How to Stop Snoring

Do You Snore Like a Garbage Truck? Here’s How to Stop

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If your spouse frequently kicks you out of bed at night because your snoring is keeping them awake, you’re not alone (author’s note: I’ve been there). Ordinary snoring occurs in 44 percent of men and 28 percent of women between 30 and 60 years of age, according to Dr. Evelyn Darius, MD, of PlushCare.

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Aside from interrupting your sleep and marital bliss, snoring can be caused by and create significant health issues. We spoke to Darius and Dr. Linda Anegawa of PlushCare, to get their insight on the causes of snoring and the solutions that can help put an end to snoring.

What Is Snoring?

Darius explains that snoring is caused by an obstruction in your breathing when you sleep. She describes it as “a rough sound produced during sleep as air moves through the throat causing a vibration of the soft tissue structures in the upper airways.”

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What Causes Snoring?

Anything that narrows the airway and obstructs the flow of air in the airway can cause snoring, Darius says.

Common causes of snoring are:

• Sleep Disorders
• Being Overweight
• Nasal Congestion
• Abnormalities in Nasal or Facial Structures
• Enlarged Tonsils
• Enlarged Adenoids
• Deviated Septum
• Thyroid Disorders

Darius also explains that a larger soft palate or tongue can also cause snoring. “This is more common in people who are overweight” she adds, “as the excess weight can cause more redundant tissue in the throat further obstructing the flow of air as they attempt to breath when sleeping.”

The way you sleep and the amount of sleep you get can also cause snoring, according to Darius. For example, lying flat on your back can have a narrowing effect of gravity on the throat.

Certain drugs, such as sedatives, or drinking alcohol can also cause snoring. This is because your throat muscles relax, which “causes more redundant tissue and increases resistance as air passes through the throat.”

Snoring also increases the older you get “due to less overall muscle tone in general, including the upper airway,” says Anegawa.

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How to Tell if You Are a Snorer

If you snore, there is a good chance you already know it. Your spouse or sibling or child or roommate is sure to let you know about it, most likely in the middle of the night when you are keeping them awake. But if you live alone, or with someone who is hard of hearing or a deep sleeper, there are other ways to tell if you are snoring.

Anegawa advises that if you are getting a lot of sleep but still feel fatigued during the day, you are likely being woken up intermittently throughout the night due to your snoring. Other clues include frequent sore/dry throat (especially in the morning), chronic allergies, or sinusitis, and/or neck size over 17 inches in men.

According to Darius, some additional signs that you may be a snorer include:

• Falling Asleep Easily
• Lack of Concentration
• Morning Headaches
• Weight Gain
• Mood Changes
• Frequent Urination at Night
• Restless Sleep
• Gasping for Air During Sleep
• Breath Holding Episodes During Sleep
• High Blood Pressure

Darius also lists behavioral issues, poor attention and bedwetting as some common signs of snoring in children.

Different Types of Snoring

All snoring may sound similar, but not all snoring is equal.

Primary snoring, according to Darius, is snoring that is not associated with breathing disorders, frequent awakenings, a decrease in oxygen saturation, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Snoring associated with sleep-related breathing disorders are categorized based on the obstruction causing the snoring, or more specifically where and how the obstruction occurs. “Snoring is a pivotal symptom associated with narrow airways, resistant airways and easily collapsible oropharynx (throat tissue),” she clarifies. “These disorders vary in the extent to which the airway is obstructed, and the location of the blockage.”

• Mild Obstruction: Darius says you may not experience any symptoms of sleep disruption with a mild obstruction.
• Increased Obstruction: “As the level of obstruction and resistance in the airway increases,” she explains, “the respiratory system increases its compensatory effort to maximize oxygenation, which may present as transient moments of arousal during sleep.”
• Severe obstruction: In this situation, Darius says, the snorer is dealing with episodes of shallow or stopped breathing. Snorers who land in this category could be dealing with sleep apnea. It could also cause a temporary decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood.

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Identifying Serious Snoring Problems

“Snoring becomes problematic when it is symptomatic upon awakening and associated with episodes of apnea (stop breathing) and hypopnea (shallow breathing),” Darius says.

