Snoring is a problem for over 40% of all adults. While men tend to snore more often than women, women can and do snore, too. While being overweight is often pinned as being the main cause of snoring, there are lots of reasons people snore that have nothing to do with their weight.
The choices we make and the behaviors to which we've become accustomed can also cause you to snore. If you identify those choices and behaviors and change them, you may be able to stop your snoring naturally.
Lifestyle choices that contribute to snoring:
Sleeping habits:
Several factors about when and how you sleep can cause you to snore. Sleeping on your back can cause you to snore more than sleeping on your side. If you always sleep on your back and have a problem with snoring, find a pillow that will make you sleep on your side or stuff a pillow behind your back to keep you on your side throughout the night.
Not following a regular nighttime routine can also hamper your snoring. If you don't go to bed at the same time each night and allow for proper rest, your over-tired body might be causing you to snore. Over-worked muscles become too taxed and gravity can pull your tongue or your soft palate down into your airway and block your regular flow of oxygen. Try to follow a regular pattern - relax before bedtime, go to bed at the same time each night, keep your room dark, keep noise and distractions out of the bedroom, don't watch TV in bed, and make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable and conducive to a good night's sleep.
Foods you eat:
Foods that coat your throat - like ice cream - can narrow your airway passage by enough to make you snore at night. Brushing your teeth only gets the residue around your teeth and tongue, but not the thickness you feel in your throat. Avoid those foods before bedtime and make sure you drink plenty of water or a cup of hot tea to clear out your throat.
Liquids you drink:
Any liquids that cause muscle relaxation (alcohol) or that coat your throat (soda or pop) can cause problems with snoring because relaxed muscles tend to fall into your airway while you sleep and a throat coated with sugary drinks thins your airway passage. Try to avoid these liquids at least several hours before you go to sleep.
Smoking:
Smokers often have trouble with snoring. Smoking can cause chest and nasal congestion as well as coughing. When you breath and your airflow has to fight all of that congestion, it causes you to snore. Just one more healthy reason to quit (although, I'm not preaching - I've "been there, done that" and quitting is so much easier said than done!)
Body weight:
Yes, darn it, being overweight can make you snore. The extra skin and fat around your neck puts more pressure on your airway when you lay down and this makes your airflow extra noisy as it works its way through a tighter passageway. Just put your chin down towards your chest and you can feel that extra skin bulking up. In fact, you might even be able to feel it pushing on the back of your tongue when you make this movement even sitting upright. Losing weight can help make your snoring go away.
Can changing your lifestyle be the only stop snoring solution you need? It really depends.
I mentioned these are lifestyle "choices" and I realize the being overweight or sleeping on your back aren't necessarily conscious choices one makes. They are, however, behaviors and lifestyle habits that have developed over time. They can all be changed - some more easily than others. It comes down to making a decision to make a change and whether or not the stop snoring solution is important enough to you to put some effort into the change.
Some of these also can't be changed overnight. You might need to use a stop snoring solution that involves a physical product to help you stop while you work your way through making any necessary lifestyle changes. Perhaps it will be easier for you to consider wearing a chin strap to bed or using a special pillow if you know that the change is only temporary until such time as you have lost weight or have stopped smoking. Consider making a long-term plan to get healthier and end your snoring.
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