How to Stop Snoring Naturally
Have a routine sleep schedule., Avoid stimulation before bed., Practice breathing techniques before bed., Create an environment conducive to sleep., Keep bedroom air free of irritants., Sleep on your side., Elevate your head slightly., Clear your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Have a routine sleep schedule.
For some people, snoring is the result of a frequently-changing or irregular sleep schedule.
Working very long hours before sleeping, skipping a night's rest, or failing to sleep enough over long periods of time can leave the body extremely fatigued.
When the body does get a chance to sleep, it "crashes"
sleeping especially long and hard.
During this intense sleep, the muscles at the back of the throat relax more than they normally would, which makes snoring more likely.To avoid this state, try to get a full night's sleep starting at about the same time every night.
Though everyone's sleep needs are different, most adults do best with about seven to nine hours of sleep.Children and teens usually require somewhat more.
Wait until bedtime to sleep.
Naps are a great way to recharge your batteries when you have a stable sleep schedule, but they are counter-productive when trying to change sleeping habits.
Do not nap at all during the day so that you can fall asleep at the appropriate time later. -
Step 2: Avoid stimulation before bed.
Use the bed only for sleep and sexual activity.
Do not watch TV or look at your phone.
About an hour before bed, turn off all of your electronics and dim the lights of your phone and computer.
Doctors note that our eyes are sensitive to the bluish light emitted by electronic screens.Avoid stimulants after mid-day.
Depending on the size of your body, the amount you ingest, and your general health, the effects of caffeine can remain active in your body for up to 5 to 10 hours after initial consumption.
Avoid coffee and caffeinated teas and sodas.
Avoid eating within three hours of going to bed.
Avoid alcohol.
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your body.
While this will help you fall asleep, alcohol also slows down your metabolism and interferes with your brain during its sleep cycles.
You're likely to wake up more often if you've consumed alcohol before bed.Avoid heavy exercise one to two hours before bed.
Doctors advise that you avoid a heavy cardio workout a few hours before you plan to go to bed; this can unsettle your circadian rhythm and make your sleep less restful.
That said, light stretching and exercising, such as an evening walk, are probably useful in getting you ready to go sleep., This can help you relax before bed and also set proper and functional breathing in motion even before you hit the hay.
Here are two different exercises to try:
Deep breathing
- Put your hands (palm down) on your stomach, right below the rib cage.
Place the fingers of your hands together.
Take a long, slow deep breath by expanding your belly.
This ensures that you are using your diaphragm to breathe rather than your rib cage.
The diaphragm creates suction that pulls more air into your lungs than can be achieved by expanding the rib cage.
Your fingers should separate as they lie on your belly.
Exhale and then repeat.
Do this whenever you are short of breath or as often as you can.
At first, you may feel a bit dizzy because you are getting more oxygen than you are used to! Humming breath
- As you exhale a breath, make a humming sound.
This helps strengthen the diaphragm.
Do this whenever you are short of breath or as often as you can. , Keep your room dark at night.
Sleep specialists note that our circadian rhythms are influenced by light and darkness.
This means that many people have a hard time falling asleep when it's still light out, which happens in the summer thanks to daylight savings.At night, shut your blinds and curtains.
Turn off bright overhead lights.
Consider getting a black out curtain which keeps any light from shining through.
If it's still too bright or too much light is getting in, consider wearing a sleep mask.
Set the temperature of the room and your body.
Because the body drops in temperature when it falls asleep, you can trick your body into thinking it's time to sleep by simulating a temperature drop.
If it's cold outside, take a hot shower so that when you come out, your body experiences a temperature drop.
If it's hot outside, allow your room to heat up and then turn on the air conditioner.
If you live in a dry climate, you may want to try running a humidifier in your bedroom as you sleep.
Sensitive throats can sometimes be irritated by breathing in the dry air throughout the night.
Turn on white noise.
You can listen to some light music or put a fan on for some background noise. , The membranes of the throat and soft palate, the tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth, can be irritated by breathing in dust, pollen, dander, and other airborne particles — especially if you have allergies to these things.
This irritation can lead to swelling of the throat membranes, narrowing the airway and making snoring more likely.
Luckily, eliminating these irritants is usually a simple matter of keeping the bedroom and the bed itself as clean as possible.
Here are a few pointers:
Wash sheets and pillow cases every week.
If you have pollen allergies, dry them in a dryer and not on the clothesline, or at least inside where there is less pollen.
Replace old pillows every six months.
Vacuum the room and clean surfaces (including ceiling fixtures) regularly.
Keep animals out of the bed. , In adults, snoring usually occurs when the soft palate and upper throat collapse during sleep, restricting airflow to the lungs and causing the characteristic "rattling" noise of snoring with each breath.When you sleep on your back, the positioning of your head and neck make it much easier for the soft palate to collapse on the tongue and upper throat.
