Snoring Prevention Methods

Who hasn’t heard the jokes and jibes about “sawing logs”, or a “hog mauling”? Funny quips aside, snoring is no laughing matter in reality. It can negatively impact one’s social interactions with loved ones at best, or indicate the presence of serious health conditions at worst. One of the most common things which affect snorers (and/or those close by) is a distinct lack of sleep, which can diminish one’s quality of life, work, and play. Snoring problems are familiar to more than 40% of average adults, with that ratio typically increasing with age. Today, we’ll cover some easy tips you can perform at home to keep snoring in check, and restore everyone’s sleep – in peace.

One way to prevent snoring starts in the bed – unsurprisingly. Lying flat on your back can cause the tongue to fall to the back of the throat or the throat tissues to loosely sag down into the airway, causing the characteristic “chortling” sound. This can also happen when lying on one’s side as well, especially for those with excess body weight. The solution is to elevate your head above your chest either by propping yourself up with pillows or by raising the head of the bed higher than the foot of the bed.

Obesity is a major contributor to snoring, as the excess body tissue tends to be looser than it should be, increasing the likelihood of airway constriction and obstruction. Overweight people are also at a much greater risk for sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous sleep disorder in which one’s air supply is diminished so severely that the body is constantly waking itself up partially throughout the night to restore a normal level of oxygen in the blood. The sufferer oftentimes does not realize they are waking up, yet they receive little benefit from sleep because they are unable to maintain deep, restful sleep states. Alcohol consumption and smoking are other contributors to snoring that are often resolved by simple lifestyle changes.

Aside from the aforementioned natural methods, snoring solutions can also come from your local dentist. They can recommend mandibular advancement devices, (or MAD for short), which move your lower jaw slightly outward, while also holding the tongue in place, so that your airway stays clear, FREE, and quiet. They are an excellent solution for those snorers whose source of trouble is related to weak throat muscles, or other dental-related causes