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Things you May Not Know about Snoring in Women

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Snoring Issues In Women

Snoring is an annoying and dangerous sleeping disorder that affects millions of individuals all over the globe. Earlier, people used to believe that the sleeping disorder only affects men. Yet the reality is that snoring is common in both men and women, and irrespective of age too. So, if you assumed that snoring is an exclusive male health issue, then you are wrong.

It was presumed in the old days that snoring is commonly reported in men who are above the age of 35. However, studies conducted by sleep analysts and health care providers proved that teens, adults, seniors, and even kids, are all at risk of falling prey to snoring.

Recent researches also revealed that women of all ages might suffer from snoring. In accordance to that, an expert sleep analyst said, “Snoring is produced by vibrations of the soft tissues at the back of the nose and throat. The noise is created by turbulent flow of air through narrowed air passages.” Apparently, that can happen to anyone of any age and gender.

The sleep analyst also added that, “Snoring is not a risk to life but it can get serious when the same soft tissues block the air passages at the back of the throat interfering with the ability to breathe; it becomes risky as it happens while the person is sleeping and also affects the health.”

It is noted that women who suffer from snoring and other sleep disorders are often a little bit hesitant to seek help due to embarrassment. This is not a good move though, as sleep disorders like snoring could lead to many other serious health issues gradually. So, if you are suffering from any sort of sleeping disorder or if you snore regularly, then it best to reach out to a health care provider to get adequate medical assistance as soon as possible.

Sleep specialists say that snoring in women is usually caused due to menopause, pregnancy, and weight gain. However, several other factors like heredity, medication, nasal passage blockage, and cold nose might also lead to snoring issues. Below are a few major culprits that cause snoring in women.

Menopause

Expert health care providers and sleep analysts claim that the change that happens to the body of a woman throughout her life is enough to make her snore. The muscle tone in the throat of women gets considerably reduced when they reach the menopause stage. This in turn makes them prone to different types of sleep disorders, including snoring and sleep apnea.

Pregnancy

Some women may start to snore loudly or regularly during their pregnancy period. This is due to the expansion of the blood vessels in their body at that time. In addition to that, the weight gain that happens during pregnancy also contributes to the condition of snoring.

Obesity

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Snoring Related Issues

Women who are obese or overweight snore more when compared to those who are not obese. The loud sound made by obese women might even prevent their partners from enjoying a good night’s sleep. According to sleep analysts, “If one gains weight considerably then snoring can be a side-effect. Extra weight means extra fatty tissues and the fatty tissues obstruct the opening in the throat, leading to ‘high vibrations’ or snoring.”

Heredity

It might come as a surprise to many people when they hear the fact that snoring might also be due to heredity. Ancestors may pass down the sleeping disorder to their kids and even grandkids. Expert sleep specialists say, “It is fascinating but if we have a family history of people with smaller throat opening, then the future generations will most likely have smaller throats too.”

Heavy Medication

Another interesting thing to note is that the use of sleeping pills and heavy medication will also result in snoring. Sleep analysts and researchers say that, “Yes, sleeping pills help a person to sleep but the ones sleeping nearby lose sleep. Sleeping pills and other cough medicines relax the body’s muscles and lead to snoring.”

Nasal Passage Blockage

Just like in men, a cocked bone or a blocked nasal passage is another common factor that could trigger snoring in women. Health care providers say that, “Crooked nose bone in medical language is the deviated septum, which can cause snoring. Such cases should be consulted with the doctor.”

Other Causes

Another interesting thing to note is that the consumption of alcohol just a few hours before going to bed and regular smoking might also trigger snoring in women, just as they do in men. The good news here though is that you will be able to curtail the snoring issue to an extent by quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol before bedtime. Your health care provider may even ask you to invest in an anti-snoring mouthpiece to stop snoring.

The Distinctions between an Oral Appliance and Snore Guard Therapy

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Snore Guard Therapy

Oral appliance therapy is one of the non-invasive ways to treat mild to moderate cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the sleep disorder characterized by loud snoring. Usually, Continuous Positive Airway Therapy (CPAP) is used to treat severe cases of OSA. However, not everybody can tolerate CPAP or may not be comfortable putting on CPAP masks and/or listening to machine sounds. Besides, when its mask leaks air, it leaves the patient with a dry mouth, so some apnea patients tend to quit the therapy due to that too.

