoring, normally snoring due to nasal congestion

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Stop Snoring Strip

Anti-snoring nasal strips are one of the most famous snoring solutions. These strips are non-prescription devices (meaning you can purchase them over the counter) and these will make your nose open and breathe easily. Nasal strips usually comprise of one or two plastic bands situated in an adhesive pad. When correctly placed across the nose, these attempt to straighten. This lifts the nose sides, creating space in the nasal valve and will help sustain airway throughout the sleep.

Pros: Convenient and one of the safest anti-snoring devices in the market today. Some brands have menthol vapors that make breathing relaxed and easy

Cons: Stop snoring strips can’t be reused and are quite pricey. Knowing that snorers have to use them each and every night, it may definitely be costly especially for those in tight budget.

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Nasal Dilator

The nasal dilator is created to prevent snoring caused by breathing through the mouth. It has a conical shape that opens up the nostrils, enabling breathing through the nose. According to the makers, wearing the nasal dilator will not only prevent snoring effectively but will reduce the symptoms linked with snoring like depression, daytime fatigue as well as high blood pressure.

Pros: cheaper and practical than other snoring devices

Cons: Some user commented that when waking up, his nostrils are sore.

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How Do I Stop Snoring: Tips to Stop Snoring

Lose Weight: Weight loss will decrease fatty tissue in the throat area, thus decreasing the effects of snoring. Gaining fatty tissue around the neck area squeezes the throat’s internal diameter, making it to collapse while sleeping, producing the snoring sound.

Exercise: Hitting gym to tone your abs, legs, and arms will also cause muscle toning to your throat, decreasing the snoring sound.

Quit smoking: Smoking causes pathways to be blocked by irritating the membranes in the throat and nose.

Avoid alcohol and sedatives: Specifically before going to bed, avoid drinking too much alcohol or prescription medicines, as they relax the muscles in the throat and distracts proper breathing. Consult your physician of you are taking prescription medicines, as deep sleep level will aggravate the snoring problem.

Drinking alcohol four to five hours before bedtime will aggravate snoring. People who don’t usually snore will definitely snore after drinking liquor.

Maintain regular sleeping pattern: Establish a bedtime schedule with your partner and sustain it. Sleeping in a routine manner together will aid you in sleeping better and may minimize snoring. Working extra hours without enough sleep will make you overtired when sleeping time arrives. Sleeping deep and hard will only make your throat muscles floppier, which is the cause of snoring.

Change sleeping position: Do not sleep on your back! In this sleeping position, your soft palate and tongue rest against your throat’s back, thus blocking the pathway and generating that vibrating sound. One practical way people enforce themselves to sleep on their side is by sewing or taping a tennis ball at their shirt’s back, so whenever they feel to sleep on their back, it would be uncomfortable. Should you want to sleep on your back, purchase few extra pillows and prop yourself up, rather than lying flat on the back. Raise the bed’s head.

Open the nasal passages: Keeping open nasal passages may help if snoring begins in your nose. If your nose is narrowed or clogged due to a blockage, the rapid-moving air is likely to generate snoring. One thing to try is to have hot shower before sleeping. Nasal strips sold on drugstores can also help in lifting nasal passages and opening them up.

Be well-hydrated: The importance of staying hydrated can be helpful in fighting snoring. This is because when dehydrated, nose and soft palate secretions are stickier and this will be prone to snoring due to the pathway blockage. According to studies, women should drink 12 cups of water daily, for men around 16 cups.

Change pillows frequently: Unknown to many, bedroom and pillow allergens contribute to snoring too. Dust mites reside in pillow and will cause allergic reaction that would result to snoring. Putting your pets on bed causes you to breathe with animal fur, another allergic irritant. Replace your pillows every six months to keep dust mites and allergens away.

Gargle and decongestants: A pepper mint mouthwash will shrink the nose and throat lining. This is particularly effective if your snoring is a temporary one cause by a cold or an allergy. Decongestants and antihistamines work well too. Be careful as prolonged use can be dangerous.

Reposition: Elevating your head four inches may ease breathing and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward. There are specially designed pillows available in the market to aid in preventing snoring by ensuring your neck muscles are not crimped.

Avoid caffeine and heavy meals within two hours before bedtime, particularly soy and dairy products.

Conclusion

In reality, snoring is not caused by a sole factor, but a combination of many. If these tips do not work, seek doctor’s advice for more remedies. There is a wide array of products and processes in the market today designed to alleviate snoring.