October 2017

How Stress Causes Snoring Among Individuals

Snore Stop

Snoring Among Individuals

It is an undeniable fact that both snoring and stress are interrelated. Stress is something that occurs in most people due to their daily activities such as related to work or personal issues. Too much stress in the daytime can have its effects on the body, as it can interfere with the sleep cycles at night. This makes an individual to get deprived of sleep that will affect his/her productivity the next day thereby contributing to more stress.

Stress and Snoring

It can be said that the two conditions are cyclical in nature and can severely affect the overall health of an individual. In fact, the problem of stress and snoring are more related than was previously assumed. Stress can severely affect the normal sleep in an individual that can increase the chances of snoring.

When a person is under stress, the hormone Cortisol gets released that activates the centers in the brain responsible for inducing anxiety. This hormone can also affect the normal functioning of the nervous system that can affect all parts of the body.

The heart also beats irregularly and does not coordinate with the crucial stages of sleep such as Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Because of this, it will result in the collapse of the air passages that will obstruct the normal breathing rates. The soft palate and tongue will get collapsed as well, that results in aggravating the snoring condition.

Besides, stress can also result in the individual to gain more weight that leads to a buildup of fat in the neck and throat regions, which causes snoring. Regular snoring can affect the quality of sleep that can affect the productivity and well-being of an individual. This cause more stress the next day that will, in turn, causing snoring.

Identifying a Cure

Since both stress and snoring are related, it is best to identify proper ways to cure them both. Some of the curing methods suggested by physicians have therapeutic benefits as well that will alleviate stress while also reducing snoring.

One of the best ways to reduce stress is to spend more time outdoors, especially in settings having natural beauty, away from noises and pollution. This calms the mind thereby reducing stress from the day’s work or personal crisis.

There are many other forms of cure such as daily exercises, improving the posture while at work, and engaging in repetitive activities. These activities can lower the stress levels in an individual and help to reduce the occurrence of snoring. However, the best way to cure snoring completely is by using anti snoring devices. Using them combined with the stress-busting activities will definitely help to combat both stress and snoring effectively.

3 Signs to Tell if you Suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea Mouthpiece

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Despite the health risks associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), many people are yet to know the symptoms of the sleep disorder. Obstructive Sleep Apnea stems from breathing cessations and can be diagnosed by a sleep specialist. However, if you can tell the symptoms of OSA beforehand, you can recover in time by taking the right remedies for the betterment of sleep. Below are three signs that may tell if you suffer from OSA or not.

Check your Sleep Patterns

Most patients snore due to blockages in the throat. One of the common symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea is loud, persistent snoring, which may worsen gradually over time until the patient gets medical attention. In an OSA patient, the soft tissue may collapse into the airways causing a vibration while breathing and in turn breathing cessations.

Other symptoms of OSA are gasping sounds in sleep due to breathing cessations and maybe even sleepwalking. In fact, you can use a self-monitoring app to record your sleep patterns if you live alone or may tell your partner to take notice instead.

Notice for Daytime Fatigue

Sometimes, it may be harder to tell whether you are a snorer or if you encounter other sleeping difficulties. Even if you sleep for 8 hours at night, and feel jaded overnight and sleepy during the day, chances are you snore and suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea that is unknown to you.

Besides, the need for alleviating jadedness by taking naps in the day can be a sign of OSA, particularly if you are going to bed in the nick of time each day.

Pay Heed to Other Telling Signs

People suffering from the sleep disorder tend to sleep with an open mouth, struggling for breath. In fact, this sleeping posture will dry the mouth and throat, and might cause a sore throat in the morning. In addition, a vascular headache may occur the following day, since the low oxygen levels may widen the blood vessels in the brain. Such headaches are common in those experiencing nighttime breathing cessations and thereby suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Apart from these signs, mood swings or depression may also indicate you are in need of curing snoring. A sleep apnea mouthpiece can be a good countermeasure as it will not only help to stop snoring but also improve the quality of sleep. Better yet, consult with a sleep expert as soon as you notice any snoring or sleep apnea related symptoms.