Oral appliances, although used to treat mild to moderate apnea, can also be used in combination with CPAP in order to treat severe cases of the sleep disorder. Commonly, such kind of medical approach is called a combination therapy.

Oral appliances in the market may resemble anti-snore devices, but it is important to keep in mind that oral appliance therapy differs to snore guard therapy when it comes to treating sleep-disordered breathing conditions like snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome, and OSA.

Both a snore guard and a dental appliance work on a similar principle though, that is, to advance the mandible or lower jaw to create more breathing space in the airway. This is what brings a better flow of air during sleep. Another type of oral appliance retains people’s tongue via a suction device worn at the mouth’s front, but it is rarely prescribed.

A snore guard is usually used to treat the breathing disorders in sleep such as snoring. Note that not all anti-snore guards in the market are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but some are. In fact, the FDA-approved ones can be very effective when it comes to alleviating snoring and putting an end to its side effects.

A dentist, who is trained in sleep medicine, will have access to the best snore guards. They use it as a therapeutic approach to treat snoring. Similarly, when discussing an oral appliance’s use with a sleep specialist, you can be sure that they will prescribe FDA-approved stop snoring devices. As for those over-the-counter oral appliances that do not come with the federal agency’s approval, they get withdrawn from the market sooner or later. This is because such dental devices fail to provide the proper therapy that sleep apnea patients need.

Both snore guards and oral appliances are usually made up of sturdy and hygienic raw materials, which are safe for use in people’s oral cavity. Since snorers and apnea patients tend to grind their teeth and clench jaws, an anti-snoring device is subject to wear and tear. Therefore, it is important to invest in durable devices.

A snore guard is typically easier to make, with fewer moving components. Some devices are prefabricated ones and may not provide a custom-fit. If a device is clinically approved and is customizable, it is relatively safe to use it to treat snoring. Still, it may not be built durable enough to maintain greater jaw advancement, which can be required to treat apnea.

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Snoring Related Issues

An oral appliance is usually more durable than an anti-snore guard is. It is typically built to advance one’s jawbone with a hinge mechanism, offering support. It often uses a mechanism to titrate or adjust the jaw advancement level to make sure the ideal fit for the user and effective treatment. Such kinds of mechanism can be an adjusting key or a latex band to hold the appliance in place. This adjustability makes it possible to even test an oral appliance’s effectiveness in a sleep center’s laboratory or a controlled environment to prove the respective therapy is working.

Snore guards do not necessitate several moving parts, so they are not as complicated to make as oral appliances. A close observation in a sleep center by dentists with sleep medicine expertise or sleep specialists may be required if you are using an oral appliance, but not so if you are using the over-the-counter device to treat apnea. Due to that, it is more affordable to buy the anti-snore guard as opposed to a dental or tongue retaining appliance prescribed to treat it.

Nowadays, insurance companies are realizing the advantages of an oral appliance to curb the sleep disorder, irrespective of its severity. They wisely offer medical plans with reimbursements in order to cover oral appliances as a first-line approach to treat sleep apnea. So such insurance plans will often cover frequent medical visits to fit a device, maintain it, and test it for therapeutic effectiveness.

Positive results for treatments are now the most important aspect for doctors, patients, and insurance payers. Treating apnea in a patient-centered environment is also no different. In case an apnea patient cannot keep on with the commonly prescribed Continuous Positive Airway Therapy, the oral appliance therapy option could be the one to treat the condition. Yet again, it is important to ensure patients work with medical professionals to get the right diagnosis and FDA-approved devices for their particular health concerns.

How are OSA and Snoring Different?

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OSA Vs Snoring

Occasional snoring is a normal thing; you could pass out from exhaustion or go to bed with a cold and start breathing heavily, and within the hour, start snoring audibly. This is not cause for alarm, but if it gets out of hand the way it does with most Americans, you would be dealing with a nightly habit that was not just annoying, but also dangerous in the long run. Snoring can lead to many different disorders as well as mask their presence – the symptoms of the latter can often get mistaken for snore-induced fatigue.

OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea is one of those problems that can manage to stay hidden for a very long time. Around 20 million people in the country suffer from this, and it has been shown to have links to other health issues like heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

How are OSA and Snoring Different?

