Does your partner snore a lot? Or is your snoring causing troubles in your relationship? Whether you are a snorer or you have a partner who snores, you must do something about it to ensure that you can save your relationship – and your health. Snoring can be a source of funny stories but it is a serious matter. If not addressed immediately, it could lead to serious and life-threatening complications, such as obstructive sleep apnea.
Knowing how to deal with snoring is the first step toward making sure that it won’t cause any serious complications to your health or your relationships.
How to Deal with Snoring
Snoring is a serious problem because the partner who has to live with the snoring episodes could be putting their own health at risk. Snoring can make it difficult for some people to fall asleep at night, or go back to sleep when they are awakened by a loud noise. As a result, your partner might wake up tired the next morning and it can affect how they function for the rest of the day.
Without restful sleep at night, their health could suffer. They could also hold resentment towards you or become highly irritable. There are many potential consequences to snoring that should be addressed, aside from the obvious annoyance. But perhaps the biggest reason why you should know how to deal with snoring is the potential risk to the health of the snorer.
Easy Remedies for Snoring
If you are looking for quick ways to stop someone from snoring, you can try a few basic remedies. These remedies will work depending on the extent of the snoring problem and the underlying causes of snoring. Therefore, it is still recommended that you seek the opinion of a sleep specialist so that the reason for snoring can be identified and treated accordingly.
1. Mouth Exercises
Doing mouth exercises is an easy remedy to combat snoring. These exercises are easy to do and you should do them often to help strengthen your throat muscles and avoid them from relaxing while you sleep.
One exercise you can do is to open your mouth and move your jaw to the right. Hold that position for 30 seconds. Repeat the same thing on the other side.
The claim that mouth exercises can help deal with snoring is supported by research. Think of it like any other muscle in your body. If you exercise at the gym regularly, these muscles are going to be toned and strong, not flabby. The same goes for your throat muscles. By exercising them regularly, you can keep the muscles from being floppy and stop causing vibrations while you breathe during sleep.
2. Nasal Strips
The use of a nasal strip is another easy remedy to deal with snoring. It is placed directly on the nose bridge to maximize the space of the nasal passage. Opening up the nasal passage makes it easier to breathe and eliminate (or reduce the noise caused by) snoring.
There are also external nasal dilators that are placed on top of the nostrils. This product helps to reduce airflow resistance when breathing during sleep. If you prefer an internal nasal dilator, these are available and they function in the same way as external models.
3. Sleeping on the Side
You are more likely to snore sleeping on your back than if you were to sleep on your side. Laying on your back forces your tongue to move towards the back of your throat. Your tongue can cause a blockage on the airflow as you breathe.
Therefore, to prevent snoring, it is best if you sleep on your side. If you want to prevent yourself from changing position while you are asleep, be sure to place a pillow on your side to force you to stay on your side throughout the night.
4. Raising Your Head
Elevating your head is one of the most effective ways to combat snoring. Even a few inches of height can significantly reduce snoring as it helps to open up the airways during sleep. There are several products available these days that you can use specifically to prop up your head during sleep. You can buy a specialized pillow or bed riser. Any of these products will help to give extra height for the head during sleep.
5. Stop Taking Sedatives Before Bedtime
If you are taking sedatives, you might want to consult with your doctor about changing the dosage and schedule for the intake. If possible, avoid taking them before bedtime. Taking sedatives before sleep can cause your throat muscles to relax, which makes it prone to snoring.
How to Sleep When Your Partner is Snoring
Getting quality sleep (or sleeping at all) can be a challenge when your partner snores. So, what can you do when you are faced with this situation? Glaring at or elbowing your partner might not be enough to help you sleep at night. However, you can try some of these ideas to make a good night’s sleep possible.
- Distract yourself from the sound of the snoring. You can meditate or listen to white noise. This technique will help drown out the sound of snoring.
- Wear earplugs. This solution is the quickest and one of the most effective. Fortunately, there is no shortage of noise-canceling earplugs in the market nowadays.
- Help your partner sleep on their side. This position will help alleviate the snoring sound, if not stop it altogether.
- Sleep in another room. When the above tips don’t work, a good solution would be to sleep in a separate room just so you can get a good night’s sleep.
- Encourage your partner who’s snoring to get evaluated. Snoring is not a disorder but it could be a symptom of a more serious health problem. Make sure they get the proper treatment they need.
Final Tip
If none of the above tips work for you, the best approach on how to deal with snoring is to seek professional help. These people are the ones who can diagnose the snoring problem and its possible cause. Consulting an expert is the only way you can get the right treatment to combat snoring, and stop it for good.
