We’ve all experienced snoring at some point or another. Maybe you’ve always had a tendency to do it. Or, maybe your partner has always done it. Maybe you’ve noticed that it happens from time to time, or that you deal with it every night. Maybe it’s not that big of a problem – or maybe it affects you in fairly serious ways.
Snoring can make it hard for us to sleep – regardless of who is doing it. If you’re the one snoring, your partner might wake you up and ask you to roll over. You may have even been asked to move to the couch so that they could get a decent night’s sleep.
Or maybe your partner is the one with the snoring problem. Maybe, try as you might, you just can’t find a way to get as much sleep as you need.
In either case, you need answers. You’re also going to need solutions. Unfortunately, our lives often don’t give us extra time for catching up on sleep – and missing out on what sleep we do get can have very unpleasant results. Driving while you’re sleepy is dangerous, and working through the day so tired that you can barely stay awake isn’t going to do you any favors.
Nowadays, we tend to live such busy lives that sleep has moved more and more toward the back-burner. We burn the candle at both ends, and humans now are getting less and less sleep. Adding snoring to the mix, however, can make for some very unpleasant figures, and some very unhappy Monday mornings.
But what can you do about it?
On this website, you just might find some answers that can help.
What causes it?
So let’s start at the beginning. What causes snoring?
As it turns out, the phenomenon is generally easily explainable. At the most basic level, you snore when the air moving through your throat causes the tissues toward the back of it to vibrate. Of course, this is more likely to occur when you breathe in, and can happen regardless of whether you’re breathing through your throat or your nose.
It can also occur at any stage of sleep.
Information! Source: https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/snoring/
According to Webmd.com, snoring tends to occur more frequently in men and in people who are overweight – and while it’s usually not that serious of an issue (sometimes little more than a nuisance), there are cases where it can seriously interrupt your sleeping patterns (or those of your partner).
A number of issues can increase the odds of you being a snorer. Here are a few factors that might make a difference.
- Obstruction of the airway
If you have a sinus infection, a deviated septum, or allergies, than you might be more susceptible to snoring than other people.
- Being overweight
As it turns out, having bulkier throat tissue or larger tonsils can definitely contribute to your odds of becoming a snorer.
- Having a longer, softer uvula
That dangling bit of tissue in the back of your mouth is called the uvula – and it can actually increase your odds of snoring if it’s longer and/or softer than usual. A palate with similar traits can do the same.
- A misplaced jaw
Tension in the muscles can cause the jaw to sit in ways that will promote snoring. This is why mouthpiece-type devices can sometimes be so effective for opening the airway and curing the problem.
- Sleeping on your back
Sleeping on your back can sometimes cause your tongue to drop to the back of your mouth – which could definitely result in snoring.
Is snoring really dangerous?
Snoring is often little more than a nuisance – but there are occasions when the possibility exists for it to be a more serious problem. According to Wikipedia (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoring), snoring is known to sometimes be a cause of sleep deprivation – not only for the snorer, but for those around him/her. It can also contribute to a number of other lack-of-sleep-related issues, including irritability, an inability to focus during the day, daytime drowsiness, and a lower sex drive.
There has also been a correlation made between loud snoring and the risk of a heart attack or stroke. As it turns out, being a loud snorer seems to indicate that you may be at an increased risk for both of these.
Of course, snoring won’t always amount to such problems. It’s also true that the basic problems related to it seem to be tied to the lack of sleep it causes. Preventing snoring, therefore, promotes a better night’s sleep and better overall health in general.
How many people snore?
Statistics tell us that somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of adults in ‘some demographics’ snore. Snoring tends to be more likely in people who are over the age of 60, indicating that as age increases, so does your susceptibility to snoring.
Latest data collected by statisticbrain.com show the following numbers:
Information! Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoring
According to a paper published in 2009 on Britishsnoring.co.uk by The British Snoring & Sleep Apnea Association, there were approximately 15 million snorers in the UK – 10.5 million men and 4.5 million women. According to this same paper, snoring is considered ‘common’, but not ‘normal’.
Many people simply try to ‘live with it’ – though it’s important to realize that there are a lot of snoring remedies out there on the market today. There’s no need to live with it if you can find a remedy that works for you.
Psychological and social effects of snoring
While snoring does present its share of physical health dangers, there are also a wide range of social, psychological, and relational problems to address as well. For example, those who have partners who are loud snorers might suffer sleep deprivation because of it.
According to that paper (referenced earlier) by The British Snoring & Sleep Apnea Association, bed partners of snorers report that they get somewhere between 3 to 5 hours of sleep per night – which is definitely not a healthy amount. For this reason, some couples have disagreements over the subject, or might even experience frustration toward the snoring partner for their inability to ‘sleep quietly’. A snoring partner may be asked to move to the couch, or may be left alone by the non-snoring partner in the middle of the night.
This could lead to social and/or relational issues. Over one third of couples report disharmony in their relationship due to snoring – which is definitely a big number and one to be taken seriously. In these cases, the snoring partner might feel hurt or rejected because of something that they cannot control, while the other partner may be frustrated because they simply cannot get enough sleep.
It’s also true that most of these couples would prefer to remain sleeping together – but that snoring actually drives a wedge that becomes difficult to deal with.
Can snoring be cured?
The good news is that snoring can definitely be cured – though some methods might work better for some than others. As you browse this website, you’ll learn about a lot of natural snoring remedies that have helped thousands of snorers.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need surgery to solve your snoring problems. You can often resolve the problem at the source with a few simple and inexpensive steps. These steps are generally non-invasive, easy to get used to, and will make a world of difference to both you and your partner.
Don’t ignore your snoring problem
If you’re one of the many who suffer from snoring on a regular basis, don’t ignore the problem! There are simply too many remedies worth trying that are proven, inexpensive, and easy to implement to justify living with something that could seriously jeopardize your sleep quality or that of your partner.
Some people might like to think that snoring is a minor thing, and something that just needs to be accepted and ignored – but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, there are definitely medical conditions that are more dangerous and that require more immediate attention – but snoring has the ability to tamper with your normal sleeping routines.
Sleep deprivation is no joke – and in the long-term, you could find yourself facing some pretty serious medical conditions that might not have happened had it not been for your inability to get enough sleep.
Whether you or your partner is the one with the snoring problem is irrelevant. Don’t just ‘put up with it’ when there are so many effective remedies out there.
