Has your snoring started interfering with your sleep? Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, which can lead to fatigue, illness, headaches, and more. Here are our top 10 ways to help you stop snoring.
1 | Sleep on Your Side
This might seem too simple to be true, but true it is. Sometimes all a snorer needs to do is roll to their side to get a better night’s rest.
Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue to fall back and block your airways. This will create vibrations and snoring. Sleeping on your side has been proven to help many snorers stop snoring and start sleeping better.
2 | Elevate Your Head
By raising the head of your bed a few inches, you can reduce snoring by keeping your airways open. It’s the same science as sleeping with your head elevated when you have a chest cold. Keeping your head elevated will help to keep your nasal and throat passages open.
3 | Improve Your Habits
By changing just a few habits, you can breathe better at night. Some habits to change can include:
- Staying hydrated.
- Avoiding sedatives.
- Increasing your amount of exercise.
- Not drinking alcohol before sleeping.
4 | Take Care of Your Allergies
If you have allergies, you might want to start thinking about taking a quality decongestant or investing in an air purifier. Most allergies will result in snoring. Allergy medications have been known to decrease mucus in the sinuses and improve your breathing.
This will help to keep your airways clear when you are sleeping and decrease the possibility of snoring.
5 | Lose a Few Pounds
Experts will recommend losing weight as one of the first treatments for snoring. When you have an excess of fatty tissues in your throat area, it can cause an obstruction of airflow when you are sleeping. Dropping a few pounds can help to reduce that extra fat in your throat and reduce your snoring.
Make sure to coordinate with your doctor to choose the right diet and exercise program for your goals.
6 | Check Out Your Nose
Sometimes, the anatomical structure of your nose needs to be checked out. Some people are born with or experience an injury that results in a deviated septum.
A deviated septum is when the wall that separates both sides of the nose is misaligned. This restricts the airflow in your nose and can cause snoring.
7 | Get a Nasal Dilator
A nasal dilator, like a nasal strip, helps to keep the nasal passages open and increases airflow throughout your nose while you sleep. This will help improve your snoring unless you are dealing with obstructive sleep apnea, which deals with a deeper obstruction to your airways.
Both internal and external dilators will help to reduce snoring. However, internal dilators have been proven to be more effective for most snorers.
8 | Invest in Invisalign® Orthodontics
When your tongue can’t lay flat in your mouth, it will fall backward and block your airway. Invisalign treatments can help to straighten and widen your smile. That way, your tongue has plenty of room to lay flat and keep you from snoring.
9 | Quit Smoking
Although snoring is one of the more minor problems smoking will cause, it will definitely increase your snoring. Additionally, if you have small children, smoking in the house will increase their chances of snoring as well.
10 | Invest in a CPAP Machine
There are many machines such as a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) that help to keep your airways open while you sleep. They have a continuous flow of air that soothes snoring and prevents sleep apnea episodes.
How Can East Village Dental Help?
Some of the tips above are simple, and some are difficult or costly. At East Village Dental, we offer night guards that are a great way to keep your airway open and reduce your snoring while you’re sleeping.
Advantages of a night guard:
- Small and compact—travel size!
- Comfortable to wear all night long.
- More affordable than some other options.
When To See a Dentist
At East Village Dental, we want to help make sure you’re getting good sleep. If you have tried many of the items on this list and are still struggling with snoring, come in and talk to one of our dentists.
Schedule an appointment with us today!