Home Remedies For Snoring

While annoying and embarrassing, snoring is common and is the result of air moving past the relaxed tissue in the throat, which causes the tissue to vibrate. Snoring, which can be caused and cured by a number of lifestyle adjustments, can also be a sign of a health problem such as obstructive sleep apnea, which is a momentary lapse in breathing while sleeping. If some of these home remedies don't solve your snoring problem, you should consult with a doctor and perhaps have an overnight sleep test to gauge your health risk.

Shift How You Sleep

One of the first steps to take to silence snoring is to sleep on your side instead of your back; some suggest sewing a tennis ball into the back of a shirt or pajama top to keep you from sleeping on your back.. This will change the angle of the throat muscles and air passage and should cut down on your snoring.

Your Before-Bedtime Ritual

Try to avoid drinking alcohol or taking sleeping pills or antihistamines right before bedtime because they can all relax your muscles too much and limit air flow while you sleep.

Lose Weight

If you are overweight, especially if you have gained weight in your neck, you have restricted your breathing passageway. Losing weight should improve your situation.

Quit Smoking

Smoking inflames the throat and causes the tissue there to swell. Smoking also reduces your lung capacity, making breathing a little more difficult whether you are awake or asleep.

Try Nasal Strips

Nasal strips that help open up your breathing passages through the nose really can work. You should also treat any chronic congestion or nasal conditions such as allergies or sinusitis.

Avoid Big, Late Dinners

Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime results in a full stomach that pushes the diaphragm up toward the lungs, restricting your breathing.

Change Your Pillow

Try adding a second pillow or using a thicker pillow, both of which will also improve air flow through your throat. A pillow that is too soft allows the throat muscles to relax too much.

Tags: your breathing, causes tissue, throat muscles, your back, your snoring