5 tips to stop snoring and get a better night’s rest

Are you the kind of person who constantly wakes up during the night because you’ve caught yourself snoring?

The condition impacts around 40 per cent of men and 30 per cent of all women, with a total of 15 per cent of all people found to snore most nights.

It’s not only frustrating for the person snoring, but it can impact those around you who are also trying to get a good night’s sleep.

It also has the potential to impact your health. A lack of sleep caused by snoring can lead to sufferer feeling less energised the next day. It’s also a sign of sleep apnea, a condition that can make someone completely stop breathing in their sleep. This has the potential to cause heart attacks, strokes, and increase blood pressure.

Before you can start looking at ways to prevent snoring, it’s important to figure out what causes it in the first place.

According to the Sleep Health Foundation, there are a number of factors that can increase the chance of snoring.

One of the leading factors is obesity, where fat that develops around the neck area can close up your throat and increase the chances of the vibrations that cause snoring.

Allergies are another possibility, blocking the airways and decreasing the chance of air flowing freely in and out of your body.

In other cases, it’s simply in your DNA, with large tongues, nasal polyps and tonsils leading to your body naturally snoring. For others, they’re simply born with a smaller airway.

It’s also been found that certain medications can cause the muscles in your throat to relax, resulting in more vibrations that cause snoring. These can include, but aren’t limited to, sleeping tablets, epilepsy medication and even steroids.

So, how can you prevent snoring? While there are invasive surgeries that can help with the condition, there are also small things you can do that usually have an impact. The best part is they don’t involve forking out lots of cash on pricey medication.

Quit smoking

As well as being harmful to your general health anyway, smoking cigarettes is known to increase the chances of snoring. Every time you inhale, smoke lines the inside of your nose and throat, which can cause irritation and swelling. Because of this, the airways become narrower and the chances of snoring increase.

Lose weight and maintain a healthy diet

As is the case for many health conditions, maintaining a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet can actually help sufferers of snoring. As you shed the kilos, the fat that has surrounded your throat for years gradually burns away, reducing pressure and allowing air to flow freely without vibrations. While it’s no quick-fix, you and your loved ones will start to notice a difference in time.

Sleep on your side

Most people have a position that they prefer to sleep in, but if you like sleeping on your back, you may want to find a new way of catching some z’s. According to the NHS, sleeping on your side prevents your tongue, chin and fat on your chin from blocking your airways. Making the switch should allow for more air to flow through and to reduce the frequencies of vibrations.

Go to bed with a pineapple plant

While we’re not suggesting tucking yourself into bed with a pineapple, having a pineapple plant in the room where you sleep can actually help you get a better night’s sleep.

Read more: Humble pineapple plant may be snoring solution you’ve been looking for

An array of reports suggest that the plant produces more oxygen and improves air quality throughout the night. If you can’t get your hands on one of the plants, other studies have found that eating some pineapple can increase melatonin levels in men, leading to a more controlled night’s sleep.

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption

Booze can make for a particularly bad night when it comes to snoring. While a lot of people drink alcohol to relax themselves, many don’t realise that it can also cause the muscles in their throat to also relax.

Do you have a problem with snoring? How do you manage the condition?