It is not uncommon for snoring and sleep apnea to be confused for one another. The main thing to remember is that not all snorers have sleep apnea, even though untreated OSA sufferers snore as a rule. Snoring is a noise caused by the type of labored breathing that causes the soft tissue at the back of the throat to vibrate. This owes to blockage in the nose, mouth, or throat, any of which can disrupt normal breathing, which can be overcome through the use of a snore guard. The following are some of the causes these blocks can be attributed to.

  • Allergies
  • Colds
  • A deviated septum
  • Alcohol
  • Airway obstructions
  • Poor muscle tone

Snoring serves as a symptom of sleep apnea, but is otherwise a distinctly different issue. Sleep apnea acts up the form of the person pausing while breaching, sometimes for as long as 10 seconds at a stretch. This disturbs good sleep and can even preclude it, consequently inviting a long list of health issues like difficulty concentrating, daytime drowsiness, anxiety, and depression.

Diagnosing OSA

It is possible by yourself to figure out whether you have OSA, but the more definitive approach is to go see a doctor. Most regular doctors would either check you themselves or recommend seeing a sleep specialist. The following would be checked.

  • Symptoms
  • Current physical health
  • Medical history
  • Sleep study results

A sleep study is an account of how your body responds when something happens while you are asleep. These record your vitals to figure out how severe the condition is, and the specialist proceeds based on the results it gives.

A Useful Guide to Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard

Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard

Anti Snoring Remedies

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that occurs when a person suffers from interrupted breathing during the sleep. Usually, such people tend to wake up frequently with a loud gasp because of insufficient oxygen supply to their respiratory system.

There are two types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. The former one, abbreviated OSA, is more common in the United States, and it occurs when the soft tissues located in the back of the throat collapse during sleep. This will block their airways, leading to a restricted airflow. In the case of Central Sleep Apnea, the airways are not blocked totally; instead, there will be instability in the respiratory system control center in this case. As a result, the brain will not be able to signal the soft tissues and muscles to function.

Both these types of sleep apnea may result in making a person prone to a series of health issues such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, headaches, ADHD, depression, snoring, etc. In addition to that, untreated sleep apnea will also affect the performance of a person in his everyday activities as well.

Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard

It is really crucial to take adequate treatment if a person experiences any sleep apnea symptoms. Doctors usually recommend using oral devices in order to alleviate the symptoms related to the condition. Such mouthpieces are designed in such a way that they keep the airways open when a person sleeps. However, Central Sleep Apnea cannot be treated by using a sleep apnea mouth guard because its root causes will be associated with the nervous system of the person.

There are different types of mouth guards available to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea though, and doctors suggest them to their patients depending on the intensity of the sleep disorder. Some of the commonly used aids to tackle sleep apnea are CPAP machine, Mandibular Advancement Devices, tongue retaining device, etc. Out of this, a CPAP machine is required only when a person is suffering from an acute stage of obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard and Snore Guard

Most people have a misconception that oral devices for sleep apnea and a snore guard are the same. Actually, sleep apnea mouthpieces are considered as medical appliances and cannot be used without a doctor’s prescription. On the other hand, a snore guard is not regarded as a medical device, and hence, it does not require a prescription. In some cases, a sleep apnea mouth guard may cure snoring issues, but the reverse cannot be assured. Below are some in-depth details about sleep apnea oral appliances.

Uses and Indications

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Snoring Related Issues

Sleep apnea oral devices will be a good option for people who are in the initial stages of sleep apnea. In some cases, snorers who are not suffering from OSA, travelers, etc., can also use a sleep apnea mouth guard. There are many symptoms, that indicate the necessity of a mouth guard, and some of those signs are given below.

  • A sore throat
  • Snoring
  • Fragmented sleep
  • Irritability and fatigue
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Memory loss and frequent headaches
  • Lack of concentration

Benefits of Using a Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard

Compliance – One of the main advantages of using a sleep apnea mouth guard is its compliance. In the case of CPAP machines, it will be a bit challenging for people to deal with it because of multiple tubes and filters associated with it. In fact, a recent study reports that 50% of CPAP users tend to discontinue it within the first three weeks. For such people, a dental device will be a realistic option.

