According to the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association, 41.5% of the UK adult population snore, much to the frustration of our bed partners. It is caused by your tongue, mouth, throat or airways in your nose vibrating as your breathe and it happens because tese parts of your body relax and narrow as you sleep.
It’s natural and usually not unhealthy, unless you have a condition like sleep apnoea but it can contribute to relationship problems due to sleep disruption.
How to stop snoring
According to the sleep experts at Bed Kingdom, there are four top tips you can use to curb your snoring and ensure that you and your partner get a good sleep each night, without having to spend too much cash.
Tennis ball therapy
A great and cost-saving hack is to tape or sew a tennis ball in the back of your nightwear, as this will help you from sleeping on your back due to the discomfort and move to sleeping on your side. This tip, which the NHS also recommends, is to avoid sleeping on your back because sleeping on your back narrows your airways and causes obstructive breathing, which increases snoring.
Sounds a little bit out there but if the NHS is recommending it, it must be worth a bash?!
Have a hot shower or bath
Another cost-effective tip would be to have a hot shower or bath before bedtime. The hot steam will help to reduce nasal congestion so you can breathe better during the night and assist in easing snoring problems.
Mouth and tongue exercises
Practice exercises that can strengthen your tongue and throat muscles, as it can help improve tongue posture and help with reducing snoring. An example of an exercise is tongue slides, which involve placing the tip of your tongue against the back of your top teeth and sliding your tongue backwards along the roof of your mouth 5-10 times.
Drink more water
Ah, that old chestnut. Going to bed dehydrated can lead to mucus forming in your nose, mouth and throat, which can lead to snoring. Drinking plenty of water can be a fast and cost-efficient way to treat snoring; it is recommended for people to aim to drink 6-8 glasses of fluid during the day.
Worried that your snoring might be a little bit more than just annoying? You might have sleep apnoea
According to the NHS, sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. The most common type is called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Sleep apnoea needs to be treated because it can lead to more serious problems.
Symptoms of sleep apnoea mainly happen while you sleep.
They include:
- breathing stopping and starting
- making gasping, snorting or choking noises
- waking up a lot
- loud snoring
During the day you may also:
- feel very tired
- find it hard to concentrate
- have mood swings
- have a headache when you wake up
Speak to your GP if you think that your snoring may be a cause for concern.