To start fighting a bad case of snoring, try sleeping on your side.
This simple change is sometimes enough to drastically improve a bad case of snoring.While sleeping face-down on the stomach can also help with snoring, it's often advised against because it can lead to soreness in the neck and lower back., Sometimes, stopping a bad case of snoring is as easy as buying a bigger pillow.
Propping your head by just a few inches during sleep can reposition your tongue and jaw, opening your airway and making snoring less likely.
Try using more than one pillow, buying a thicker pillow, or simply folding your current pillow over on itself to give your head the extra elevation you need to stay snore-free.Keeping your head raised helps keep the airways open. , If your sinuses are blocked when you go to sleep, your body may rely entirely on mouth-breathing (which is much more likely to cause snoring) while it's asleep.
To prevent this, try to make a habit of clearing your sinuses before sleeping.
One easy way to do this is simply to take a hot shower a few minutes before you get into bed; the hot water and warm, moist, air stimulate your sinuses to open.
Items you may want to use include neti-pots and other liquid nasal-clearing devices, nose strips, and decongestants.Buy a can of sterile salt water solution at your local pharmacy, or make a salt water solution.
Add 1/2 teaspoon to a glass of warm water.
Do not make the solution too strong; it can burn nasal membranes.
Before bed, tilt your head left then right while using the canned solution to deliver the salt water to all areas of your sinuses via the nostrils.
If you use your own solution, you can inhale the solution via a teaspoon closing one nostril, then the other.
Or, use a neti pot which pours the solution in one nostril and out the other.
You should notice your sinus cavities opening and breathing become easier.
The remainder of the solution will filter down your throat, also opening the throat cavity. , Usually, snoring is annoying, but not seriously dangerous.
However, in some cases, snoring can be a sign of a potentially life-threatening condition called sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea, which is much more likely in people who are obese, is a condition in which the airway becomes so obstructed during sleep that the body doesn't receive sufficient air.
When this happens, sleep is frequently interrupted, extreme fatigue occurs, and snoring becomes very pronounced.
Since sleep apnea can greatly increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other serious medical conditions, it's very important to see a doctor if you exhibit the signs of sleep apnea, which are listed below:
Very loud snoring during sleep Waking from sleep with a choking sensation Extreme fatigue even after a full night's rest Restless sleep Headaches in the morning Narcolepsy (falling asleep at inappropriate times) Decreased liveliness, decreased libido, mood changes -
Step 3: Practice breathing techniques before bed.
-
Step 4: Create an environment conducive to sleep.
-
Step 5: Keep bedroom air free of irritants.
-
Step 6: Sleep on your side.
-
Step 7: Elevate your head slightly.
-
Step 8: Clear your nasal passages before bed.
-
Step 9: Be cautious of sleep apnea.
Detailed Guide
For some people, snoring is the result of a frequently-changing or irregular sleep schedule.
Working very long hours before sleeping, skipping a night's rest, or failing to sleep enough over long periods of time can leave the body extremely fatigued.
When the body does get a chance to sleep, it "crashes"
sleeping especially long and hard.
During this intense sleep, the muscles at the back of the throat relax more than they normally would, which makes snoring more likely.To avoid this state, try to get a full night's sleep starting at about the same time every night.
Though everyone's sleep needs are different, most adults do best with about seven to nine hours of sleep.Children and teens usually require somewhat more.
Wait until bedtime to sleep.
Naps are a great way to recharge your batteries when you have a stable sleep schedule, but they are counter-productive when trying to change sleeping habits.
Do not nap at all during the day so that you can fall asleep at the appropriate time later.
Use the bed only for sleep and sexual activity.
Do not watch TV or look at your phone.
About an hour before bed, turn off all of your electronics and dim the lights of your phone and computer.
Doctors note that our eyes are sensitive to the bluish light emitted by electronic screens.Avoid stimulants after mid-day.
Depending on the size of your body, the amount you ingest, and your general health, the effects of caffeine can remain active in your body for up to 5 to 10 hours after initial consumption.
Avoid coffee and caffeinated teas and sodas.
Avoid eating within three hours of going to bed.
Avoid alcohol.
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your body.
While this will help you fall asleep, alcohol also slows down your metabolism and interferes with your brain during its sleep cycles.
You're likely to wake up more often if you've consumed alcohol before bed.Avoid heavy exercise one to two hours before bed.
Doctors advise that you avoid a heavy cardio workout a few hours before you plan to go to bed; this can unsettle your circadian rhythm and make your sleep less restful.
That said, light stretching and exercising, such as an evening walk, are probably useful in getting you ready to go sleep., This can help you relax before bed and also set proper and functional breathing in motion even before you hit the hay.
Here are two different exercises to try:
Deep breathing
- Put your hands (palm down) on your stomach, right below the rib cage.
Place the fingers of your hands together.
Take a long, slow deep breath by expanding your belly.
