How to get rid of snoring in adults at home

Snoring is very annoying to those around you. We may not realize it, but our snoring can disrupt the sleep quality of a loved one, children, friends, and lead to fatigue and irritability. But, most importantly, it can be a sign of poor health and dangerous to the snorer himself.

According to statistics from the National Sleep Foundation (USA), every third man and every fourth woman snores at night. Snoring can be caused by several reasons and being overweight is one of the leading ones. If it’s light snoring that happens occasionally, it’s not a big problem. But snoring in combination with prolonged cessation of breathing (up to 10-20 seconds or more) is mainly associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and requires immediate medical attention.

Sleep apnea is another condition that leads to snoring. This is a serious sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and begins with a convulsive breath with noise. If a person snores and feels tired even after a good night’s sleep, they may have sleep apnea. According to experts, more than 100 million people worldwide suffer from sleep apnea. Of these, more than 80% of people do not know about their diagnosis and do not receive treatment.

Snoring occurs when the muscles in the throat relax, begin to vibrate, and the flow of air through the nasopharynx is interrupted, causing loud noises.

Snoring can occur if there are diseases of the mouth, nose or throat, insomnia (insomnia). It can also be caused by drinking too much alcohol before bed or when the person sleeps on their back.

So what should you do to get rid of snoring?

Lose weight

Overweight people snore more often. Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone, especially in the throat area, cause vibration and loud noises. So here’s another reason for you to lose weight and then maintain a healthy weight.

Don’t drink alcohol before bed

Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, causing snoring. Drinking should be finished at least 2 hours before bedtime.

Quit smoking

Cigarette smoke irritates the airways, making snoring worse.

Sleep on your side or your back

When we sleep, lying on our back, the base of the tongue and the soft palate are pressed against the back of the throat, sinking. Snoring occurs. Sleeping on your side or stomach can help stop or reduce snoring.

Eat onions, garlic and horseradish

Not the fact that you will be like Sophia Loren, but snoring will decrease. These spicy vegetables prevent the nose from drying out and reduce nasal congestion, which is also often the cause of snoring. In addition, there are studies showing that these products reduce swelling of the tonsils and prevent sleep apnea.

All you need is to chew garlic, onion or horseradish before going to bed. Or add them to dinner.

Chew pineapples, oranges and bananas

It is possible without fritillaries. The fact is that when a person sleeps as qualitatively and fully as possible, snoring will definitely decrease. Melatonin is responsible for sleep. And it is these fruits that are rich in them – pineapples, oranges and bananas. So eat them more often.

Avoid harmful foods

Products that contain a large amount of food chemicals – sausage, sausages, drinks with dyes, preservatives, cause throat irritation and, as a result, snoring.

Add extra virgin olive oil to your diet

If you eat this oil before bed (in a salad or just drink a tablespoon), it will soften the airways and prevent muscles from blocking the throat during sleep. Therefore, there will be no snoring.

Brew tea with ginger and honey

Ginger has, in addition to being antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it also increases the secretion of saliva. This in turn leads to a reduction in snoring.

Drink ginger tea with honey twice a day.

Replace animal milk with soy

You may be surprised, but dairy products can also cause snoring – they increase phlegm production. And besides, some cow’s milk proteins can cause allergies, resulting in stuffy nose and snoring intensifies.

Replace animal milk with soy or other plant based milk.

Drink more water

Dehydration causes the formation of mucus in the nasopharynx, which is one of the causes of snoring.

Men are advised to drink 3 liters of water and women 2,7 liters per day to stop snoring.

Avoid sedatives and sleeping pills

Sedatives and sleeping pills cause a person to fall asleep very soundly by overly relaxing the tissues in the throat and causing snoring.

Sleep with your head held high

Even if it is not possible to go through life with your head held high, God himself ordered those suffering from snoring to sleep in such a position. The head should be raised 30 – 45 ° compared to how you usually sleep. You can just add extra pillows. Or use special orthopedic pillows. Or raise the head of the bed.

When the head is elevated in sleep, the airways open and snoring decreases.

Popular questions and answers

Answered typical questions about snoring otorhinolaryngologist, phoniatrist Tatyana Odarenko.