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Be honest. Do you know you keep your partner awake at night with snores that could only be described as akin to those a farm animal makes? Or are they the ones who get an elbow to the ribs when they let out an echoing snore around the bedroom?
Whoever the culprit is, it would be helpful to get some tips on how to stop it, right?
Here are the best tips to stop snoring with some simple lifestyle changes.
1. Maintain a healthy weight and diet
Being overweight by just a few kilograms can lead to snoring. Fatty tissue around your neck squeezes the airway and prevents air from flowing in and out freely.
2. Try to sleep on your side
Try to sleep on your side rather than your back. While sleeping on your back, your tongue, chin and any excess fatty tissue under your chin can relax and squash your airway. Sleeping on your side prevents this.
3. Avoid alcohol before going to bed
Avoid alcohol before going to bed. Alcohol causes the muscles to relax more than usual during a normal night's sleep. This added relaxation of the muscles makes the back of the throat collapse more readily, which then causes snoring.
4. Quit or cut down on smoking
Quit or cut down on smoking. Cigarette smoke irritates the lining of the nasal cavity and throat, causing swelling and catarrh. If the nasal passages become congested, it's difficult to breathe through your nose because the airflow is decreased.
5. Keep your nasal passages clear
Keep your nasal passages clear, so that you breathe in through your nose rather than your mouth. If an allergy is blocking your nose, try antihistamine tablets or a nasal spray.
6. Try an over-the-counter remedy
The British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association website has details of a variety of treatments you can try at home, including pillows, Snore Calm products, mouth-guards, nasal strips and dilators, as well as mouth-breathing devices.
7. Visit your GP
If your snoring persists, it might be necessary to seek medical help. For some cases of snoring, surgery to fix structural problems in the airways, such as enlarged adenoids, is necessary.
If your snoring is caused by looseness in your soft palate (the soft upper part at the back of the mouth), a technique called radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat energy to tighten the palate, may help.
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