Handiness – Even if you are using a CPAP machine, it will be hard to use it regularly. In such cases, a sleep apnea mouth device can be your savior since it is easier to use. Usually, people who are using CPAP machines will keep an alternate dental device in hand so that they can use it as a backup. For instance, consider a situation where you need to clean, repair, or replace their CPAP machines.

Comfort – Unlike CPAP machines, mouth guards engage only with your mouth. In addition, users will not have to stress about the side effects such as acne breakouts, skin reactions, ingrown hairs, or skin reactions while using an oral device. Another advantage is that a mouth guard will not affect the nostrils, and hence, it will be comfortable to use it even if you have flu or cold.

Ease of Use and Maintenance – Since there are no tubes or wires associated with a mouth guard, you can use it easily. Likewise, you can clean it easily as well; just soak it in a cleaning solution for a certain period of time and rinse it thoroughly using normal water. Note that the cleaning solution for different oral devices may vary depending on its material composition.

Everything you May Want to Know about Snoring

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Facts About Snoring

Snoring occurs when the lower jaw relaxes during sleep causing a blockage in the upper throat and making the soft tissues vibrate against the roof of the mouth. Well, the sleep-disordered breathing condition is a little more complicated than how popular culture takes it – sometimes with sarcasm too.

If you are a frequent snorer, the effects it causes to the body include everything from dehydration in the morning and jadedness in the daytime. Sleep deprivation is a common occurrence among those who snore, yet if you do not treat the condition in time, it is likely to pose risk factors for several health conditions, which mainly include Obstructive Sleep Apnea and heart diseases.

It is rather unfortunate that those who snore frequently do not even know the issue is bothering their health. There are several ways to keep tabs on snoring though, including using an application for that, but the best way is to tell your bedmate to monitor your sleep patterns. Oftentimes, the excessive tiredness during the day and other things such as headache can be confused for other health concerns. So, you may as well consider getting a medical checkup to know if you are a snorer.

Snoring affects the sleep quality of not just the person who experiences it, but also the person sleeping beside the snorer. Since snoring is the sort of health condition that leads to loud noise and even bad breath, it is important to treat it to get a peaceful sleep and avoid other issues that may snowball. The snoring sound is known to pose a risk of hearing impairment too, which is why it is best to seek medical help to diagnose and treat the issue as early as possible. Depending on how the diagnosis goes, the doctor may even recommend you non-invasive snoring remedies.

What to Take Note of before Self-Treating Snoring

Of course, if you are going to get professional help to treat nighttime snoring knowing the cause, you are in trusted hands to an extent. However, if you are planning to counter the snoring problem by self, note that not all over-the-counter snoring remedies are created equal and work perfectly in all cases. In other words, it is important to understand the underlying cause that leads to snoring in your case before using any anti snoring aid.

Nighttime breathing can become difficult if there is a cold or stuffy nose, teeth grinding issue, or even allergies. So, try to understand as much as you can about snoring prior to treating it. Talk to your doctor about everything you feel awkward about your present health – even the minutest of things you ignore during checkup may be the underlying cause. Tell what you feel and do not give inklings for misdiagnosis to doctors.

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Snoring Related Issues

For instance, “I grind teeth” is a better way to express your symptoms to a doctor than “I grind teeth probably because of anxiety or stress”. The last part is unimportant to the snoring discussion; treating that is a matter of being specific.

Other Things to Know about Snoring

Your habits also contribute to the quality of life. Commonly, most snorers are overweight – not that only obese people snore, but if you are 20 pounds more than the reasonable weight, that can potentially lead to snoring problems.

Millions of people snore habitually during sleep. It is seen that the physical attributes that cause snoring, such as narrow throat, swelled adenoids or cleft palates, may be inherited from previous generations. What’s more, it is estimated that this health condition affects men more than women.

Tried and Tested Remedies to Treat Snoring

Fortunately, several remedies are available in the market to help you overcome snoring in due course. The key to treating snoring in time is to rely on not just the right remedy, but that you persist with the one you feel the most comfortable to use. Note that not all snoring remedies are one-size-fits-all solutions. Still, there are non-invasive and clinically proven anti snoring devices such as a snore guard or a mouthpiece that can help in treating the condition in most cases.