How Excessive Mucus Formation Contributes to Snoring

Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard

Excessive Mucus Formation

Most of us have suffered from excessive mucus production at some point in our lives. Mucus is, in fact, something produced by our body on a daily basis and has its own purpose in the body such as lubricating the lining of the respiratory tract, and as a defense against dust and microbial particles from entering the body. Sometimes, especially during common cold, our bodies tend to produce excess mucus to deal with the infection.

Relating mucus with snoring is, in fact, something that needs to be considered. Since mucus lines the throat and other respiratory cavities, the chances are high that it can obstruct the airways and thus cause snoring. The occurrence of any allergies or infections can result in the production of too much mucus that can clog the airways. This will result in snoring as well as difficulty breathing in the individual.

Mucus and Snoring

The relationship between mucus and snoring is well established because of the fact that it can obstruct the airways. Mucus lines the membranes of the throat and respiratory tract and it can vibrate during the air passage. One of the common reasons for excess mucus production is when you catch a common cold. It can result in the formation of congestions and phlegm in the nasal and throat cavity.

Both of the phlegm and mucus can be the reasons for causing snoring. Therefore, one way to cure snoring is to follow the medications and other remedies to deal with excessive mucus. This also includes abstaining from dairy products like milk, as they are known to increase the mucus production, and therefore should be avoided at all costs if you are suffering from cold.

Another reason for mucus production is because of smoking. Mucus will continue to build up each time you smoke a cigarette. The smoke can cause the mucus to dry up inside your throat or respiratory cavity. This can create obstructions in the airways thereby contributing to snoring.

Cure for Snoring

If you suffer from snoring because of mucus, you must first consider using an over the counter decongestant. They are highly effective in loosening any of the excessive mucus buildup in the throat and the respiratory tract. Antihistamines are preferred if you suffer from mucus build up due to any allergies. Moreover, try to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water each day and fully avoid any kind of dairy products.

A complete cure for snoring, whether it is caused due to mucus or a range of other causes, is possible only if you use a proper anti snoring device. Stop snoring devices are available in a range of kinds depending upon the individual and the severity of the problem. When used for extended periods, these snoring devices can provide a permanent relief to your snoring problem.

How to Stop Snoring and Sleep Apnea if you are Obese

Mouthpiece For Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea And Obesity

An apnea patient tends to encounter breathing difficulties at night and snores when they reach Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep stage. While allergies, a deviated septum, or a malformed soft tissue in the throat may also disrupt sleep, excess weight and obesity is another known factor to affect the nighttime breathing process. Many of us know that obesity affects human metabolism and may create snoring. However, the overweight condition may also trigger a sleep disorder like sleep apnea.

The excessive tissue around the neck and loss of muscle tone in the upper airway of the throat are what induces snoring in obese people. That is why apnea researchers suggest weight reduction and improving better muscle tone by exercising regularly as a means to reduce obesity and chances of recurring apnea episodes at night.

An eight-hour nighttime sleep is ideal normally, but an apnea patient may encounter overnight fatigue and may sleep during the day as well. However, if you couple the positional therapy with daily exercises and diet, you can sleep better and on the right time. An individual, who finds it tough to reduce weight and encounters difficulties in changing the diet, tends to choose alternative remedies for sleep apnea like changing the sleep position or using an anti snoring device. Yet again, the quality of nighttime sleep will determine the eating habits and diet in an obese person.

Some apnea patients tend to snore when they sleep on the back also known as the supine position. The position may cause sleep apnea episodes especially in the REM state. An ideal positional therapy deals with changing the supine position to sleeping on left or right side. This will open up the upper airway in the throat, will stop snoring and improves the sleep in obese people. However, if you have mild to moderate obtrusive sleep apnea, then sleeping on the stomach (prone position) may reduce snoring and may improve the sleep patterns to left side sleeping.

