Guide to How to Prevent Snoring

The problem of excessive snoring is a common one, which can happen to people at any age, but occurs more for people who are overweight, men, and older people.  Snoring is the result of air flowing through the nose and mouth being obstructed by something, which causes the walls of the throat to vibrate.  Among the causes of this kind of obstruction are bulky throat tissue, nasal polyps, a deviated septum, a long soft palate, or the tongue and throat having poor muscle tone.  If you sleep on your back instead of on your stomach or side, snoring is more likely to occur because of the way that gravity pulls the palate and tongue backwards.

Snoring can also be caused by some medications and alcohol because they may relax some muscles.  Snoring excessively not only bothers people sleeping near you, but also can cause you to feel tired even though you’ve slept a long time.  If you snore excessively you also are more likely to have a serious health concern, such as sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea can cause you to stop breathing for more than ten seconds at a time because your airway is totally blocked, and these breathing interruptions can occur dozens of times in one night.

A person with sleep apnea may also frequently wake up, and have lowered oxygen levels, which can lead to higher blood pressure and a greater risk of getting a stroke or a heart attack.  When considering how to prevent snoring problems, you need to be aware that the more than 300 anti-snoring devices that are on the market do little to address the underlying problems that cause excessive snoring to occur.  You should first try changing your behavior and lifestyle to deal with these problems.  Among the changes are sleeping on your side, tilting up the head of your bed several inches, losing weight, and avoiding snacks and alcohol at least four hours before bedtime.  If you have difficulty staying on your side while sleeping, try to sleep with a tennis ball attached to the back of your pajamas.

This technique often works to keep you off your back, and eventually you can do without the ball.  If these behavior changes don’t stop your snoring, go on the Internet to find out about how to prevent snoring by using devices such as ones that move your jaw forward or hold your nose open.  If those still don’t work, you may need surgery, like a somnoplasty to shrink excessive tissue, or UPPP, which tightens tissues of the palate and throat.