Anti snore guards are mandibular advancement devices, which are medically proven safe and effective to alleviate the sleep-disordered breathing problem. These snoring remedies aid in a better flow of air by ensuring that the mandible is not sagging. That can bring a difference to your sleep quality and daily activities, making you agile and fresh.

The snoring mouthpiece worn during sleep is not going to be a painful remedy for snoring, as doing a surgery in the throat to eliminate the tissues from vibrating. Besides, it is affordable to buy a snore guard over-the-counter or without a doctor’s prescription. Most of the snore guards come with the approval of Food and Drug Administration too.

Top 5 Natural Remedies for a Good Night’s Sleep

Snoring Remedies

Snoring Related Issues

Snoring is medically defined as the “vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping”. In most cases, it will be loud and horrible and can be an indicator of other health issues. Yet, many people overlook the snoring problem, mostly out of embarrassment. According to a recent study, around 60% of people in the world suffer from snoring, but only a few people out of this pursue medical treatment for the condition.

It is a given that good night’s sleep is really essential for your physical and mental well being. However, snoring issues prevent you from getting a peaceful sleep, and you might not even know of it. Apparently, when your sleep is disturbed, it will take a toll on your energy, efficiency, mood, productivity, and even on your ability to handle stress. So, it is recommended to consult a doctor if you are experiencing any sleep related issues, be it snoring or other conditions.

Health care providers usually suggest using anti snoring devices in order to tackle the problem. Along with this, you can also include some home remedies to stop snoring and enjoy a good night’s sleep. Below are the top 5 natural remedies you can try.

Oil Massage

Many studies have proven that a good body massage or head massage can help you sleep well. If you use mustard oil or coconut oil to massage your body, your body muscles will relax and help you fall in sleep within minutes. Additionally, it will increase the blood circulation in the muscles in order to calm your nerves.

You just need to warm the oil slightly, rub it on your head, shoulders, back, neck, and bottom of your feet, and gently massage in circular motions for around ten to twenty minutes.

Epsom Salt Bath

Taking an Epsom salt bath one or two hours before bedtime is one of the best ways to enjoy a sound sleep. According to naturopathic practitioners, the magnesium content in Epsom salt will contribute to calm your nerves and relax your muscles.

To take an Epsom bath, all you have to do is to add one and a half cup of Epsom salt to your bathing tub and let it dissolve completely. Soak yourself in the water for around half an hour and enjoy a peaceful sleep.

Chamomile and Valerian

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Natural Snoring Remedies

These are the most commonly used herbal species to induce sleep in people. When it comes to Chamomile, it is ideal for treating sleep disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia. Other than that, it is suitable for healing muscle spasms, period pain, stomachaches, etc., that are likely to keep you from enjoying a good sleep. So, it is recommended to consume a cup of Chamomile tea one hour before bedtime. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon in case you do not like the taste of Chamomile.

Valerian is a tall flowering grassland plant that is famous for inducing deep sleep in people. It has a soothing and muscle-relaxing property that in turn promotes better blood circulation in the body. In fact, several studies prove that Valerian is perfect for improving the quality of sleep as well.

Warm Milk

The relaxing effect of warm milk on the body and mind of a person is well known since ages, and hence, most people consume it before going to bed. The reason for this is the abundance of calcium in milk that controls the production of melatonin hormone.

It is to be noted that melatonin plays a key role in regulating the sleep of a person, whereas calcium is a great remedy to alleviate stress. In order to boost up the taste, you can add some honey and cinnamon in your milk as well. However, make sure to drink the milk at least one hour before you go to sleep.

Lavender Oil

There will be hardly anyone, who does not enjoy the soothing aroma of lavenders. Lavender oil is popular for having a calming effect on people, which in turn induces sleep. In fact, naturopathic practitioners claim that lavender oil can increase the sleep duration of a person, which is ideal to wake up the next day with a refreshing mind.

Simply apply two to three drops of lavender oil to your handkerchief or a towel and keep it under your pillow for a good night’s sleep. You can also take an aromatic bath by adding a few drops of lavender oil to your bathing water. Make sure to soak yourselves in it at least for thirty minutes. Else, rub your feet and earlobes with a mixture of lavender oil and olive oil before going to bed.

