Sleep Without Snoring

Snoring is not only an annoyance to others in the bedroom, but it can also be a sign of underlying medical problems. There are many causes of snoring, from medication, being overweight, illness or allergies, a deviated septum and excessive consumption of alcohol.

Some people can experiment with treating any of these and see an improvement in their sleep. Others, however, continue to snore - disrupting their own sleep, and that of their spouse or partner.

There are many easy ways to cut down or stop snoring. Numerous products exist on the market. However, it may be that you are simply putting a bandaid on a wound that needs stitches. In some cases, you may need to consult a medical professional or visit a sleep center for more in depth approaches and remedies to the common issue of snoring.

Are you tired of being tired? Want to learn how to sleep without snoring?

Its time to rest easy. We'll go through various methods that can help you turn off the buzz-saw and get some restful sleep.

Rub your eyes and let's get going...

In a previous hub, I wrote about Top 15 Tips to Stop Snoring Today. I've also reviewed Common Steps in Sleep Disorder Treatment and Preparing for Your Visit to a Sleep Center. But, in order to sleep without snoring, you need to know why you snore!

So, what is snoring, anyway? The noise results from vibrating soft tissue at the back of the throat. Tonsils, the soft palate and the uvula (the dangling flap of skin above your throat) can be to blame. If you snore, you may have excessively bulky tissue, poor muscle tone in your tongue and throat, a long soft palate or uvula, or nasal blockages. Men and women both snore, as well as young and old people. But, the older you get, the more likely you will snore due to aging, flaccid tissues.

You may have greater issues with snoring if one or more of the following factors exist:

1. You sleep on your back. When you rest in this position, gravity pulls your jaw and tongue down and back (see the video above). Your mouth opens up and your tongue falls back into your airway, narrowing it.

2. You smoke. As a result of smoking, your throat tissues will become inflamed. In addition, nasal congestion may also be more pronounced.

3. You eat a lot before bedtime. If you go to bed with a full stomach, it will press on your diaphragm and increase labored breathing.

4. You tend to breathe through your mouth. When you do so, air hits the back of your throat causing the tissues to vibrate.

5. You have blocked airways. Not only will you breathe with your mouth open, but your narrowed nasal passages will increase the air turbulence of your breathing, due to the increased resistance in the narrow nasal passage as it hits the floppy tissues lining the throat, causing vibration.

6. You have a small jaw, narrow throat and/or a large uvula, tonsils or base of your tongue. The reduction in space decreases the size of the airways. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are the primary cause of snoring in children.

7. You drink alcohol or take medication. This may result in the additional relaxation of the muscles of the tongue, neck and plate which narrow airways.

8. You are overweight. If your neck is fat, you'll need more muscle power to keep your throat open. As a result, the muscles will relax when you sleep, which narrows the airways. In short, don't allow your weight to block your airways!

Depending on the reasons why you snore, you can decide which of the various methods you should use to sleep without snoring. It may be as simple as elevating your head with a better pillow or trying Breathe-Right strips to help open airways. Or, you may sleep better by losing weight. Minimizing nasal inflammation and mucus secretions could also help. Try changing your diet and getting regular exercise.

If you have tried everything, and are still struggling with getting a sound night of sleep, it may be time to consult a medical professional. Your doctor can better pinpoint the precise causes of your snoring, and may even discover underlying issues that need to be addressed, such as a sinus infection.

In rare cases, surgery may be required, if you have a deviated septum, or extreme sinus troubles. It also may be that your unique physical makeup will result in snoring due to flaccid soft tissues. As noted above, aging increases snoring as well because of natural degeneration and stretching of tissues and muscles.

Do not give up on a good night's sleep. Chances are that one of the easy remedies can reduce or even eliminate your snoring.  And then everyone can catch up on their zzzzzzzzzzzzzs!