This ensures that you are using your diaphragm to breathe rather than your rib cage.
The diaphragm creates suction that pulls more air into your lungs than can be achieved by expanding the rib cage.
Your fingers should separate as they lie on your belly.
Exhale and then repeat.
Do this whenever you are short of breath or as often as you can.
At first, you may feel a bit dizzy because you are getting more oxygen than you are used to! Humming breath
- As you exhale a breath, make a humming sound.
This helps strengthen the diaphragm.
Do this whenever you are short of breath or as often as you can. , Keep your room dark at night.
Sleep specialists note that our circadian rhythms are influenced by light and darkness.
This means that many people have a hard time falling asleep when it's still light out, which happens in the summer thanks to daylight savings.At night, shut your blinds and curtains.
Turn off bright overhead lights.
Consider getting a black out curtain which keeps any light from shining through.
If it's still too bright or too much light is getting in, consider wearing a sleep mask.
Set the temperature of the room and your body.
Because the body drops in temperature when it falls asleep, you can trick your body into thinking it's time to sleep by simulating a temperature drop.
If it's cold outside, take a hot shower so that when you come out, your body experiences a temperature drop.
If it's hot outside, allow your room to heat up and then turn on the air conditioner.
If you live in a dry climate, you may want to try running a humidifier in your bedroom as you sleep.
Sensitive throats can sometimes be irritated by breathing in the dry air throughout the night.
Turn on white noise.
You can listen to some light music or put a fan on for some background noise. , The membranes of the throat and soft palate, the tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth, can be irritated by breathing in dust, pollen, dander, and other airborne particles — especially if you have allergies to these things.
This irritation can lead to swelling of the throat membranes, narrowing the airway and making snoring more likely.
Luckily, eliminating these irritants is usually a simple matter of keeping the bedroom and the bed itself as clean as possible.
Here are a few pointers:
Wash sheets and pillow cases every week.
If you have pollen allergies, dry them in a dryer and not on the clothesline, or at least inside where there is less pollen.
Replace old pillows every six months.
Vacuum the room and clean surfaces (including ceiling fixtures) regularly.
Keep animals out of the bed. , In adults, snoring usually occurs when the soft palate and upper throat collapse during sleep, restricting airflow to the lungs and causing the characteristic "rattling" noise of snoring with each breath.When you sleep on your back, the positioning of your head and neck make it much easier for the soft palate to collapse on the tongue and upper throat.
To start fighting a bad case of snoring, try sleeping on your side.
This simple change is sometimes enough to drastically improve a bad case of snoring.While sleeping face-down on the stomach can also help with snoring, it's often advised against because it can lead to soreness in the neck and lower back., Sometimes, stopping a bad case of snoring is as easy as buying a bigger pillow.
Propping your head by just a few inches during sleep can reposition your tongue and jaw, opening your airway and making snoring less likely.
Try using more than one pillow, buying a thicker pillow, or simply folding your current pillow over on itself to give your head the extra elevation you need to stay snore-free.Keeping your head raised helps keep the airways open. , If your sinuses are blocked when you go to sleep, your body may rely entirely on mouth-breathing (which is much more likely to cause snoring) while it's asleep.
To prevent this, try to make a habit of clearing your sinuses before sleeping.
One easy way to do this is simply to take a hot shower a few minutes before you get into bed; the hot water and warm, moist, air stimulate your sinuses to open.
Items you may want to use include neti-pots and other liquid nasal-clearing devices, nose strips, and decongestants.Buy a can of sterile salt water solution at your local pharmacy, or make a salt water solution.
Add 1/2 teaspoon to a glass of warm water.
Do not make the solution too strong; it can burn nasal membranes.
Before bed, tilt your head left then right while using the canned solution to deliver the salt water to all areas of your sinuses via the nostrils.
If you use your own solution, you can inhale the solution via a teaspoon closing one nostril, then the other.
Or, use a neti pot which pours the solution in one nostril and out the other.
You should notice your sinus cavities opening and breathing become easier.
The remainder of the solution will filter down your throat, also opening the throat cavity. , Usually, snoring is annoying, but not seriously dangerous.
However, in some cases, snoring can be a sign of a potentially life-threatening condition called sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea, which is much more likely in people who are obese, is a condition in which the airway becomes so obstructed during sleep that the body doesn't receive sufficient air.
When this happens, sleep is frequently interrupted, extreme fatigue occurs, and snoring becomes very pronounced.
Since sleep apnea can greatly increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other serious medical conditions, it's very important to see a doctor if you exhibit the signs of sleep apnea, which are listed below:
Very loud snoring during sleep Waking from sleep with a choking sensation Extreme fatigue even after a full night's rest Restless sleep Headaches in the morning Narcolepsy (falling asleep at inappropriate times) Decreased liveliness, decreased libido, mood changes
About the Author
Jessica Parker
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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