Ghrrr! Ghrrr! That is not the sound of a train engine, neither is it from a metal grinder. That sound actually is coming from a human! A sleeping human. A lot of us has experienced a turbulent night sleeping in the same room with someone who has snoring issues. This article will show you the best snoring remedies.
Statistics show that around 40 percent of adult males and 24 percent of females snore. So, if you are a snorer, don’t beat yourself up, you are in a popular company.
A lot of us know what snoring is but how that sound is made might not be such a popular knowledge.
People snore when the air they breathe causes the tissue at the back of their throats to vibrate.
Both men and women snore but as the stats have shown, it is more prevalent in men.
Some people will argue vigorously with you that they don’t snore. The reason is that, well, they don’t know they do.
They were asleep, so you can’t really fault their ignorance. Most of these people are light snorers.
However, there are people who snore so loudly, the noise wakes them up! Those ones can’t argue the fact.
Before we go ahead to the snoring remedies we have in store for you, there are certain things we need to clear up. Let s first take a look at what causes snoring whether light or loud.
Causes of Snoring
There are quite a number of factors that make people snore.
Some of them are temporary. Some will require some lifestyle change adjustment. Others will require medical treatment.
Have you ever wondered why most obese people snore?
If you have, you will get your answer today.
Obesity is one of the reasons people snore. This is because they have a larger throat tissue.
Pregnancy could also cause a woman to snore because of her increased throat tissue.
Certain genetic factors could also be a culprit for snoring. One could inherit a long soft palate and uvular, enlarged tonsils, and large adenoids.
All these contribute to snoring.
When your throat muscles are relaxed, you are bound to snore.
So, if you take medications that relax these muscles, it may cause you to snore.
Alcohol also has a relaxing effect on the throat muscles which might also induce snoring when you eventually knock out.
If your nasal pathways are blocked, you may be forced to breathe through your mouth and this is a recipe for snoring.
The nasal pathway gets blocked due to flu, allergies, or perhaps certain nasal deformities.
Age could also cause you to start snoring.
As you get older, the throat becomes narrower and the muscle tone too reduces.
The reason statistics show that more men snore than women is because the air passage of a man is not as wide as that of a woman.
In that light, men are more likely to snore. Better sleeping habits, throat exercises, etc. are some of the ways you can shift the odds.
Symptoms of Snoring
Almost anyone can diagnose snoring.
The symptom is quite unmissable as it makes you want to hit the culprit in the face many times.
However, self-diagnosis can be a bit tricky. If you live alone, there won’t be anyone to call your awareness to the amount of noise you were causing all night.
In that case, there are things you might pay attention to that can help you determine if you have been snoring during the night.
For instance, if you often wake up with a dry mouth or a sore throat, then you probably vibrated your throat tissue all night.
Now let us look at some snoring remedies that work to help you deal with the harsh noise that disturbs your sleep.
But before we go ahead, it is important to know that there are different types of snoring.
How you snore is connected to why you snore, and why you snore is what determines the snoring remedies that are best for you.
Types of Snoring
- Open Mouth Snoring
This type of snoring may be related to the tissue at the back of your throat.
- Closed Mouth Snoring
This could be an issue with your tongue, perhaps the way it is positioned while you sleep.
There are tongue snoring remedies you can use to solve this.
- Snoring when Sleeping on your Back
People who are overweight are quite prone to this.
This mostly causes mild snoring and can be remedied with certain lifestyle changes or by improving your sleeping habits.
- Snoring in all Sleeping Positions
The habitual snorers and are often loud.
This type of snoring is often an indication that it will require more comprehensive treatment.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) might be the problem in cases like this and is an issue for medical attention.
10 Best Snoring Remedies to Help You Stop Snoring Immediately
If you have been looking for how to fix loud snoring, you will surely find one of these snoring remedies to be useful.
Some of these remedies are snoring home remedies and are natural ways to go.
There are also equipment you can use to aid snoring issues.
1. Open Your Nasal Passages
Snoring can start from your nose and if your nasal pathway is blocked, snoring is inevitable.
Let us explain it this way, imagine your nasal passage as a hose.
If it is blocked, water passing through will flow out pretty fast, right?
This is exactly how it happens with your nasal passage too.
In this case, the fast-moving air coming out of your nose is what causes the snoring sound.
Allergies or flu are common causes of a blocked nasal pathway.
Do These:
- A hot shower before going to bed is one of the snoring remedies that are effective for this type of snoring.
- Using a neti pot to rinse out your nose with salt water is also an effective alternative.
2. Change Your Sleeping Position
Your posture while asleep can affect whether you will snore or not. You are more likely to snore is you lay on your back.
This is because your tongue and soft palate shift to the back of your throat and causes that ‘annoying’ vibrating noise while you breathe.
Simply changing your sleeping position to the side can be a snoring remedy in this case.
This will change the position of your tongue and soft palate such that they do not vibrate anymore.
So, when next someone is snoring and laying on their back, you could just nudge them to their side.
3. Use Essential Oils as Snoring Remedies
Don’t let this surprise you.
Essential oils work for almost anything. Some of these oils are effective snoring remedies.
Eucalyptus and peppermint oils are good essential oils for snoring.
Note -You should dilute them with water to avoid a skin reaction.
Try This
- All you have to do is to rub it on your neck and chest.
- This will keep your airways open and prevent snoring.
