Snoring is not only annoying for your roommates, but can also have health consequences. Here you can find out more about the causes and consequences and methods to combat snoring.
Often you don’t even notice that you’re snoring. The distinctive noise not only disturbs other people, but can also have health reasons. We explain to you where snoring comes from, how it affects you and what you can do about it.
Snoring: origins and causes
Snoring is a common nocturnal phenomenon that can affect those affected and their families alike. According to the Pharmacy Review, the reason for the sleeping noises is your throat muscles, which relax completely when you sleep.
This can cause your tongue to fall so that it blocks your airway. The soft palate and uvula can also descend from above, making it difficult for you to breathe. The obstructed airflow then manifests itself in snoring noises.
Snoring is particularly common when you sleep on your back. According to the Pharmacy Review, other factors that promote snoring are:
- Infections of the upper respiratory tract (e.g. with colds)
- alcohol
- Smoke
- Medication (e.g. sleeping pills)
- Overweight
- Allergies
Snoring: health consequences
Snoring is not only stressful for people who sleep in the same room, but can also have serious health consequences. Snoring can develop into sleep apnea or can already be a symptom of apnea.
With sleep apnea, in addition to snoring, breathing stops. It is particularly common in overweight men and is characterized by loud and jerky snoring. According to the Pharmacy Review, other symptoms that can occur with sleep apnea are:
- Feeling of pressure in the head
- dry mouth
- heartburn
- Night sweats
- High blood pressure
- Cardiac arrhythmias
Since those affected wake up more often at night due to the pauses in breathing, they often suffer from a chronic sleep deficit, constantly feel tired and weak, and have a much harder time concentrating during the day.
According to the Pharmacy Review, heavy snoring can also increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is because the blood vessels can be damaged by the obstructed airflow. If you suffer from particularly severe snoring, it is better to have the exact causes clarified by a doctor – for example in a sleep laboratory.
Here’s how you can combat snoring through the right lifestyle
To reduce your snoring at night, you should first research the possible causes and minimize these factors as much as possible. In terms of lifestyle, according to the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), this specifically means:
- Avoid alcohol and cigarette consumption.
- Sedative medications (such as antidepressants and sleeping pills) also promote snoring. However, always stop taking them only after a doctor’s recommendation.
- Avoid heavy meals in the evening. If the stomach and intestines are very full, the lungs push upwards and the airflow is more easily blocked. So make sure you eat healthy food in the evening that isn’t too heavy or stays on your stomach for a long time. You can find ideas and recipes in this article: Healthy dinner: These dishes are ideal.
- If you are overweight, you may be able to reduce snoring by losing weight. However, avoid crash and zero diets, instead rely on a healthy and long-term weight loss strategy. We’ll show you tips and tricks here: Lose weight effectively: This is how it works healthily and sustainably.
- Also pay attention to good sleep hygiene and a consistent sleep rhythm.
Avoid snoring: lie correctly
You can also combat snoring by choosing the right position when sleeping:
- Avoid sleeping on your back. For example, if you sleep on your side, you can place a long, sturdy pillow on your back. A real secret trick for back sleepers is a small ball that you sew into the back of your pajama top. This is how you keep waking up when you land on your back at night.
- If you still want to sleep on your back, you can pad the upper part of your bed with a few pillows so that your upper body is slightly elevated. But be careful not to lie too high, because if your head falls towards your chest at night, a blockage in the respiratory tract can also occur.
- Make sure that your bedroom is as clean as possible and, above all, free of heavy dust deposits. Particularly for allergy sufferers, dust can irritate the respiratory tract and promote snoring.
Against snoring: Further methods and aids
If the general measures don’t work, there are other methods you can use to reduce snoring, according to the TK:
- If the reason is, for example, the position of your jaw, dental splints can solve the problem. These are individually adjusted by dentists and orthodontists.
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Sleep vests can help you stay on your side while sleeping and not roll over onto your back.
- If snoring is caused by restricted nasal breathing, nasal dilators are intended to make breathing easier. For allergy sufferers, decongestant nasal sprays can also have a supportive effect.
- If you have sleep apnea, breathing masks with positive pressure ventilation and flexible tubes can also help keep the airways clear.
- In some cases, only surgery can help to correct anatomical problems in the respiratory tract. This can be, for example, removing the polyps, tightening the soft palate or straightening the nasal septum.
In any case, it is best to consult an ENT doctor regarding the diagnosis and further treatment of snoring.
Edited by Laura Hintereder
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- Sleep disorders: tips for a more peaceful sleep
- The best sleeping position: This is how you find it
- Sleeping naked: healthy or unhygienic?
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