Stop Snoring
Snoring is the butt of many jokes and a leading cause of dissatisfaction among committed couples. If you snore regularly, you already know it’s not a laughing matter. Snoring disrupts sleep for both bed partners and can put you at higher risk of chronic illnesses or be the cause of an underlying health issue. If you’re ready to stop snoring in Ballston Spa, NY, Integrative Sleep Center is here to help.
What Causes People to Snore?
The sounds made while snoring occur due to the vibration and rattling of tissues in the back of your throat near the airway. While you relax and fall into a deeper sleep, your throat muscles loosen and cause your airway to become narrow. Continued inhaling and exhaling of air causes your tissues to make noise.
How Many Americans Struggle with Snoring?
According to the Sleep Foundation, approximately 147 million people in this country snore regularly. The number breaks down to 73 million men, 52 million women, and 20 million children.
Snoring Risk Factors
Some risk factors are preventable when it comes to snoring and others are not. For example, you can’t change the shape and size of the muscles and tissues in your neck that makes it more likely you will struggle with snoring. However, we at Integrative Sleep Center urge you to make lifestyle changes or do whatever else is necessary to reduce your risk of snoring. Here are the most common risk factors associated with snoring:
- Being overweight or obese
- Deviated septum
- Frequent nasal congestion
- Large tongue, tonsils, or soft palate
- Nasal polyps
- Pregnancy
- Regular consumption of alcohol
- Regular use of sedative medications
- Your jaw is unusually small or sits back further than normal
Please keep in mind that snoring is not the same thing as sleep apnea, although it can be a risk factor for developing that condition.
Home-Based Remedies to Stop Snoring in Ballston Spa, NY
Even if you’re aware that you snore, that doesn’t mean that you can suddenly stop doing it. We recommend that you implement some lifestyle changes immediately to see if that helps. Commit to exercise and healthy eating if you’re overweight, stop smoking, and consume alcohol only in moderation and never before bed. Here are some other things you can try:
- Sleep on your side instead of your back or stomach, since people tend to snore less when they position their head to the side.
- Ask your dentist for a mouthpiece to treat snoring.
- Buy some nasal snore strips and wear one each night.
Another option is to attempt to complete mouth exercises, technically known as oropharyngeal exercises, designed specifically to help reduce or stop snoring. To complete these exercises, start by moving parts of your mouth and your tongue in ways that stretch them. Oropharyngeal exercises should help to strengthen your throat, tongue, and soft palate enough that you experience a noticeable reduction in snoring.
Schedule a Sleep Study with the Integrative Sleep Center
Maybe you have tried most or all the solutions described above and you and your partner still feel frustrated with your frequent loud snoring. In this case, you may have an underlying medical issue that your doctor has not yet diagnosed.
We invite you to schedule an overnight sleep study with us when it works with your schedule or to contact us with additional questions before committing to the study. We will provide you with immediate feedback after you wake up that should help you pinpoint what is causing you to continue snoring despite your best efforts to stop it.
Sources
How to Stop Snoring: 10 Tips, Tricks, and Remedies | Sleep Foundation
