By: John Cielo
Submitted: 2010-09-28 05:21:18 | Word Count: 578
Nearly all of us snore from time to time, but that's not what I'm addressing here. I'm addressing chronic snoring, where the snorer's problem is so bad that it affects, not just them, but their partner and even the rest of the family.
I know that we all make a joke about snoring in bed, but believe me, it's no joke. Many couples sleep in separate beds because of it, and this certainly doesn't help any relationship. It can get so bad that many couples split up over snoring in bed at night! And it has huge physical and mental health implications as well.
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If your relationship is in danger because of your, or your partner's night snoring, then you neeed to do something about it, and fast.
As a start, let's consider first what actually causes snoring at night...
Snoring occurs during sleep but not when you're awake. You already know this of course, but by repeating it here, it'll help you to understand the snoring cause better.
Snoring is the sound that you emit when you breathe in and out during sleep. Because you're asleep, possibly on you back, all the muscles and surrounding tissue in your airways relax. Not only that, because they are so relaxed, and you are in a prone position, they fall more easily into your airways.
This restricts the space available to the air that you inhale and exhale through the airways. This causes the air to flow faster, and as it flows over your relaxed tissue restricting your passageway, the tissue causes turbulent air flow. This turbulent air acts then sets up vibrations in the tissue. And these vibrations cause the horrendous snoring sounds.
Well, that's the cause of snoring, now we can discuss how to stop snoring at night...
Since you can't actively try to control your snoring whilst you're asleep, you need to set-up your preventative measures before you sleep.
Firstly, have a word with your doctor about your condition. He or she will be able to assess how bad your snoring is and be able to explain your treatment options. Being fully aware of this is a big step forward in your battle to stop snoring.
Next, with your doctor's help, you will probably have to make some changes to your lifestyle. This includes such as weight reduction, stop smoking, no meals before bed, avoid alcohol before bed, change of sleeping position, no tranquilizers, etc.
The other thing you need to do is to get acquainted with the stop snoring devices available to buy over-the-counter and online. There are many, including snoring mouthpieces, nose strips, snore pillows, etc.
Home remedies for snoring are also well worth considering. These include herbs, homeopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture and acupressure, etc.
A final option is surgery. And it is a final option, only to be used in serious cases where all else has failed. You need to speak closely to your doctor about this option.
By following these five steps on how to stop snoring at night, both you and your partner will be able to enjoy a good night's sleep.
