Self Help 'Anti Snoring' Articles

Take a look through some of the articles which will hope offer up various simple help, advice and tips to help combat your snoring. Plus many of these self help tips will also have the additional benefit of improving your overall health as well.

I Trust you will find the information useful

Discover the Causes of Snoring

Snoring is a disruption not only for you the snorer but just as importantly your partner. Discover the reasons why you snore then you can hopefully find ways to reduce it and its effects.

By Toby Russell

For many of us who snore we already know some of the things that increase our snoring either from practical experience ie: a heavy drinking session results in you snoring more or from comments made by family ie; “don't sleep on your back” kind of comments. But these are not really the causes of snoring but actions that make the situation worse.

What causes snoring is primarily due to air block or lack of air passing through the narrow passage of your nose and throat and when it hits the loose tissues at the back of the throat it causes vibrations which is the noise we associate with snoring.  In extreme cases ie: sleep apnea sufferers its the lack of airflow that forces sufferers to end up gasping for air (all in their sleep) as the brain identifies it needs oxygen

Its not just a 'male thing' but its certainly more prevalent in men with statistics suggesting over 44% of men suffering and its getting worse because of lifestyles.

What are the Causes of Snoring then ?

In a nutshell

-         being overweight

-         drinking too  much alcohol

-         smoking

-         lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle

-         for men specifically, getting older & getting a thicker neck

-         stress

-         sleeping patterns

So making some lifestyle changes can have a really positive effect on your snoring problems. First off though get checked over by your doctor who will not only be able to give you detailed and individual advice but also identify whether your snoring is a symptom of any other condition.

There are number of useful ways to reduce the causes of snoring

Your Sleep Pattern

Lie on your side rather than on your back. This will help to avoid throat and tongue rubbing together and keep your airway as open as possible. Just raise your head with the help of multiple or heavy pillows. This will help to reduce snoring. (But when you have heavy snoring or you have snoring while you are pregnant then you should consult the doctor.)

Loose weight

 Excessive body weight will cause snoring. Lose your over weight to stop snoring.

Cut your alcohol Intake

Alcohol or any sleeping pills taken will have a sedative effect your throat muscles will be more relaxed and that will increase your snoring.

. If you have any allergies then get it treated. Allergies can cause nasal blocks and breathing troubles which in turn make snoring more likely.

Quit Smoking

Smoking can cause snoring. Many snorers get relief from snoring after they quit smoking.

Consider your diet

Some changes in diet can help to stop snoring. Heavy meals late in the evening will not help.  Sweets and soft drinks may cause slight dehydration and it will tempt you to breathe through mouth. Mouth breathing will lead to snoring. So avoid taking sweets or high carbohydrate diet before going to sleep.

Indigestion may also cause snoring. So avoid dairy products before you go to sleep..

Its all about breathing and airflow

Bear in mind the whole snoring issue revolves around the ability to breath well and the resulting airflow so anything you can do to help this area is good, as an example, You can also do some breathing exercises which will help to get regular and normal breathing. This will help.

There are number of dental appliances available in the market to help  stop snoring. Mouth guards are popular, try a Boil and bite mouth guard, they  are cheap and safe.. Custom fit mouth guards can be  expensive yet effective. You do however need to talk to specialists to make sure its the right approach for you.

 This can be eliminated by using mouth piece called sleep pro. This will help to circulate air correctly and thus stops snoring. Many doctors believe that sleep pro is the cheapest way to stop snoring.

You can use nasal sprays to coat the soft tissues in the throat. This will avoid vibrations from throat and allow air passing gently.  You can also apply vapour rub or take steam before go to sleep. This will help to remove nasal block and thereby avoid snoring.

Cut your Stress Level

Stress may cause snoring. So you must find ways to avoid or manage stress. Family and work pressure will cause stress in middle aged men. So such people are likely to snore more than others. So managing stress can be beneficial for your overall health as well as possibly reducing your level of snoring.

You can use any of these ways to stop snoring. But if it is heavy and not cured by changes in life style then it may be ta symptom of some other diseases like stroke or hyper tension. Treatment to such diseases will stop snoring. If you can not stop snoring after taking treatment then you have to go for surgery to stop snoring.