How Snoring Can Contribute to Hearing Loss in Bedmates

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Snoring and Deafness

Snoring is defined as the sound produced as a result of the vibration of respiratory structures that is caused due to the obstructive airflow while sleeping. In some cases, the snoring sound might be mild, whereas it would be loud and unpleasant in other cases. The latter kind of snoring during sleep can also be the first sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA.

According to the studies, around 40% of people in the United States are suffering from severe snoring issues. Just like OSA, snoring can also be the indicator of many other fatal health issues such as heart diseases, mental disorders, and many other health problems. It can also be the other way round; that is, frequent snoring can also contribute to other diseases.

Note that it is not the snorers who always suffer; people sleeping with them are also prone to many health issues. One of the major health problems commonly seen in people sleeping with snorers is deafness.

The Relation between Snoring and Deafness in Bedmates

According to recent studies, it is determined that almost every people who sleep close to the snorers suffer from a high-frequency hearing loss in the ear that is closest to the snorer. Not only the bed partners, the snorers themselves are also prone to hearing diseases.

As said, frequent snoring also leads to sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that forces the patient to pause breathing for a few seconds while asleep. However, the occurrence and range of these pauses vary in different people; it can last from few seconds to more than a minute, and can occur more than 30 times in an hour. These pauses will result in frequent awakenings and thereby disrupt the sleep of the patient.

Sleep apnea can hold back the vascular supply to the cochlea that results in inflammation in the ear. This, along with loud snoring, leads to hearing loss and other health issues. As for the bedmate, frequent wake ups, disrupted sleep, and annoying snoring sounds, all trigger the sensory nerves in the brain and lead to hearing issues, aside from the tiredness, fatigue, and mood-swings in the daytime.

Counter Measures for Snoring

One of the best options to counter snoring issues is to use a reliable, medically approved snore guard. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor and do a sleep-test prior to this; using the wrong snore guard may worsen the situation. You can also tackle the condition and stop snoring by taking proactive measures such as losing weight, stop consuming liquor, etc.

If you are diagnosed with hearing loss, it is recommended to consult an audiologist and conduct a hearing test. Note that hearing loss can be treated completely if it is diagnosed at an earlier stage.

7 Easy Remedies to Stop Snoring

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Easy Snoring Remedies

Snoring is caused due to the obstruction in the air movement while breathing during sleep. Snoring is a serious issue, not only because it disturbs others’ sleep, but also because the people who snore may suffer from other serious health conditions such as sleep apnea and heart diseases. Apart from using snore guard and other snoring aids to deal with the problem, given below are some home remedies that may help you to stop snoring.

Lose Weight

Weight loss can help obese people to stop snoring to some extent. Besides, if you have gained weight in the recent past, and that is when you started snoring, then weight loss may be effective. When you gain weight around the neck, it will squeeze the inner diameter of the throat, which may trigger snoring.

Change your Sleep Position

Avoid sleeping on your back; sleeping on your side is known to be effective in preventing snoring. Using a full-length pillow will be an easy option, as it enables you to maintain sleeping on your side. Yet another alternative is to recline your bed with the head up.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Having poor sleeping habits can also trigger snoring. If you work for too long hours without having enough sleep, you become overtired, which makes you sleep deep and hard. This is when the muscles in the throat and back of the mouth become floppier and lead to snoring issues.

Avoid Alcohol

Usage of alcohol and other sedatives may reduce the resting tone of the muscles present on the back of your throat and you are more likely to snore. It is said that people who do not snore normally, start snoring after consuming alcohol.

Change your Pillows

Allergic reactions may occur due to the presence of dust mites accumulated in your pillows and this leads to snoring. If you allow your pets to sleep on your bed, it causes you to breathe in animal dander, which is another common irritant that leads to breathing issues.

Stay Hydrated

If you are dehydrated, the secretions in your nose become stickier and this creates more snoring. Women should have around 11 cups of water per day, while men need to drink about 16 cups. Apparently, drinking plenty of fluids is very necessary not only to fight snoring but also to stay healthy.

Keep the Nasal Passages Open

When you have a cold, your nose will be clogged and narrowed. The narrower the path is, the faster the air you breathe moves in, and most likely cause snoring. Taking a hot shower before going to bed or rinsing your nose with salt water would help you to keep the nasal passage clear. Using nasal strips is another alternative.

