How to Quit Snoring - Preventing Snoring May Be Simpler than You Think

Snorers and their family members--especially their bed partners--are no doubt interested in how to quit snoring. While snoring can be an indicator of grave underlying health problems, most of the time it is no more than a nuisance to the snorer and those trying to sleep nearby. But the severity of that nuisance can range from mildly annoying to utterly and insanely exasperating. And most of the time, stopping snoring or preventing snoring can be accomplished without surgery.

So, then, if better sleep is what you’re after, you might find it among the following stop snoring tips. Try these methods to cure snoring before resorting to surgery.

Try sleeping on your side. Sleeping on your back will allow your tongue to fall back into your throat. When this happens, the airway narrows partially obstructing the flow of air when you breath. And then the vibrations resulting in the night-time noise we call snoring begin. It’s sort of like what happens when stretch and narrow the open mouth of an inflated balloon.

Avoid alcohol near bedtime. You probably shouldn’t drink alcohol (in moderation of course) any less than 4 hours before going to bed. The reason for this is that alcohol depresses your central nervous system, which causes your muscles to relax, sometimes excessively. And this includes the muscles and tissues in your throat. When this happens, the airways narrow, as you breathe vibrations are set, and then you have . . . snoring.

If you happen to be overweight, try losing some weight. Being overweight (and this doesn’t mean you have to be actually obese) is a common cause of snoring. What happens is that when you carry this extra weight, you have more and looser tissues in your throat, which narrow your airways. And because your airways are narrowed, vibrations are more likely to occur when you sleep. And so you snore.

Try using nasal strips. These nasal strips are adhesive strips that you apply crosswise on the lower portion of your nose. The strips are rather stiff and springy, so they tend to hold your nose open slightly more than it would be normally. The idea is that with the area of your nasal passage increased, you won’t have the constricted airway that is a prerequisite for snoring.

If you have any nasal congestion, make sure you treat it. Allergies can cause the tissues in your nose and throat to swell considerably. And this forces you to breathe through your mouth, which is almost always a certain recipe for snoring. It may be, then, that the solution to your snoring problem is as simple as using a decongestant or nasal spray. (But don’t use these products for an extended period without consulting your doctor.)

If you’ve been wondering--because you yourself are a snorer or because you have to sleep with or near a snorer--how to quit snoring, maybe you’ve found the answer in the 5 tips above. If you didn’t, then you need to seek out further information about quitting snoring. Just remember that surgery should be an absolute last resort.