Snoring is a common problem that affects millions of people each year. It's more than just an annoyance; it can be a sign of something more serious. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to stop snoring and get your sleep back on track—some simple and some not-so-simple. Read on for our complete guide on how to stop snoring at night, plus tips from some experts who've helped thousands of people with this very problem!
Drop a few pounds
If you are overweight, losing weight can help reduce snoring. Being overweight can place pressure on the tissues in your throat and cause them to vibrate while you sleep. This causes snoring and may also lead to sleep apnea.
If you're at an unhealthy weight, losing a few pounds could improve your health as well as your sleep quality. Losing just 10 percent of your current body weight can reduce high blood pressure by 50 percent! It may also reduce stress on joints and improve cholesterol levels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood through arteries that were previously blocked with plaque deposits.
Set up a humidifier
Humidifiers can be an effective way to stop snoring. By adding moisture to the air, a humidifier helps to clear your nasal passages and keep them open. This can help reduce snoring by allowing you to breathe easier while you sleep, reducing dryness in the nose and throat that causes snoring. A humidifier also has other benefits:
It will help keep symptoms of allergies or asthma at bay by keeping your nasal passages clear and open.
It may even help with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Elevate your head
Put a pillow under your head.
Use a wedge pillow.
Get a special pillow that elevates your head.
You can also use other kinds of pillows, such as cervical pillows or any kind of firm but comfortable pillow at the right height for you to sleep on your back with your neck straight and head slightly elevated above the rest of your body (not in a position where it might drop down too far).
Lay off the booze
Alcohol can make you snore. Alcohol relaxes the throat muscles and lowers inhibitions, which can cause you to breathe through your mouth at night. Even if you don’t drink a lot of alcohol, it is possible that any amount could make you snore. If this is the case for you and your partner, it will be best for both of your sleep quality if no alcohol is consumed within four hours of bedtime.
It's not just about sleeping better; research has shown that too much alcohol can also increase your risk for heart disease and stroke—so skip out on drinking altogether if that's something that concerns you!
Try allergen-proof bedding
If you're prone to allergies, you may notice that your snoring gets worse when you sleep in a room that's been doused with dust mites or pollen. One way of combating this is by using allergen-proof bedding materials. These include cotton sheets, wool blankets and pillows made from antimicrobial synthetic fibers—and they're available from chemists across Australia. If you have an allergy problem but aren't sure which types of material are best for your health, ask your pharmacist for advice on choosing products that won't trigger sneezing fits or other symptoms when it comes time for bedtime!
If you do suffer from allergies and live in an area where the temperature fluctuates wildly between winter and summer (or vice versa), it's important to remember that washing machine dryers use heat to kill bacteria on fabric surfaces. Heat can also make allergens in the air more potent than usual – so make sure you wash any new sheets before putting them on your bed! If possible, invest in an allergen-proof pillowcase too; they cost around $20 online but may help reduce night-time coughing by keeping out dust mite particles while making sure there’s less risk of waking up feeling stuffed up due what might be lurking inside someone else's home!
Sleep on your side
Sleeping on your side with your head elevated is a great way to reduce snoring. While sleeping on your back will help you breathe better, it can also make the flow of air through your nose and mouth more obstructed.
This means that you are more likely to snore while lying down flat than when you are asleep in a position that keeps the airways open.
When you sleep on one side, gravity helps keep the throat open and not fully constricted like it would be if someone was lying flat with their head tilted back towards their shoulders. This position creates less risk of obstructions in the throat’s natural pathways, which can lead to less snoring overall (even as much as 50% less!).
Put a tennis ball in your pillowcase
One of the most effective ways to stop snoring is by placing a tennis ball in your pillowcase. The tennis ball (or any similar-sized round object) will keep your jaw from dropping open and causing you to snore. It will also keep your tongue from falling back into your throat when you fall asleep, which usually closes up the airway.
A less common cause of snoring is having weak muscles in the throat that make it difficult for air to pass through because they’re not relaxed enough when we sleep on our backs or sides. Placing a tennis ball under one side of your neck while sleeping can help prevent this problem by encouraging those muscles to relax and stay open during sleep so that more air can pass through easily!
Get tested for sleep apnea
If you're snoring, it's time to get tested for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that can be treated with various types of therapy, and catching it early can mean the difference between being able to sleep soundly at night and waking up feeling like you've been run over by a truck.
What is sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep. The pauses in your breathing last anywhere from ten seconds to several minutes at a time, depriving you of oxygen as well as important hormonal benefits provided by deep sleep—including rejuvenation of the body and mind after an active day spent going about your daily routine! The resulting fatigue makes it tempting for people who have this disorder not only find themselves falling asleep on the job but also snoring loudly enough to keep their loved ones awake at night.
Snoring is a problem that many people experience, but they may not realize it. Snoring occurs when breathing during sleep becomes obstructed, causing the airway to collapse and vibrate. This causes some people to feel as though their throat is being squeezed, which can be quite uncomfortable. In most cases, snoring does not have any long term effects other than being an annoyance for both the snorer and those around him or her.
However, if your partner has fallen asleep on top of you or in front of you in such a way that you cannot breathe properly because he or she is too close (or vice versa), then this could potentially cause serious physical harm to both parties involved.
It may be helpful if we go over some common causes of snoring first before we get into how one can stop it altogether:
We hope this article has helped you better understand the causes and solutions to your snoring problem. If you’re still struggling with it, we encourage you to consider seeking out an expert who can help. They may be able to offer new suggestions or even recommend over-the-counter remedies that could make all the difference in the world—especially if they involve a good night’s sleep!
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