The Various Remedies to Stop Snoring

Snoring is a phenomenon that plenty of people around the world are suffering from. According to studies, about 45 percent of adults occasionally snore while sleeping, while 25 percent snore every day. [1]

While snoring doesn’t really affect the sleep of the person that does it, it does affect the sleep of those that are in the room with a snoring person. Snoring can be pretty loud most of the time, so people that are next to a snoring person in bed or just inside the bedroom would most likely have trouble sleeping.

The snoring sound is created when your tongue, throat, and soft palate (the muscles in the roof of the mouth) relax whenever you are sleeping. This relaxation of the muscles can cause the airways to become obstructed, thus producing a loud noise as the air struggles to get out of the throat.

There are people that have normal airways without obstructions, but for those that snore, their throat and mouth muscles tend to relax a lot due to various reasons, including nasal problems, sleep deprivation, and alcohol ingestion.

Thankfully, there are numerous remedies that have been developed to stop snoring or to at least reduce its noise. If you are one of those people who snore occasionally or regularly, here are the various remedies that you can do if you want to stop your snoring.

Try To Get Sufficient Sleep

a man getting enough sleep

The first thing you need to do to stop your snoring is to get sufficient sleep, which is about seven to nine hours per night. Not having enough sleep can increase the risk of snoring, as your airway is more obstructed because your throat muscles tend to relax more whenever you are too tired and don’t have sufficient sleep. In addition, there is also a chance that you can wake up due to your loud snoring. So, get enough sleep every day so that you can stop your snoring while also getting better rest.

Try Sleeping on Your Side

When your mouth and throat muscles relax while you are sleeping on your back, those muscles tend to go downward, thus making a bigger obstruction in your airways. However, if you sleep on your side, the muscles would relax sideways, so your airway has a much bigger opening compared to when you are sleeping on your back. Try to sleep on your side most of the time and see if your snoring stops or is reduced.

Avoid Drinking Alcohol Before Going to Bed

beer bottles

You should avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed, as the alcohol can just make your throat and mouth muscles become more relaxed, thus blocking more sections of your throat’s airway. If you cannot avoid drinking alcohol due to being at a gathering, party, or occasion, keep in mind that you should sleep three hours after you have drunk alcohol so that you can recover from the relaxing effects of the drink.

Raise Your Head Slightly While Lying in Bed

In order to open more areas of your airway while sleeping, you should raise your head slightly while lying in bed by simply putting more pillows under your head. The raised position of your head forces your mouth and throat muscles to stay in their original position even if they are relaxed. This position may take some time to get used to, especially if you are going to sleep on your side, but the discomfort that you will feel at first will become worth it once your snoring stops.

Try to Lose Weight

exercise equipment

Losing weight can also be effective in stopping, as you will be able to make the muscles inside your mouth and throat become smaller. When you are overweight, you will have a high chance of snoring as the tissue and muscles in your throat becomes bigger. To avoid or stop this from happening, you should try to maintain a moderate weight by exercising and having a healthy diet. Having a fitter and healthier body requires years of commitment, so be prepared to spend a lot of time trying to lose weight.

Apply Nasal Strips on Your Nose

Another remedy to snoring is applying nasal strips or nasal dilators on your nose. These nasal strips conveniently stick on the bridge of your nose, and they allow your nose to have a wider passage for air, which can then help in reducing the noise level of your snoring. There are also internal nasal dilators that you can put inside your nose that are supposed to be more effective in creating a bigger nasal passage.

Get Surgery

surgical tools

A permanent remedy to snoring is getting surgery, particularly uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP. This type of surgery removes the excess tissues in your mouth and throat that cause blockages in your airway. [2] Besides stopping snoring, this surgery also allows you to breathe better than before. Because of how pricey surgeries are, the UPPP procedure is arguably the most expensive remedy for snoring. Due to its priciness, surgery should only be a last resort if the other remedies we have mentioned above don’t work to stop your snoring.

So, those are some of the best remedies we can suggest if you want to treat your snoring and provide better sleep not only for you but also for the people that are sleeping next to you or in the same bedroom as you. If the snoring persists even after following the remedies we have stated (except for the last one), you should consult a doctor to know if he or she can recommend surgery.

References

[1] John Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.) Why Do People Snore? Answers for Better Health. John Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/why-do-people-snore-answers-for-better-health

[2] Cirino, E. (2022, January 18). 15 Remedies That May Stop Snoring. Healthline. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/snoring-remedies