How to Stop Snoring and Have a Restful Sleep

Snoring is such a common issue, that many people just ignore it. BUT, snoring is not as harmless as you may think. It’s more than just an annoying and unpleasant sound that inhibits the proper sleep of your partner or bothers people around you in the plane. 

Snoring is usually a symptom of much more serious health issues that can worsen the quality of life, negatively impact your productivity and even your relationships. 

If you need some advice on how to stop snoring, improve your health levels and productivity, and finally don’t bother people around you, check out the tips below. It’s time to take the roar out of the snore!

What is Snoring?

Snoring is a common condition that can be described as noisy breathing during sleep. If you snore once in a couple of months, there is no need to panic. On the other side, if you snore almost every night, this is a red flag, and you need help.   

Common Cause of Snoring

Aging

In general, it affects everyone sooner or later, because with the age our throat muscles relax which can result in snoring. That’s why snoring is often linked to aging.

Alcohol and Drugs Use

Some drugs and medications, including sedatives and muscle relaxants, can cause snoring as well. Alcohol gives a similar effect on throat muscles, relaxing them and causing snoring. Note, that one glass of wine before sleeping is ok, but abusing alcohol can significantly impact your quality of sleep and snoring.

Obesity

Being overweight always leads to a chain of problems, and snoring is one of them. A large amount of tissue in the throat can cause snoring. Unless you lose some weight, it will be hard to get rid of snoring as well as other health issues caused by the extra weight

Allergy

The allergy season never comes alone. It’s a package with several health problems such as itchy skin, sneezing, a runny nose, and snoring. Sinus infection or other respiratory problems can also trigger snoring.

Anatomical Abnormalities of the Nose and Throat

When your snoring is regular and not temporal (like during the allergy season), it is vital to check your nose and throat for abnormal structure. 

Examples:

• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Nasal polyps
• Deviated nasal septum

Sleep Position

Your sleep position also plays a role in sleep quality. When you sleep on the back, your tongue can move to the back of the throat, blocking the airflow and causing the vibrating sound. Perhaps, all you need is to try sleeping on the side Sleeping on your side may be all you need to reduce or even stop snoring.

The Dangers of Snoring and Health Implications

Sleep Apnea

Loud frequent snoring is one of the symptoms of such a chronic condition as sleep apnea. This disorder can be characterized by a blocked airway and repeatedly interrupted breathing stops. 

If you sleep alone in the room, it is hard to detect this condition, unless you record yourself. However, there are other symptoms that may help you pinpoint sleep apnea, for instance, difficulty to stay asleep at night and wake up in the morning.

Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

• Insomnia
• Nocturia
• Severe snoring
• Waking up with a dry mouth
• Morning headaches

• Fatigue
• Depression and irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
•  Memory loss
•  Low sex drive

Stroke

The constant snoring can cause the inflammation of the throat and thicken the carotid arteries, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis and stroke. In simple words, if you snore long and loudly, and have some other health issues like high blood pleasure, you are at risk of a stroke and need to consult a doctor. 

Heart Disease and Arrhythmias

Snoring is often linked to sleep apnea which causes numerous problems, including high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, and coronary artery disease, which eventually can result in a heart attack. 

This is how underestimating snoring can lead to fatal consequences. On the other side, taking action against snoring can significantly reduce the risks of heart problems.

GERD and Snoring

Snoring and sleep apnea are closely connected to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), known as acid reflux. 

Acid reflux causes sore throat, coughing, sinusitis, chest pain and snoring. Very often overweight people suffer both from acid reflux and sleep apnea. Going back to normal weight is vital if you want to reduce the symptoms of acid relax and sleep apnea.

Mental Health Issues

It has been proven by research, that snoring and low quality of sleep can affect your mental health and cause depression. By improving your sleep, treating sleep disorders like sleep apnea and bothersome symptoms like snoring can ease depression and enhance your mood. 

Headaches and Snoring

The morning headaches are not accidental. In fact, headache is a common thing among people who snore or OSAs patients. Basically, it is just one of the many symptoms and a reason to consult a doctor before sleep apnea leads to other severe problems like stroke or heart attack.

