There’s no denying that snoring is annoying to deal with, regardless as to whether you’re the one snoring or the one sleeping beside a snorer. But most importantly, it can signify a bigger issue that could be life-threatening. According to studies, approximately 45% of adults snore occasionally, and 25% snore regularly. It’s also estimated that up to 70% of snorers have sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder that can lead to serious health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart problems if left untreated. That’s also not to forget mentioning that it can also take its toll on relationships, causing many couples to sleep separately or in a worse-off situation. The good news is that there are all kinds of effective treatment options available for snoring and sleep apnea, many of which are natural and can be implemented today to start clearing up the passages that are becoming obstructed during the night and causes those thunderous roars. So, whether you’re the snorer in the household or are trying to sleep beside someone who is, we’ve got you covered with all of the information needed to start addressing the issue at the source to eliminate it for good.
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The 101 on Snoring
Snoring is a fairly simple thing to understand: it’s a hoarse or harsh sound that occurs when the airflow is unable to make its way freely through your airways when you breathe. As a result, the airflow becomes constricted, causing those loud, thunderous sounds to come out. However, what may surprise you though is that snoring doesn’t always come from your mouth, although it may seem that way. Instead, there are a variety of different types of snoring and understanding which one you’re dealing with is key to finding the most effective form of treatment.
Now, many cases of snoring are considered benign and harmless. Typically, if your snoring isn’t very loud or frequent, you have nothing to worry about. However, it’s imperative to speak with a healthcare professional to determine if your snoring is a sign of a more serious health condition or potentially life-threatening.
The Different Types of Snoring
Despite snoring being a fairly straightforward thing – loud noises coming out of your mouth when you sleep, it can actually be more complex than that. Not only can it be a sign of a potentially more serious issue but there are also many different types of snoring. These types are based on where in the body the snoring is coming from or rather, where in the body is the airflow becoming constricted and causing you to snore.. For example, there are four types of snoring, which are:
- Nose-based snoring is snoring that comes from the nose due to issues, such as blocked nostrils from a deviated spectrum, a physical obstruction in the nose that is blocking the airway, allergies or a stuffy nose
- Mouth-based snoring is snoring that comes from the mouth and that is caused by enlarged tonsils, blocked nasal passages, weak palatal tissue, or some kind of blockage that it making it difficult for you to breathe through your nose
- Tongue-based snoring is snoring that is caused when the tongue becomes too relaxed, resulting in it blocking the airflow and making it difficult to breathe
- Throat-based snoring is snoring that is caused by the muscles and tissues in the throat becoming too relaxed, resulting in the airflow becoming blocked. that they block the airflow in the throat area
It’s important to mention that throat-based snoring is the loudest type of snoring and is considered to be the most dangerous. It is also this type of snoring that is a strong indicator of sleep apnea, which means that you may stop breathing at night due to the obstruction in airflow.
Is it Snoring or Sleep Apnea?
The main difference between snoring and sleep apnea is that, with sleep apnea, you stop breathing during the night. The only way to be sure as to whether or not you’re dealing with snoring or sleep apnea is to speak with a healthcare provider. Otherwise, it can be difficult to tell, especially on your own, as you can be a loud snorer and not have sleep apnea, and you can also have sleep apnea without any snoring at all. Most importantly, if you do have sleep apnea, the importance and urgency of treatment become more vital. After all, your airways become blocked during the night, causing you to stop breathing. This can continue on for as little as a few seconds or for as long as a couple of minutes, and is often followed by gasping, choking or snorting.
The Effects of Snoring
As mentioned, snoring is typically harmless and nothing more than strange, annoying sounds that keep you and your partner awake throughout the night. However, there are some instances where snoring can be a much more complicated issue. Sometimes, this is a health condition and other times, it’s the toll it takes on your relationship when the two of you aren’t getting the restful sleep you need at night. Most importantly, it can be debilitating and dangerous if left untreated. To give you an idea of the potential effects are of snoring, here is a quick look at some of the most common ones:
- Gasping or choking
- Interrupted breathing (apnea)
- Daytime sleepiness or fatigue
- Chronic headaches
- Relationship problems
- Heart disease
- GERD
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
Long-term snoring also increases the risk of health problems, such as:
- Fatigue
- Decreased blood oxygen levels
- Difficulty concentrating
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Stroke
The potential effects of sleep apnea are different from typical snoring, and are considered to be much more serious, as they pose a higher potential risk to your health. This makes sense considering you’re not breathing at points during the night. Some people can even stop breathing up to 30 times per hour when dealing with sleep apnea. As you can imagine, this can take a significant toll on their health as a result of the lack of oxygen and inability to effectively remove carbon dioxide from the body as you sleep. Some of the potential side effects include those mentioned above, as well as:
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Injuries
- Work-related or driving accidents
Tips for Treating Snoring
As scary as snoring and sleep apnea can be, especially now that you understand the potential risks and side effects, there are many different forms of treatment available, such as sleep guards, nose strips, nasal decongestants and so on and so forth. However, there are just as many tips you can implement to treat snoring and sleep apnea naturally. These tips are also designed to get to the root cause of the problem to heal them for good.
Update Your Sleep Position
Something as simple as changing your sleeping position can make a drastic improvement on your snoring and sleep apnea. Typically, you want to avoid sleeping on your back, as this causes the base of your tongue and palate to fall against the back of your throat, causing an obstruction to your airways.
Instead, you’ll want to aim to sleep on your side. The following tips can help you make this adjustment:
- Use a body pillow to help you sleep on your side
- Recline your bed with the top up and extended to open up your airway passages
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Have you noticed that you snore more or louder when you’ve been drinking? That’s because any type of sedative, such as alcohol, relaxes the muscles in your throat significantly more. So, try to limit the amount of alcohol you drink close to your bedtime or aim to give yourself at least four to five hours to sober up.
Upgrade Your Sleep Hygiene
Your sleep habits have a huge impact on how you sleep and whether or not you are likely to snore or experience sleep apnea. For example, if you typically don’t get enough quality sleep, you are more likely to snore when you do go to bed, as you sleep harder and deeper to try to catch up on that quality REM. This causes your muscles to become significantly more relaxed, which can block the airway passages. Some healthy sleep habits to aim for are:
- Give yourself time to wind down before going to bed
- Get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep each night
- Maintain the same wake-sleep schedule (even on the weekends)
Open Your Nasal Passages
Anything that helps keep your nasal passages open can help prevent snoring and sleep apnea. For example, you may want to opt for some nasal strips or snore guards, take a hot shower before bed, use a saltwater rinse or neti pot to open up your airways.
Upgrade Your Pillows
You’ll be amazed at what upgrading your pillows can do for your sleep quality and for treating your snoring and sleep apnea. There are different pillows that suit different sleep positions, so make sure you grab one that is designed for sleeping on your side. If replacing your pillows isn’t in the budget, throw the ones you do have in an air fluff cycle to remove any dust mites or dander that may be contributing to your snoring.
Snoring shouldn’t be overlooked, as it can be a sign of something far more serious, such as sleep apnea. Speak with a healthcare professional to receive a proper diagnosis and to rule out any potential problems, and implement these healthy, natural tips to start the healing process.
You can also check out our recommendation: The Stop Snoring and Sleep Apnea Program.
