1. Change your sleep position
Sleeping on your back makes you more prone to snoring because the tongue and soft palate tend to collapse to the back wall of your throat. Learning to sleep on your side can help stop this and reduce snoring.
2. Avoid smoking, alcohol and food before bed
Alcohol and sedatives such as sleeping pills and antihistamines relax the back of your throat, increasing the likelihood that you’ll snore in your sleep. Reducing alcohol 4 to 5 hours before bed and reducing/ stopping smoking can reduce snoring, as well as improve general health.
3. Avoid poor sleep habits
Being overtired and irregular sleep make you more likely to sleep deeply, which causes your muscles to become more relaxed. This has a similar effect to snoring after alcohol consumption.
4. Remove allergens
Dust mites, pet hair, dairy or wheat intolerance and certain types of bedding may cause nasal congestion and inflammation. A prolonged build-up of irritants can affect anyone, so ensure you dust your room and wash your bedding regularly; replace pillows every six months and keep pets out of the bedroom.
5. Weight loss
Losing weight can help some people to stop snoring. If you didn’t previously snore but found you did so after gaining some weight, losing the weight may help. Additionally, weight around the neck constricts the internal diameter of the throat during sleep, making you more likely to snore.
6. Stay hydrated
Not drinking enough water throughout the day can also cause or worsen snoring. Secretions in your nose and soft palate become stickier when you’re dehydrated, worsening the vibrating sound. Aim to consume around 1.9 litres of water a day (all fluids, including food, count towards this daily intake).
Tried everything?
Don’t despair, contact your dentist or a sleep disorder specialist who will be able to advise on the best treatment.
Oventus provide an oral appliance solution for snoring (and potentially obstructive sleep apnoea). The O2VentTM devices pull your lower jaw forward and incorporate an airway to avoid obstructions caused by a blocked nose, the tongue or soft palate.
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