Snoring and Pregnancy Complications

In general, women should not worry too much about snoring during pregnancy. Usually, the women experience pregnancy-rhinitis or nasal swelling in the second trimester. Nasal congestion makes women breathe through the mouth and even snore. In addition, excessive weight gain and extra fat around the neck contributes to snoring.

On the other side, snoring can increase the risk of having a baby small for gestational age, and cesarean delivery. Finally, it can be sleep apnea that can increase the risk of complications such as preeclampsia. So, if you feel that snoring has negatively affected your sleep and it bothers you, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor about it. 

Injuries

Snoring, difficulty to staying asleep, and feeling not well-rested during the day can lead to injuries, and even put at risk the lives of other people. Experiencing constant fatigue caused by sleep deprivation increases your chance of losing consciousness while driving and causing a car accident.

How to Stop Snoring

First I will discuss some diet and lifestyle tips to reduce snoring, and then we will review the latest devices that can help you stop snoring. 

Sleep on Your Side

Sleeping on the back doesn’t allow air to flow easily, try to sleep on the side, it may help reduce snoring.

Elevate the Head of Your Bed

You can also improve the airflow and reduce snoring by raising up the head of your bed by around four inches.

Lose Excess Weight

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

An anti-inflammatory diet can help not only reduce inflammation, heal the gut but get back in shape. If you want to battle snoring, it is crucial to take control of your diet and replace processed and full of artificial sugars foods with healthy choices. Let’s have a closer look at the foods to include and avoid.

Foods to Eliminate

• Processed foods
• Meat and dairy from conventionally-raised animals
• Refined sugars and grains
• Farmed fish
• Vegetable oils such as soybean, canola, cottonseed and safflower
• Excess alcohol

Foods to Consume

• Organic and Non-GMO Foods
• Whole and unprocessed foods
• Protein: Grass-fed, pasture-raised meats
• Omega-3 fatty acids: wild-caught fish (tuna and salmon)
• Antioxidants and phytonutrients: vegetables (kale, spinach, and broccoli) and fruits ( blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cherries)
• Fiber: beans and peases, nuts and seeds
• Healthy fats: olives and olive oil, coconut, avocados

Note: If you have any medical conditions and need assistance in creating an individualized diet plan, I’d be glad to help you with it.

Eliminate Food Sensitivities

If you want to restore your gut and lose weight, it is important to eliminate foods that your body doesn’t tolerate. The most common foods allergens are wheat and gluten. 

The best way to test to detect highly reactive foods that cause gut inflammation, food cravings, and eating disorders is the IgG Food Allergy Test + Candida.

Intermittent Fasting

Consider intermittent fasting to detox your body, boost metabolism and lose the extra kilos you’ve gained. There are several ways to practice intermittent fasting, so you can consult your doctor and choose the one that fits your needs and won’t stress out your body.

Exercise and Move More

A regular workout session is a must to flush out toxins, get rid of unwanted extra kilos and improve muscle tone.

I recommend high-intensity exercises such as squats, push-ups, burpees, and jumps. However, you can choose absolutely different methods and activities:

• Tabata training
• Speed walking
• Hillwalking
• Climbing stairs

• Running
• Cross-country skiing
• Cross-country skiing
• Plyometric exercises

Choose your fat-burning activity, and don’t skip the training. Always remember that you do it not only to stop snoring but also to prevent the sleep deprivation of your partner.

Treat Your Chronic Allergies

Talk to your doctor about what medicine can help you reduce the symptoms of allergy, such as sneezing and blocked nose. An over-the-counter or prescription can help you keep your air passages open and reduce the chance of snoring at night. 

Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives Before Bed

If there is no severe condition or any other significant reason for regular intake of sedatives, talk to your doctor about stopping taking sedatives and relaxants. As for alcohol, it is better to avoid nightcaps. If a little bit of wine seems to be unavoidable due to the special event, make sure to have the last glass at least two hours leading up to your bedtimeStop Smoking

There are various therapies to quit smoking. Talk to your doctor about NRTs.