One of the drawbacks of sleeping in the prone position is that people tend to encounter a sour neck and even back pain in the morning. In such cases, raising the head by six inches or so with a stop snoring pillow can be tried to address the condition and improve sleep with no pain. A mouthpiece for sleep apnea will also cure snoring just like the positional therapy. If you are obese, needless to say, exercising is a must alongside trying alternate remedies.

How Alcohol Affects your Sleep and Snoring

Chin Strap For Snoring

Alcohol Affects Snoring

A recent study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation stated that approximately 40 million people in the country suffer from some sort of sleep disorder. Additionally, approximately half of these people have fallen prey to a dangerous health condition, known as sleep apnea.

If you or your loved ones are experiencing any kind of snoring or other sleep related issues, then the first and most important thing you should do is to avoid alcoholic drinks. This is because the consumption of alcohol can severely increase the rate of your snoring and deprive you of good night’s sleep, which will gradually bring more hazardous health disorders to you.

Many people have a misconception that alcohol helps them to get a quality night’s sleep. However, the reality is that alcohol might help one to fall asleep fast but it doesn’t offer them a relaxed sleep. In other words, alcohol intake does not promote quality sleep; instead, it worsens the symptoms of snoring to a higher extent.

It is significant to realize that a normal sleep cycle contains two different sleep stages – non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stages. During the former sleeping stage, your body will be in motion but the brain activity will be relatively less. When you drift off into the later stage of sleeping (the deeper one), your voluntary muscle movement becomes minimum.

It is true that people who drink alcohol fall asleep a lot more faster. However, the downfall is that they remain confined to the NREM sleep cycle for a higher period of time. This means that alcohol drinkers will not be able to get enough REM sleep. Therefore, they will make up in the morning feeling fatigued.

People who consume alcohol on a daily basis fail to give a chance to their body to fully recharge, even when they are sleeping in for hours. Additionally, the sedative effect of alcohol also results in the folding of the back of the throat a lot more quickly, which is one of the key causes of snoring.

If you are not able to get a good night’s sleep due to your snoring issues, then you should cut down the intake of alcohol and buy an anti snoring mouthpiece. This comfortable device will help you to cut down the rate of your snoring at a rapid pace.

5 Herbal Remedies to Stop Snoring

Apnea Chin Strap

Herbal Remedies For Snoring

No one likes to cuddle up right next to someone who snores loudly all night. However, you can’t just leave them alone and let them suffer. The best and wisest thing you could in this situation is to introduce them to reliable and efficient snoring devices such as an anti snoring mouthpiece.

This type of anti snoring device will easily help your loved ones to cut down or eliminate snoring. They are also highly comfortable, which means that you will not experience any sort of pain or any other issues when you are using the device. In addition to that, you could also advise them to try these few herbal remedies, as these help to fight snoring effectively.

Peppermint

Peppermint, which is an easy to find herb, is immensely popular among snorers due to its incredible mentholated properties. This attribute of peppermint opens the airways of the snorers and allow them to enjoy a good night’s sleep without any snoring issues. Try to chew more than a few peppermint herbs every day for better results.

Spearmint

Another useful herb that will help you to reduce or stop snoring is spearmint. This wonderful herb is also famous for helping people to sleep quietly throughout the entire night. Another added advantage is that spearmint can be used in plenty of recipes, which means that you can easily incorporate them into your daily diet. You can also eat them directly if you want.

Cayenne Pepper

It is a widely known and proven fact that the intake of spicy food items can effectively open up our nasal passages. This is why our noses run when we eat these items. Including food items that are garnished with cayenne paper can also help you to stop snoring to a certain extent. Nevertheless, make sure these spicy food items are not causing other problems like heartburn or indigestion.

Sage

Sage is a very useful herb, which is an excellent choice for the ones who suffer from nighttime indigestion problems (a common cause of snoring). Sprinkling a small quantity of sage on food items will help you to significantly reduce snoring. If you don’t like to sprinkle it on food, then all you have to do is to simply smell it.

Asthma Weed

It is true that asthma weed is not a commonly used herb but it is very helpful in fighting snoring and the causes behind it. Those with tonsillitis, asthma, diphtheria, and epilepsy commonly use this herb.