Snoring Remedies

Have you ever been frustrated at your partner for keeping you up all night with loud snoring? Better yet, have you ever woken yourself up with your own snoring and wondering how to stop snoring?
Despite what you may think about yourself, everyone snores occasionally. It’s a natural occurrence due to the relaxed state your throat moves into during sleep. But if it’s severe, it can disrupt sleep patterns, cause insomnia, and  lead to irritability in both the snorer and the one lying awake because of the snoring.



It’s important to note, however, that snoring could also be an indication of sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening condition that should receive medical attention. Sleep apnea is typically caused by a breathing obstruction, which awakens the sleeper, at which point the person begins breathing again. Normal snoring usually does not affect the quality of sleep as much as sleep apnea. If you suffer from extreme fatigue, sleepiness and exhaustion during the day, your problem may be more than just snoring, and you should get it checked out by a doctor.

As mentioned, snoring can cause insomnia, a big problem for many, with 48 percent of Americans reporting occasional insomnia and 22 percent reporting consistent insomnia. So how do you stop this nasally, sleep-disruptive sound? It’s necessary to identify exactly how and why you are snoring if you want to know how to stop snoring. Once you do that, believe it or not, there are solutions to help eliminate snoring so everyone can get much-needed rest instead of being always tired.

Here’s how to stop snoring naturally.

Peppermint Oil and Goldenseal

If your snoring occurs because of nasal or chest congestion, pure peppermint oil oil can relieve the congestion. It’s been shown to be a great essential oil sore throat relief and congestion in the nasal passageways, which in turn could be how to stop snoring for congestion issues.
Goldenseal is another supplement you can use to help relieve congestion in your chest and nasal passages and is typically found in powder, liquid or capsule form. You can even have a cup of herbal tea that contains peppermint or goldenseal. Just make sure you don’t have a tea with caffeine, as that can greatly interrupt your sleep.

Vitamin C

The sinuses can obstruct the airways, causing the mouth to open and the uvula, the fleshy extension at the back of the soft palate that hangs above the throat, to vibrate and create the annoy of an all-night snore. Vitamin C may help prevent this because we know it helps promote a healthy immune system. That healthy immune system can clear the sinuses.
Papaya, pineapple, which also contains sinus-fighting bromelain, broccoli and red bell pepper, to name a few, are the some of the best vitamin C foods.

Eucalyptus and Peppermint

Eucalyptus has long been around to help with chest colds. There are a few ways that you can apply eucalyptus oil to provide a snore-free night of sleep. Putting eucalyptus leaves in a steam inhaler and breathing it through your mouth or nose can help clear your sinuses.
You also could try using a steam bowl by putting your head over a bowl of pure hot water and covering it with a towel so you can inhale the steam. Add five drops of eucalyptus and five drops peppermint essential oils to the bowl. Don’t forget that steam is hot and can burn you, so be careful. Do this just before bed to help clear out your airways and reduce inflammation in your nasal passages that may be a contribute to the snoring problem.
If you’re not a fan of the steam, a neti pot using the right solution of salts and pure water can do wonders, too, but don’t put essential oils in the neti pot, as this can burn the membranes of the nasal passages!

Limit or Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol relaxes most people, and because snoring occurs when the throat and tongue is relaxed, alcohol can add to the problem due to the extreme relaxed state it may cause. This could actually make your snoring worse. Limit your alcohol consumption or avoid it altogether to get a much better night’s sleep.

Avoid Dairy Products and Big Meals Late at Night

Drinking milk or having other dairy products can make snoring much worse because it leaves a layer of mucus in your mouth and throat. This mucous adds to the blockage of the airways.
Also, try to avoid eating a big meal just before bedtime. When your stomach is full, it can push up against your diaphragm and affect your rhythmic breathing.


What Causes Snoring?

Fitness Level. If you’re obese or out of shape, this can exacerbate the problem of snoring. Why? Overeating and/or lack of exercise can lead to an increase in fat around the throat. This extra fat can cause the airway to be more narrow and affect normal breathing by creating an obstruction in the oropharynx during sleep.
In this case, snoring can be even more pronounced. This particular cause is notably higher in men than women because men tend to put on weight in their neck more than women.
When you lay on your back, the fatty tissue adds pressure onto the airway, blocking it off. Maybe this is why rolling over can sometimes help. The good news is exercising, losing weight and treating obesity can be all it takes to end your snoring, and that will create better overall health too.
Snoring and excessive weight can affect children as well. A study published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health revealed that snoring and sleep apnea were significantly higher in obese children. 

Menopause. I know that the last thing women want to hear is yet another problem that menopause symptoms cause, but as women get older, it’s common that their muscle tone diminishes and causes them to put on some weight. By the time women have reached the age of approximately 70, they’re just as likely to be snorers as men of the same age. This is just one more reason why staying fit and healthy, as a lifestyle, is the way to go. 

General Aging. As you reach middle age, typically 45–64, your throat becomes narrower and the muscle tone in your throat decreases. Of course, growing older is part of life, but there are things you can do to make a difference in your snoring patterns or possibly eliminate snoring altogether, such as positive lifestyle changes, bedtime routines and, believe it or not, throat exercises.

It’s True: Men Do Snore More than Women. Why do men snore more than women? It’s because men have narrower air passages than women. It’s not entirely the guys’ fault. A narrow throat, a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids and other physical attributes that contribute to snoring are often hereditary. 

Nasal and Sinus Problems. Blocked airways or a stuffy nose make inhalation difficult and create a vacuum in the throat, leading to snoring. Keeping a clean house, free of dust, and a healthy body can help eliminate the snoring as well as the nasal and sinus problems.

Alcohol, Smoking and Medications. Alcohol intake, smoking and certain medications, such as tranquilizers and diazepam, can increase muscle relaxation, leading to more snoring. And, of course, smoking causes major problems with breathing in our lungs. As I’m sure you know, it’s best to stop smoking right away. This includes electronic cigarettes too.

Sleep Position. Studies revealed that sleep positioning plays an important role in snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Subjects were given positioning therapy using a head positioning pillow to see if snoring sounds were reduced in a study published by Scientific Reports. In most patients, significant improvement was shown whether overweight or normal weight with the use of this pillow. As noted above, lying on the back may cause more throat obstruction, so a special pillow may be how to stop snoring for some.
In another study from Amsterdam, an average of 56 percent of patients with obstructive sleep apnea causing snoring was dependent upon supine and non-supine positions.

Asthma. We know that sleep apnea often comes with snoring, but it’s been reported, to no surprise, that sleep apnea is prevalent in those who have asthma. In fact, these conditions have been on the rise in recent years. Possible shared characteristics include intermittent hypoxia, nerve reflex, inflammation and leptin. Other links include medication, nose diseases, smoking, obesity, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. 
That means using asthma natural remedies may also be how to stop snoring for asthma suffers who also snore.


Source: zadovoljna.dnevnik.hr