Looking for effective ways to stop snoring? Keep reading for Beachwood Sleep Center’s top 10 tips to stop snoring. Bechwood Sleep Center is focused on all the latest dental solutions for sleep problems like snoring or sleep apnea.
Many people are unsure what causes snoring. Snoring happens due to the air flowing against the soft tissues of your throat and mouth. While air always flows by those tissues, when you sleep, the muscles relax, so the air vibrates the soft tissue, causing a snoring sound.
You might also ask, is snoring bad? Not always! While snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, it doesn’t necessarily signal a more significant health problem. However, snoring can leave you with a dry mouth or sore throat in the morning and keep your partner awake.
Top 10 Tips To Stop Snoring
At Beachwood Sleep Center, we’re here to provide help with snoring. If you’re wondering how to reduce snoring, we have answers.
In Order From Most Effective to Least Effective…
- Anti-Snoring and Stop Snoring Sleep Apnea Devices or Oral Appliances: There are also many snoring and sleep apnea aids that use a mouth guard or chin strap to prevent snoring. Using a stop snoring mouth guard or chin strap to change the position of your jaw and keep your mouth closed is a great way to stop snoring.
- Invisalign Orthodontics: Another one of the best snoring remedies is orthodontics. Sometimes, crowded teeth or a misaligned bite can cause snoring, so you have to realign your teeth to stop snoring. Additionally, orthodontics that uses clear aligner trays like Invisalign aligners can act like a stop snoring mouthpiece.
- Surgical Options: You may not have heard of snoring surgery, but it exists! We would only recommend these type of options in the most serious cases. A minor oral surgery can be excellent sleep apnea and snoring solutions when other treatments don’t work. They can perform adjustments to make air flow more smoothly through your airway.
- Use a CPAP Machine: While a CPAP machine is generally used for sleep apnea, using a CPAP machine for snoring can also be an adequate remedy. It provides a steady stream of air that keeps your throat open and prevents loose tissues from becoming too relaxed to start vibrating. Most people find them clunky and loud at night, but they do work.
- Sleep on Your Side: Many people suffer from snoring without sleep apnea, so you might want to try an at-home remedy first. Most people report snoring when sleeping on their back. To stop snoring, try sleeping on your side instead! You can prop yourself up with pillows if you know you toss and turn at night.
- Change Your Habits: Snoring when drunk is a common issue since alcohol relaxes your throat muscles and tissues. Smoking can also make snoring worse. For a simple snoring treatment, try cutting back on drinking before bed and eliminating cigarettes. As a bonus, your body will be healthier with fewer substances anyway!
- Treat Chronic Allergies: Allergies are also a frequent cause of snoring. If you snore consistently and often feel stuffed up, you might want to try several decongestants or antihistamine medications until you find one that clears up your allergies. You can also try propping your pillow up to prevent congestion from gathering in the nose and throat.
- Use Nasal Strips or a Nasal Dilator: Another way to reduce snoring is to use a nasal strip or nasal dilator. This stop snoring aid is an adhesive bandage with plastic splints that help keep the airway open. This technique can stop snoring in a single instance but doesn’t address the underlying problem.
- Use Sleep Apnea Pillows: You can also try a sleep apnea pillow. These pillows are specifically designed to reduce pressure on your airway and support your head, decreasing snoring. Since these aren’t custom designed, they may not be effective for you.
Health Concerns Related To Snoring
Snoring itself does not always indicate a severe health problem. It does come with some concerns.
Some health problems related to snoring include
- Dry mouth. Snoring can cause dry mouth since you usually snore with your mouth open.
- Sore throat. The air vibrates your soft throat tissues, causing the snoring sound and also irritating those tissues.
- Chronic allergies. If you consistently snore and feel stuffed up, it might be a sign that you have allergies.
- Reduced quality of sleep. Snoring can disrupt your sleep and those around you, leading to fatigue and irritability during the day.
- Sleep apnea. Snoring can be an indicator of sleep apnea, which is linked to many severe health risks.
Snoring vs. Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep apnea is one of the biggest concerns related to snoring. A disorder that causes you to stop breathing repeatedly during the night, sleep apnea has significant health risks, like an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and depression. Not all snoring is sleep apnea, however.
Ready to Breath Better and Really Sleep Soundly? Give Us a Call!
If the at-home ways to stop snoring haven’t helped, visit Beachwood Sleep Center for a FREE virtual consultation. We can help you find the best ways to eliminate snoring. If you’re ready to tackle your snoring and sleep apnea, call Beachwood Sleep Center now at 216-470-5738 for your totally FREE, no-obligation virtual consultation.