Soundless Sleep: How to Stop Snoring

It is estimated that nearly 50 percent of men and 30 percent of women snore on a regular basis while asleep. While for most people this is only something that is embarrassing, it can also indicate that a more serious underlying health condition may be present. Either way, you may want to do all you can to stop snoring. Whether it’s for your health or just to give your bed partner some peace and quiet at night, here are some tips you can use to stop snoring.

Sleep On Your Side

If you have a tendency to sleep on your back, try sleeping on your side if you want to quit snoring. Should you have trouble sleeping on your side all night long, you may want to have various pillows strategically positioned to help you stay on your side, rather than rolling over on your back.

Wear Nasal Strips

Since snoring occurs when air gets blocked while traveling through your airway, you may want to start wearing nasal strips when you sleep. Inexpensive, easy to use, and very comfortable, nasal strips will help keep your air passageway open as you sleep, helping to eliminate that annoying snoring.

Wear an Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece

If you have a serious snoring problem that doesn’t seem to be helped by trying simpler tips and tricks, you may want to visit an ENT specialist to learn about the benefits of wearing an anti-snoring mouthpiece. The most common ones are mandibular advancement devices, known as MAD, and tongue retaining or tongue stabilizing devices, known respectively as TRD and TSD. Customized to the exact specifications of your mouth, these devices have an effectiveness rate of more than 70 percent.

Lose Weight

Should you be severely overweight or classified as obese, losing weight will not only help you stop snoring, but will also benefit your health in many other important ways. Studies have shown people who are obese are much more likely to be snorers and develop sleep apnea, which if left untreated can at times be a life-threatening condition.

Start Mouth Exercises

Finally, learn about various mouth exercises from your ENT specialist. These are referred to as oropharyngeal exercises and are done with the purpose of making the muscles stronger in your throat, tongue, and soft palate. If you do these exercises over a three-month period, you may reduce your chances of snoring by almost 60 percent.

Raise the Head of the Bed

Raising the head of your bed is a simple way to try and help your snoring. You will need to raise the head of the bed by about 4 inches to see improvement. You can do this by placing secure items under your bedframe or buying bed risers. Bed risers are made to securely raise your bed to an appropriate height while remaining steady and even.  

Rather than continue to be bothered by snoring, use these tips and others recommended by specialists to help you and everyone else near you get a good night’s sleep.