Struggling with snoring? Here’s how to prevent it
Falling asleep next to a snoring partner is a difficult task, but have you considered the health implications it may have?
Often, we take sleep for granted because it is a natural behaviour. However, sleep is fundamental to our physical, mental, and social well-being. The lack thereof can cause anything from drowsiness, stress and anxiety to loss of concentration, sleep apnoea and fatigue.
As silly as it may sound for some, snoring can have a negative impact on your quality of sleep and your long-term health but is often something that can be improved or even resolved.
According to Mayo Clinic, snoring can be defined as a harsh sound that occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe. Nearly everyone snores now and then, but for some people it can be a chronic problem. Sometimes it may also indicate a serious health condition. In addition, snoring can be a nuisance to your partner.
It occurs during the third and fourth stages of sleep, when you are at the peak of calmness. This vibration can reach 50 decibels, the noise of a hair dryer, sometimes reaching 100 decibels, the noise of a vacuum cleaner.
The causes of snoring
- Snoring is a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, sleeping with a stuffy nose, or being overweight are some of the issues that cause snoring.
- Smoking tobacco is another cause of inflammation of the airways and preventing air from circulating properly.
- Alcohol, which can promote sleep, alters the good functioning of the blood system and causes micro-awakenings which degrade the quality of sleep.
According to Bianca Leonard, Marketing Manager for air treatment specialists, Solenco, who states that taking sleeping pills contributes to greater relaxation of throat muscles. For women, during menopause, there is a decrease in the production of oestrogen which plays an important role in tone muscle and skin elasticity. The airways then become looser and bulkier, thus increasing the risk of snoring.
Bianca stresses that the serious culprit of snoring is an overheated room, or ambient air that is too dry.
Tips on how to fight snoring according Bianca:
Changing your lifestyle by eating healthy light evening meals, and having plenty of physical activity can reduce snoring. But it is not always that simple as serial snorers often turn to saline sprays or “anti-snoring” sprays, used to lubricate the nose or throat and to facilitate the passage of air.
However, Bianca advises sleeping in the right position can help make a difference.
“The worst position is sleeping on your back, but placing bulging pillows in the middle of the bed to help stay sleeping on your side may do wonders for you or your partner,” says Bianca.
To rectify dry air, and the terrible midnight or morning dry mouth, Bianca recommends investing in a humidifier, which will add moisture to the ambient air, and help prevent snoring.
It has also added benefits of protecting you from chapped lips, dry skin, itchy eyes, nose and throat, and is a great addition to a beauty or skincare regime.
“Look for a two-in-one device that purifies the air and diffuses a pleasant mist,” says Bianca.
Meaco’s Deluxe 202 Humidifier and Air Purifier provides your home with healthy humid air. The water inside the unit that provides moisture is sterilised by an ultraviolet lamp prior to humidification. Moreover, a combined HEPA and charcoal filter ensures that the air is completely sanitised before you breathe it in. “This gentle mist is a valuable aid in remedying snoring and an added built-in aromatic diffuser allows you to infuse your favourite scents and essences for better sleeping, “ says Bianca.
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