Do you suffer from chronic snoring? Is your significant other complaining about a lack of sleep due to your loud, obnoxious snores? While this is definitely an annoying habit, it can also be an indicator of a serious disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea can cause you to feel exhausted and over time, increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. To combat sleep apnea, you need to address your snoring. Fortunately, we have a few common snoring solutions for you to try.
Common Snoring Solutions
- Change Sleeping Position: Sleeping on your back can actually increase the risk of sleep apnea episodes, making it easier for collapsing soft issues to obstruct airflow, causing patients to snore and also causing them to stop breathing for brief periods. You can often alleviate the situation by sleeping on your side instead.
- Watch What You Drink Before Bed: Drinking alcohol, or taking any medications that contain muscle relaxing agents, can increase the risk of apnea episodes. This makes the soft tissues in the throat and mouth become overly relaxed, causing them to collapse. Instead, drink water and avoid alcohol in the two or four hours before you go to bed.
- Address Congestion: If you have issues with congestion or sinus issues, then you could be increasing your risk of sleep issues. Talk to a doctor or take an appropriate over-the-counter solution to help address these issues before going to bed.
- Watch Your Weight: Obesity can lead to issues with your sleep, such as chronic snoring. By losing weight, you can often sleep better, as well as enjoy a reduced risk of heart disease and other health problems. We recommend weight loss through diet and exercise.
- Wear an Oral Appliance: If the above solutions fail to adequately address your snoring or sleep apnea, then we may suggest an oral appliance. The device is similar in appearance to a nightguard. When worn during sleep, the device moves the jaw forward to keep airways open, allowing you to breath without obstruction.