- You might also add chamomile or lavender oils as they aid sleep.
Alternatively…
There is another way you can use essential oils as snoring remedies.
- You can add drops of peppermint oil in a cup of water and gargle with it before going to bed.
4. Lose Weight
Losing weight cannot be overemphasized. Aside from the fact that it reduces your chances of snoring, it is beneficial to your health.
Obesity is one of the prime causes of snoring. Losing weight might significantly help you with your snoring issues.
You won’t have any problems with what you can do to lose weight.
We have tons of articles on how to lose weight fast on this site.
We always remember to tell you that losing weight goes hand in hand with eating healthy.
If you combine those two, you will shed the fat faster and the quicker you can stop disturbing the household at night.
5. Use This Anti-Snoring Juice for Snoring Remedies
If you have been looking for snoring home remedies, this is it.
It is a blend of natural organic fruits that are good for you in many ways than one.
Ingredients:
- A long piece of ginger (grated)
- 2 apples
- 2 medium-sized carrots
- The juice of 2 lemons
- Water
How to Anti-Snoring Juice:
- Chop all the ingredients into small sizes and put them in a blender.
- Add the lemon juice and water too.
- Blend the mixture until you have a smooth blend.
- Drink it up immediately about ½ an hour before bed.
6. Use Rue and Olive Oil as Snoring Remedies
This is another natural way to go with snoring remedies.
You won’t need to spend much or have to get an appointment with a doctor.
Once prepared, you can use it in the comfort of your home and it works really well.
Ingredients:
- 50 grams of Rue
- Olive oil
- A dark jar
How to prepare:
- Put the Rue in the dark jar and fill it up with the olive oil.
- Put the jar in a dark and dry area for 14 days.
- After this period, it would have infused well enough for potency.
- You can apply the mixture to your nose, chest, and nape of your neck.
- Before applying, rub a bit on your elbow and leave for a while to test for irritation.
7. Lifestyle Changes as Snoring Remedies
If this seems like a weird snoring remedy, keep reading to find out why it is relevant.
Some habits have a significant effect on your snoring.
So, at least reducing them will consequently reduce the effects too.
Smoking and alcohol are some of the lifestyle changes you need to make. You have to stop them if you want to reduce snoring.
You already know that smoking does a lot of harm to your body anyway.
However, one of them is that it irritates your nasal cavities and throat.
Your nasal pathway becomes congested which makes breathing through your nose difficult.
Since you keep smoking on a daily basis, the congestion and irritation are continuous.
So, you see, your snoring issues might not stop until you kick the habit.
Alcohol too can cause you to snore. So, if you are a heavy drinker, you need to stop.
Alcohol tends to relax your throat muscles way too much and this leads to airway blockage which means loud snoring.
It might be hard kicking the habit abruptly but you can take steps to at least alleviate your snoring issue.
Don’t drink alcohol at last 4 hours before you go to sleep.
That way, the relaxing effect on your throat would have reduced.
8. Neck Exercises for Snoring
These exercises are effective snoring remedies as they strengthen your neck muscles.
How to do it:
- Sit comfortably with your back and neck straight and place your palms on your knees.
- Close your eyes and inhale while you slowly drop your neck backward.
- As you exhale, bring your neck forward and downward.
- Complete three reps of this slow nodding movement.
- While still in the sitting position, take a deep breath and slowly turn your neck to the left.
- On the exhalation, slowly turn it to the right.
- You will also do three reps of this “No” movement.
- Still, in that position, you will start the third exercise.
- Drop your right ear towards your right shoulder.
- Exhale as you bring your head back to the center.
- Now, drop the left ear towards the left shoulder and return it to center.
- You will also do three reps of this motion to complete the exercise.
9. Throat Exercises
According to some studies, curling your tongue in certain ways can strengthen the muscles in your upper respiratory tract and this will help to reduce snoring.
We bring you some of the throat exercises you can practice below.
How to do them:
- Put the tip of your tongue to the back of your front teeth and slide it back as far as it can reach. Do this for about 3 minutes every day.
- With your mouth closed, purse your lips and keep it there for 30 seconds.
- Keep your mouth open and then contract the muscles at the back of your throat repeatedly for 30 seconds.
- Repeat the vowels a, e, i, o, u for 3 minutes each twice a day.
- With an open mouth, move your jaw to the right and hold it there for 30 seconds. Do the same for the left side too.
10. Stay Hydrated
Studies have shown that dehydration affects the performance of the brain. It can also be detrimental to the overall well-being of the body.
Asides that, staying well hydrated can be a snoring remedy as well.
If you are dehydrated, the secretions of your nose and soft palate can become sticky which will obstruct your airways and hence, snoring.
Drinking plenty of fluids can prevent this and offer lots of other health benefits.
Conclusion
There are medical snoring remedies as well but those are not within the scope of this write-up.
Some doctors will recommend Continuous Progressive Airways Pressure (CPAP) to patients with severe snoring conditions.
For these people, snoring can become dangerous as it can lead to sleep apnea.
Some people wake up every now and then just because they are literally choking.
These people will benefit greatly from losing weight and changing their lifestyle.
On a final note, these snoring remedies will go a long way relieving your snoring issues.
Additionally, there are also anti-snoring devices if you like to use them
Whatever your snoring type is, you will find a combination of these snoring remedies to help you out.
