Want to know what the leading cause of marital strife is after money and infidelity? Would you believe snoring? This will come as no surprise to the wives and husbands of those who snore. Snoring causes frustration, divorce and even attempted murder. People will do whatever they must to ensure a good night’s sleep.
A grumpy partner is not the worst thing about snoring though. It can also have a serious impact on your health. Snoring may well mean you have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in which you actually stop breathing for seconds at a time and finally wake up gasping for breath. This causes lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, disturbed sleep patterns and poor quality sleep.
Doctors are now warning that snoring and sleep apnoea can lead to heart problems. The link between snoring and poor concentration and car accidents is well established. Throw in daytime drowsiness, poor moods and lack of concentration and you have many reasons to get this wretched disorder out of your life and as fast as possible. To best do this, we need to find out what are the main causes for snoring.
Snoring is due to the soft tissues in the mouth and throat vibrating. This can be due to many reasons.
Being overweight – The more weight you carry, the more pressures you put on your diaphragm, lungs and breathing apparatus.
Sleeping on your back – This allows the mouth to drop open.
Alcohol – Drinking causes heavy sleeping.
Sleeping Pills – Sleeping pills induce heavy sleep and the snorer will sleep through a snoring episode.
Nicotine withdrawal – Smoking leads to withdrawal of nicotine from the bloodstream at night causing sleep disturbances and snoring
Based on these facts, some simple cures for snoring would be as follows:
- Make sure you don’t sleep on your back. Sew some cotton reels to the back of your pyjamas.
- Cut down on the alcohol and cigarettes.
- Use homeopathic or herbal remedies instead of sleeping drugs.
- Lose weight!
Of course, this isn’t going to be enough to stop the serious snorer, so let’s have a look at some of the more popular “snoring cures” to see which have the best and most lasting results.
There are oral devices which physically depress the tongue, opening up the airway. Although some people find these devices helpful, others find them too uncomfortable to allow them to fall asleep. Some snorers find relief with a ‘snoring ring” which works on the principle of acupressure. Others disagree and say it didn’t help at all.
Then there are the sprays, tablets and injections. These do not have a great success rate and are probably not even worth trying. The serious snoring cures are the C-Pap machine and of course snoring surgery. We are looking at serious money here, although C-Paps can be hired. If your snoring is in fact sleep apnoea, then these two alternatives may be the best choice.
From listening to clients and even from my own experience, snoring exercises are the best priced and most effective way to permanently end snoring. Exercises strengthen the throat muscles which prevents the soft tissues collapsing into the throat. Together with prevention strategies and a healthy lifestyle, these exercises may mean the end of snoring for many people.