Snoring Cures

Is Snoring Keeping You Awake? by Angela Brown

Is Snoring Keeping You Awake?
Me too. You, me and half of the population, are twins.

The National Sleep Foundation confirmed earlier this year, that about 32 percent of American’s snore. And according to the Breathe Right® Snore Report, 54 percent of 1,202 people surveyed, are kept awake at night by snorers.

Did you know that irritability and anxiety stem from lack of sleep? Sure thing, think about the meanest people you know, they are probably hiding the fact that every night when they go to bed, somebody in the house starts snoring and steals their zzz’s.

How can you tell a victim of domestic snoring from a truly mean person? I’ll tell you, they have crooked necks from sleeping in their cars because it is the only quiet place they can find.

Speaking of cars, sleepiness is a major cause of highway accidents. Do you know how many people die each year in sleep related accidents? Well, that’s an article for another time, but my point is that if you don’t get enough sleep each night there is a pretty good chance you will wind up tired, irritable, moody, stressed out or dead.

We are told we need eight hours of sleep a night. In terms of a twenty four hour day, that means we will spend one third of our lives sleeping. In other words, if we live to the ripe old age of 80, we will be sleeping well over 26 years. So here are some simple solutions for you and the snorer in your house to get the most from your 26 years:

Start a daily exercise program. Obesity, aging and loss of general muscle tone are major causes of snoring. Daily exercise will help you lose weight, and regulate your sleep habits.
Establish regular sleep patterns. Dr Nigel Ball and Nick Hough, authors of the book The Sleep Solution and founders of the 21-night Program for Restful Sleep, suggest creating regular sleeping patterns that allow you to wind down naturally without sleeping pills and wake up naturally without an alarm clock or caffeine. The best way to do this is to pick a bedtime and adhere to it dutifully for 21 days. The book tracks your progress through check lists and thirty second daily quizzes.
Avoid alcoholic beverages within 3 hours before bedtime. Alcohol causes congestion of the throat due to the reflux of stomach acid (heartburn); and the effects of smoking. When the lining tissues of the throat become congested they fill with fluids resulting in loss of muscle tone and then the airways collapse. The resonance of the flopping tissues creates the noise we know as snoring.
Stay away from spicy foods and rich deserts within three hours of bedtime. Late night eating contributes to weight gain and taxes your digestive system.
Sleep on your side rather than on your back, especially if overweight since the tummy puts enormous pressure on the diaphragm restricting airflow.
Raise the head of the bed by placing bricks under the feet of the headboard. This elevates the sleeping position reducing pressure on the diaphragm.
Adjust your schedule so you can sleep during times when your snorer is not sleeping.
Try falling asleep before the snoring begins.
Sleep in another room.
Try nasal strips. Like band-aids they are natural and drug free with no side effects they gently open nasal passages to make breathing easier. www.breatheright.com
Lubricate the throat with spray. There are a variety of throat and nasal sprays on the market proven to reduce friction of the flapping tissues in the throat that cause the snoring. You can read reviews and check brands and pricing at www.epinions.com
Try earplugs. You can find a wide selection of earplugs guaranteed to fit your ears and budget at www.earplugstore.com they range in price from $2 - $200 and vary in style from foam, rubber and wax to hearing aid technology with white noise frequency embedded in the earplug itself.
Camouflage the noise with a white-noise machine or a fan. www.Earplugstore.com has these too. White noise machines mask the snoring noises so you can finally get some sleep. In fact, they hide other environmental noises too such as voices from next door, sirens, and neighbors, slamming doors, trains, cars and overhead airplanes.

No need to get frustrated, just get some sleep. Just remember how you feel and behave tomorrow depends on how you sleep tonight. Here’s to your 26 years of rest.

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