Are you a loud snorer? Do you keep waking up at night because of snoring? Snorers are common sleeper types, but excessive snoring can impact your sleep quality. Let’s dive into it!
Why Do I Snore?
If you snore, you’re not alone. According to John Hopkins Medicine, 25% of adults snore regularly, but as many as 45% snore occasionally!
But what causes snoring? Several factors come into play, including but not limited to:
- Anatomy: You’re more likely to snore if your palate is soft and thick because it’s more likely to block your airways.
- Weight: Overweight people may have extra tissue in their throat that blocks their airways and increases their chances of snoring.
- Drinking alcohol: When you consume alcohol, your throat muscles relax. This decreases your body’s ability to defend itself against obstruction to your airways.
- Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes people to stop breathing during several intervals at night. Having sleep apnea can make people feel very tired during the day, even when they’ve had several hours of sleep. It also causes gasping and choking during snoring episodes.
It’s difficult to tell why you’re a snorer without consulting a medical professional. However, if you don’t feel like your snoring is negatively impacting the quality of your sleep (or your partner’s sleep), it may not be an issue.
How To Help With Snoring
You can’t always “cure” snoring completely. But if snoring affects your sleep quality, here are a few things you can try.
- Get a sleep study: If you’re snoring due to a sleeping disorder like sleep apnea, you’ll need to get a sleep study done to get a diagnosis. Once you have a diagnosis, you’ll be able to work with your primary healthcare provider to find the best treatment options for you.
- Find a new sleeping position: Sleeping on your back can increase your chances of snoring. That’s because the back of your tongue collapses against your throat while you’re asleep. If you’re a back sleeper, try using pillows to sleep on your side instead.
- Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime: Drinking alcohol before bed can increase your chances of snoring throughout the night.
- Take a hot shower before bed: Steam from hot showers will help clear your sinuses if you feel clogged up. Alternatively, you can keep a bottle of saltwater rinse on your nightstand in case you wake up with congestion.
- Drink plenty of water: When you stay well hydrated throughout the day, the secretions in your nose will become less sticky. Sticky secretions can make snoring worse!
- Get better sleep and avoid sleep deprivation: You’ll snore more frequently if you’re overtired. Make sure you get plenty of sleep (the recommended amount for adults is 7 to 9 hours per night). One of the ways you can do this is to implement a regular sleeping schedule and bedtime routine to get your body ready for bed.
Need help setting a relaxing bedtime routine? Try the BetterSleep app for free to access guided meditations, soothing sounds, relaxing bedtime stories, and so much more.