The prevalence of these systems is indicative of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common sleep-related breathing disorder in adults. “Although the prevalence is poorly documented, it is estimated that roughly 80 percent of OSA sufferers have a problem with snoring.” Additional symptoms of OSA include high blood pressure, acid reflux, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and depression.

Anegawa says other possible causes of disruptive snoring include:

• Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome
• Nasal Polyps
• Tonsillar Hypertrophy (Enlargement)
• Deviation of the Nasal Septum

Determining what category of snoring you fall into begins with a physical exam, during which your doctor will discuss your sleeping and snoring patterns, look for signs of OSA, measure your weight and body mass index, check if your neck is wider than average, and inspect your nose and mouth for obstructions.

If you exhibit signs of OSA or another issue, your doctor will likely administer a sleep test, “which will include measuring changes in airflow, respiratory rate, oxygenation, body position, and heart rhythm while asleep,” says Darius. “Some sleep studies may measure limb movement using sensors, snoring intensity, sleep continuity and sleep stages.”

How to Stop Storing

There are some general approaches to stop snoring, but Darius notes that if there is evidence of a treatable issue such as nasal congestion or enlarged tonsils, then that underlying cause has to be addressed.

General approaches are non-invasive and are a good jumping-off point in your effort to stop snoring. These include:

• Weight Loss: Shedding extra weight often produces significant results. “Even a 10 percent reduction in body weight can result in a reduction in snoring frequency,” Anegawa affirms.
• Cut Back on the Booze Near Bedtime: As stated earlier, alcohol can relax the throat muscles and result in snoring. Eliminating or minimizing alcohol consumption particularly before bed (Darius says within 3 hours of bedtime) often reduces snoring episodes.
• Change your Sleep Position: “Sleeping on the side will reduce the effect of gravity on collapsed airways,” Darius explains.

Sleep Aids to Stop Snoring

If the general approaches to stop snoring don’t do the trick, there are some snoring aids that you can purchase online, at your local pharmacy or receive through a prescription from your doctor.

(Note: Recommendations are based on Amazon customer reviews and not from the experts)

Nasal Decongestant or Steroid Nasal Spray

These can be helpful if you are dealing with nasal congestion. According to Anegawa, “These can help shrink the swelling of the nasal passages resulting in better airflow and less resistance which causes vibration.”

Afrin No Drip Severe Congestion Pump Nasal Mist $14.32 for two-pack at Amazon.com

Flonase Nasal Spray for Allergy Relief $19.10 at Amazon.com

Nasal Dilators

These can be worn internally or externally to help improve airflow.

Venyn Nose Vents $21.95 at Amazon.com

Breathe Right Nasal Strips $16.67 at Amazon.com

Oral Appliances

These devices look similar to mouthguards and increase the size of the upper airway, says Anegawa. There are two types: mandibular advancement splints and tongue-retaining devices, Darius adds.

Neomen Snore Stopper Sleep Aid Device $21.98 at Amazon.com

Reazeal Anti Snoring Tongue Sleeve $17.99 at Amazon.com

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Device

A CPAP device supplies air at a specified pressure through a small mask that you wear to improve airflow. “This is the standard medical therapy with the highest level of evidence for effectiveness in treatment of OSA,” Darius states. A prescription from a doctor is required for a CPAP device.

What if Nothing Stops the Snoring?

If you have tried the general approaches and worked through all the sleep aids at the pharmacy to end your snoring, surgery can be considered as a last resort. Surgeons can remove excess tissue that may be causing an obstruction or use lasers or a high-energy microwave device to reshape the tissue, explains Darius. However, she warns that there are limitations on the effectiveness of surgery hence the least invasive approach is usually recommended.

“Some procedures have been shown to decrease snoring but have not been shown to be as effective for treatment of OSA,” says Darius. “These include soft palate injections (resulting in stiffening of the soft palate which leads to less obstruction), radiofrequency ablation, and palatal implants.” Anegawa concurs, noting that in many cases snoring frequency returns about two years after surgery.

Hopefully, the simpler solutions solve your snoring issues, so you don’t have to repeat the cycle every couple of years.

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