Snoring

So why is it so important to look into your snoring if you are a habitual or frequent snorer?
Chronic snoring is often associated with an illness called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a condition in which breathing is made difficult or even come to a halt seconds at a time due to blocked nasal passages throughout the night. Problems that OSA may lead to include:
- Long interruptions of breathing (exceeding 10 seconds) during sleep caused by partial or complete obstruction or blockage of the airway. In serious cases, the person can have total blockage episodes hundreds of times in one night.
- Frequent waking from sleep, though the person may not realize it.
- Snorers with OSA tend to be light sleepers in order to keep their throat muscles tense enough to maintain airflow (otherwise the muscles will be relaxed and collapse together).
- Increased blood pressure due to often lowered blood oxygen levels (since breathing is difficult), which causes the heart to pump harder.

These physiological changes during the night lead to a poor night’s sleep, which leads to drowsiness during the day and can interfere with the person’s quality of life.
Behavioral Changes (Tips by Chokroverty and Slaughter)

If You Are Sleeping on Your Back, Change Your Sleep Position.
- When sleeping on your back, the base of your tongue and soft palate collapse to the back wall of your throat, which causes the vibrating sound of snoring by the soft palate and uvula (dangling tissue in the back of your mouth). Sleeping on your side might help avoid this.
- Using a body pillow will help you maintain sleeping on your side.
- You can also tape tennis balls to the back of your pajamas to prevent you from sleeping on your back.
- Another way is to prop up your bed on the head portion or use extra pillows to open up nasal passages, which may help prevent snoring, but this may also cause neck pain.
- If you or the person continues to snore after trying different positions, you may have obstructive sleep apnea. In that case, please consult your physician.

Losing Weight Might Help.
- Weight loss may help some people, but not everyone since thin people snore as well.
- Losing weight will help those that started snoring after they gained weight and did not snore prior to the weight gain. When people gain a certain amount of weight, that weight might be around the neck, which will then squeeze the internal diameter of the throat. The narrowed throat increases the likelihood of the passage to collapse during sleep, leading to snoring.

Avoid Alcohol and Certain Sleeping Pills.
- Alcohol, sedatives, and certain sleeping pills reduce the tension in the muscles in the back of the throat during rest, causing the muscles to collapse onto each other and result in snoring. Drinking alcohol 4-5 hours before sleeping intensifies snoring, and will cause those who don’t normally snore to snore after drinking alcohol.

Having Good Sleep Habits.
- Having poor sleep habits can have the equivalent effect as drinking alcohol. Being overworked and finally going to sleep when the person is exhausted can cause the person to fall into deep sleep and have floppier muscles, which intensifies snoring.

If Your Snoring Originates From Your Nose, Open Up Your Nasal Passages.
- If you have a stuffy nose or narrowed nasal passage due to a common cold, allergies, or other blockages, the fast-moving air is more likely to lead to snoring. Having open nasal passages means that the air flowing through will have more space to pass through and hence, the air passing through will do so slower and reduce the chances of snoring.
- Taking a hot shower before sleeping can help open up nasal passages. In addition to taking hot showers, keep a bottle of sodium chloride or saltwater rinse for rinsing out your nose during your showers. You can use a bottle or a neti pot for the saltwater rinse.
- There are also over-the-counter nasal strips designed to help lift and open up the nasal passages.
- These methods may work if your snoring originates from the nose and not within the soft palate.

Control the Amount of Allergens You’re Exposed to At Night, Air Fluff and Change Your Pillows Regularly.
- Allergens such as dust in the air or dust mites accumulated in pillows can cause allergic reactions at nighttime that may contribute to snoring. If you own pets and allow them to sleep with you in your bedroom, breathing in their animal dander (the substance that animals shed off) may also be cause you to have an allergic reaction in your sleep.
- These are possible causes to attribute to if you feel fine during the day, but feel congested during the night and snore when you sleep.
- Throw your pillows into the dryer every couple of weeks and put it on the air fluff cycle and replace them every six months to minimize dust mites and allergen accumulation. Also avoid allowing pets to enter the bedroom.
- There are special pillows designed to prevent snoring and they may work if they prop up your head, but be warned that having your head propped up during sleep will open up your nasal passages but can cause neck pain.

Stay Well Hydrated.
- Be sure to drink plenty of fluids since secretions in your nose and soft palate become stickier when you’re dehydrated, which can lead to more snoring. “According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should drink about 12 cups of water (or fluids) a day; men require about 16 cups.”

Avoid alcohol before bedtime, drink enough fluids, take a hot shower if your nasal passages are clogged, get enough sleep, and sleep on your side. These simple lifestyle changes can drastically reduce the chances of snoring.
Over-the-Counter Remedies (Drug/Non-Drug Solutions You Can Try)
Anti-Snoring Oral Pills
These are pills you take before bed aiming to reduce swelling, mucous secretions, and congestion in the air passages to make breathing easier during sleep.
If you want to take an oral pill for snoring, be sure to look for those containing natural ingredients. These anti-snoring pills usually contain natural plant enzymes and herbs, which works in combination to reduce the congestion or swelling of the tissue in the throat and nose to improve air flow in the upper airways and lead to a reduction in snoring.
Though these pills contain natural ingredients, you may still want to consult your doctor if you are taking these concurrent with other medication to avoid any possible interactions the pills may have with your other medications.
Some active ingredients commonly found in anti-snoring pills:
Ephedra vulgaris
Immature bitter orange
Hydrastis Canadensis
Kali bichromicum

Digestive enzymes:
- Amylase
- Cellulase
- Lipase
Protease
Bromelain
Belladonna
Teucrium marum
Co-Q10

Lubricating Throat Sprays for Snoring
These throat sprays contain various essential oils such as olive oil, sunflower, sesame oil, and peppermint oil, vitamins and herbs – be sure to look for these all natural and potent ingredients that can lubricate the throat and uvula. They are claimed to work by reducing snoring through coating the palate and uvula, keeping the air passages clear and open for passage of air.
Though these pills contain natural ingredients, you may still want to consult your doctor if you are taking these concurrent with other medication to avoid any possible interactions the pills may have with your other medications.

Nasal Strips
- Nasal strips are one of the more popular anti-snoring remedies, they are applied externally on the nose to lift and open up the nasal passages. With the help of these strips, breathing becomes easier, one can learn to breathe with the nose rather than the mouth during sleep. These strips are safe to use during pregnancy as well.

Nasal Dilators
- These are used inside the nostrils and work similar to nasal strips to keep airways open during sleep and reduce the vibrations that lead to snoring.
Ear Plugs for the Spouse or Roommate
- If snoring continues to occur despite having tried all methods, you can resort to buying a pair of ear plugs for your partner or roommate.