There are 5 FDA-approved types of NRT:

• Skin patches
• Chewing gum
• Lozenges

• Nasal spray
• Inhaler

You can also consider some alternative methods with your doctor such as smoking deterrents, e-cigarettes, meditation or even hypnosis. Finally, you can increase your chances of smoking cessation with the help of individual counseling or support groups.

Heal Injuries and Fix the Anatomical Abnormalities

The deviated nasal septum can be inborn or can occur as a result of the injury, however, it won’t get fixed on its own, and the surgical procedure is required to improve the airflow and reduce snoring. The surgeon will trim the septum and make it straighter with the help of instruments through your nostrils, without any cuts on the face. In other words, this type of surgery is not dangerous and won’t leave any scars. 

Use a CPAP Machine

A continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP can help treat the obstructive sleep apnea and reduce snoring. By wearing a pressurized air mask over your nose during sleep can help keep your airway open and prevent snoring. 

The Anti-Snoring Devices

Good Morning Snore Solution

Good Morning Snore Solution is FDA cleared and clinically proven mouthpiece. It helps move the tongue forward and keep the airways open, this way reducing the snoring. Also, unlike its alternative – the mandibular advancement device – Good Morning Snore Solution is much more comfortable and doesn’t move the lower jaw and cause such side effects as permanent changes to bite and teeth 

VitalSleep

VitalSleep is an advanced FDA-cleared snoring solution that helps people have a restful sleep. It has several benefits over other devices available on the market: 

• It is available in two sizes: regular for men and small for women
• Due to the Accu-Adjust System®, you can adjust the device for your jaw 
• Self-molded teeth impressions for a comfortable fit

ZQUIET

ZQUIET has been designed for snores, while QuietOn has been designed to protect the sleep of their partners. 

Solution I – For Those Who Snore
ZQuiet’s 2-Size Comfort System comes in  2 uniquely sized mouthpieces. The design of this mouthpiece helps reduce snoring and have a restful sleep. 

Solution II – For Those Who Have a Snoring Partner
QuietOn Snore Canceling Buds are designed to protect your sleep from snoring sounds and other noise. They are comfortable to wear during sleep, so you won’t even notice them.

Additional Devices to Stop Snoring

Smart Nora

Smart Nora is a solution for those that don’t like using mouthpieces and similar devices. You have to put Smart Nora under the pillow and when you start snoring, it will detect the early vibrating sounds and will raise your pillow up, so you’ll stop snoring before your partner wakes up.

Mosaic Weighted Blanket

As far as snoring is usually just a symptom of sleep disorders, Mosaic weighted blanket is another item that will come in handy.  It is not a common blanket that just helps to stay warm, it helps improve the quality of sleep, reduce stress, anxiety and blood pressure, and enhance mental health, and improve symptoms of such diseases like restless leg syndrome.

7 Tips on How to Sleep With a Snorer

• Try to go to sleep before your snoring partner. It is much harder to fall asleep listening to the snoring sounds. However, very often if you fall asleep first, you can sleep tight all night. 

Note: If tomorrow is a big day, consider sleeping in separate beds, there is nothing wrong with that.

• You might be wondering how to make your snoring partner not to sleep on the back, there is a method. Sew a tennis ball into the back of the snorer’s pajamas. When your partner will try to lay on the back, he will feel the tennis ball and will be forced to sleep on the side.

• Elevate the head of your bed by about four inches to prevent the tongue of your partner from falling back and blocking the airways. A device like Smart Nora is a great option to help you and your partner have a restful sleep.

• Use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones to have a peaceful sleep despite possible snoring sounds or other noise that can affect your sleep.

• Give your partner an anti-snoring device. Many of these devices can be bought over the counter or online (I have mentioned some recommended products above). Another option is consulting your dentists and getting a custom device made. It can also be prescribed by the dentist.

Note: There are numerous options such as mandibular advancement devices, tongue stabilizing devices, vestibular shields, nasal plugs and strips, chin straps. Before purchasing any of them, take into consideration their possible side effects.

• Encourage and support your snoring partner in lifestyle changes.  Exercise together, remove from the house all those unhealthy snacks in order to help your partner lose weight.

• Convince your snoring partner to visit a doctor in order to reveal the possible health issues in the early stage and prevent complications and deadly consequences.