Stopping Snoring with Acupuncture

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Snoring And Acupuncture

Snoring is a major health issue in the country nowadays, and one that can cause other health problems as well. It is also known to make spouses angry the world over, when they have to share a bed with a snorer, almost always causing the latter to have to wear a snore guard.

The treatments for snoring vary widely, and include oral devices as well as invasive surgeries. You also have many alternative therapies, which have been shown to either reduce the severity of snoring or cure it altogether. One of these is acupuncture.

How Acupuncture Can Help to Stop Snoring

Chinese medicine, which is the source of acupuncture, holds that snoring happens because the Qi of the affected person is weak. Qi is the life force, which combines the harmonic flow of yang and yin energies. So if Qi gets blocked somehow, it needs redirecting.

If you are dealing with a mild or moderate snoring problem resulting from soft tissue falling limp or excessive mucus, there are acupressure points, which can be stimulated to fix the energy imbalance. This will bring back harmony to the body, and resultantly strengthen the Qi.

Acupressure tends to focus on two points: the throat and the sinuses. Some people have chronic allergies, which lead to nasal passage inflammation, which in turn causes snoring. The nasal tissue that is inflamed will cause obstruction in the nasal passages, rendering them unable to function the right way. Sometimes, the channels that remove the mucus from the sinuses can get narrowed as a result of sinusitis, which also blocks airflow.

Acupuncture seeks to remove the edema in the tissue as well as drain the blocked mucus. When done right, it also aids blood circulation, which means nutrients and oxygen are transported to the tissues for fast repair. In acupuncture, there are points associated with relieving sinus pressure. The first of these is along the eyebrow, where the eye meets the bridge of the nose. Another is on either side of the nostril openings, while yet another can be found adjacent to these points, at the base of the cheekbones.

If you are dealing with pressure in the sinuses, but do not have the time or inclination to go see an acupuncturist, it is easy to locate these points and massage them yourself. This will provide temporary relief from the problem. There are acupuncture points that specifically target the immune system, which are believed by some to reduce snoring problems. For instance, Chinese medicine holds that the spleen/pancreas meridian is associated with the immune system.

How to Measure the Amount of Sleep in a Snorer

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Measuring Amount Sleep

Snoring is the condition in which the affected person makes a sound due to the vibrations of the soft tissues in the throat. This vibration happens because of restricted airflow while breathing during sleep. There are different levels of snoring though; it can be mild as well as fatally serious. That is why you should never take the health issue lightly and seek medical attention as soon as the symptoms are noticed.

Levels of Snoring

Snoring, that occurs due to a mild resistance in the airflow within the upper airways, is not associated with any sleeping disorders. However, if the resistance is increased again, the awakening from sleep will get more prominent. Still, this is not that serious to cause a decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood and this condition is known as respiratory effort related arousal.

If the resistance increases even more, it will be hard to maintain the proper oxygen level in the blood as a result of the body’s efforts to provide adequate ventilation. This makes the affected person’s sleep more fragmented and there will be frequent disruptions during sleep. This condition is known as hypopnea syndrome.

Ideal Tests to Measure Sleepiness

MSLT (Multiple Sleep Latency Test)

This test will help to measure how fast someone will fall asleep during the daytime. MSLT is usually conducted after doing a sleep study for the night and the test comprises of at least 4 to 5 naps that last for 20 minutes within a frequent interval of two hours.

The average time required for the person to fall asleep in all these tests are taken into account – 10 minutes or more is considered as the normal time required for a person to fall asleep. If the person takes only 5 minutes of below to fall asleep, it is a sign of excessive sleepiness.

MWT (Maintenance of Wakefulness Test)

This test also measures the daytime sleepiness. Here, the patient is instructed to stay awake and 4 sessions comprising of 40 minutes with an equal interval of two hours is conducted. This test is especially done in employees in the Department Of Transportation like pilots, drivers, etc.

Why Snorers Must be Evaluated

As said, you must not take your snoring problem lightly; it can be an indicator of many serious medical conditions too. For instance, sleep apnea or gasping for breath during sleep may indicate heart-related problems, while jerking movements while sleeping may be a signal of restless leg syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder. Hence, it is necessary to conduct a sleep study to rule out these fatal disorders.