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If you keep your partner awake with your loud snoring, you are in good company; about 40% of men snore. As annoying and tiring as snoring is, there are more sinister health risks. Loud snorers are much more likely to suffer heart disease and strokes than non-snorers, or even quiet snorers. On a daily basis, snorers (and their bed partners) often get poor quality sleep due to low oxygen intake, and this can make them sleepy during the day, potentially affecting driving and other activities that require concentration.
In order to help you stop snoring, you will want to work out if the snoring is due to nasal congestion, or coming from your throat. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell. Snoring is caused when the soft palate, back of the tongue and throat muscles relax during deep sleep, causing obstruction in the upper airways. Throat tissues may vibrate or flap as air passes over them, causing the noise.
Here are five ways you can reduce his snoring:
1. Sleep on your side. Some snorers only snore on their backs, when throat tissues relax back into the throat, or if the chin rests on the chest.
2. Lose 10% of your body weight. Snoring is much more common in overweight men, so try to lose a bit. Even a 10% reduction can reduce neck fat enough to dramatically quieten snoring, and improve health.
3. Avoid alcohol before bed. If you like a drink or two in the hours before bed, try stopping as an experiment. Alcohol relaxes muscles and may contribute to airway obstruction during sleep.
4. Treat nasal congestion. Allergies and respiratory problems can cause snoring. A decongestant or saline spray may help. Try nasal strips. Nasal strips are applied to the outside of the nose and help to keep the nostrils open. If snoring is coming from the nose, these can help a great deal.
5. Elevate your head. Try sleeping with a wedge under the mattress to raise your head and make breathing easier. Another method is to prop yourself up with pillows, but be sure you support your shoulders, because if your chin drops onto your chest, this can make snoring worse.
It is a good idea to get a health check-up from your doctor. Snoring can be related to a more serious condition - obstructive sleep apnea - and this should be ruled out.
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