A 7 easy ways to deal with snoring

This sleep habit is a strain on your health and relationships. Here’s how to combat it

fter a tiring day at work, the one thing we desire is a peaceful sleep. However, if you snore, or have a partner who snores all night, you can consider yourself unlucky. Snoring is a major sleep destroyer and puts a huge strain on your health, and is a nuisance in relationships. With the help of experts, check out this list of solutions to help you deal with this problem.

WHAT IS SNORING?

You snore when your body is unable to move air freely through the nose and throat. And this causes the surrounding tissues of the throat and the nose to vibrate. People who snore, tend to have excessive throat and nasal tissues. At times, this happens because the position of the tongue can get in the way of snoring.

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN PREVENT IT

Changing sleeping patterns: Avoid sleeping straight on your back. Sleeping on your back tends to make the base of your tongue and soft palate collapse to the back wall of your throat. This leads to vibrations when you sleep, leading to snoring. Sleeping on either the left or right side, is a safer option. No alcohol, sedatives and

smoking policy: If you snore, then it is strongly advised to not consume alcohol or sedatives, as they tend to reduce the resting tone of the muscles at the back of your throat. If you have a drink or two before sleeping then you will end up snoring more. Sedatives, tend to relax and numb your throat muscles to a point that once you snore, you cannot control it. Smoking leads to chest and nasal congestion, triggering snoring. Maintain hygiene: Always clean your bed sheets, pillow covers and try to ensure that your room is dust free. Allergens are a significant contributor to snoring. Dust mites that accumulate in pillows and bed sheets, cause allergic reactions as well. Humidification: Lack of moisture in your room combined with dry air can aggravate your snoring. There should be ventilation, and the air should be clean. Dry air leads to dryness in your throat and nasal membrane. It can also cause chest congestion. This restricts the air movement in your body and causes vibrations, leading to snoring. Buying a humidifier is recommended for habitual snorers. Hydration: You need to make sure that you never get dehydrated. If you are not consuming adequate water as per your body’s requirement per day, then secretions in your nose and soft palate becomes sticker causing congestion. Lose weight: Obesity is also a major factor. If you are overweight then it’s imperative that you reduce your body weight. This is not to say that thin people don’t snore, they do too. At times one tends to gain weight around the neck. This squeezes the internal diameter around your neck, causing it to collapse during sleeping hours, triggering snoring. Pillow position: Keep the position of your pillow high. This allows you to elevate your head position making it easier to breathe. But don’t keep your pillow too high as it may constrict air passages. Your pillow should not be too fluffy or too flat.

Heavy meals, which are rich in carbohydrates, along with less gap between dinner and sleep time can also aggravate snoring DR SATISH KAUL, SENIOR CONSULTANT, INTERNAL MEDICINE