Jayna is a writer, integrative therapist, and entrepreneur residing in San Diego, CA. When she isn't writing or playing with her dogs at the beach, she enjoys helping adults, children, and adolescents. As a therapist she has helped equip her clients with the tools needed to process and manage symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, bereavement, and trauma.
Snoring on occasion is a normal part of life for at least 45% of adults. Snoring can become a bit of a nuisance, however, as 75% of people who snore chronically have a condition called obstructive sleep apnea. In the long-term, this can expose you to health complications such as increased risk of heart disease, and it may even affect your personal life if you share the bed with a partner.
A persistent snoring problem that impacts a person’s life and health can leave a person wondering how to stop snoring permanently. The good news is that there are numerous solutions for reducing and even stopping snoring for good.
In addition to being at a higher risk for heart disease and marital spouts, there are various complications associated with snoring that can have a negative impact on a person’s life overall. Depending on the type of snorer you are, the health complications could, especially if your snoring is caused by sleep apnea.
Long-term sleep apnea sufferers often suffer from high blood pressure, and may even have an enlarged heart with a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. This condition also disrupts a person’s sleep each night, and this can lead to circadian rhythm disruptions, chronic drowsiness and fatigue, and an overall poorer quality of life. Sleep apnea also causes low blood oxygen levels which constricts the blood vessels in the lungs and leads to pulmonary hypertension. It can also cause chronic headaches and obesity.
Snoring is caused by a blockage in the upper airway between the nasal passages and throat while a person is sleeping. When the air is blocked, it causes the tissues surrounding the airway to vibrate and creates the noise we are associate with snoring.
Oftentimes snorers have too much fatty tissue around the nose and throat—making themselves more prone to vibrating. The position of a person’s tongue can also contribute to snoring throughout the night, as it can block the airway. This is especially common for those who sleep on their backs as gravity allows the tongue to fall to the back of the throat.
Snoring has a tendency to become more common with age. Those who are in their middle ages and beyond naturally have narrower throats and less muscle tone—leading to snoring. Men also have narrower air passages and are more prone to snoring. Other physical factors that increase the likelihood of snoring include:
Snoring may also be caused by side-effects from medications, smoking, and alcohol consumption. This isn’t a life sentence, however, as there are lifestyle changes that can be made to help prevent snoring. Oftentimes, exercising and losing weight is all it takes to stop snoring permanently.
All types of snoring are not the same. In fact, there are several different types of snorers. They include tongue snoring, mouth snoring, throat snoring, and nasal snoring.
This type of snoring occurs in spurts and sounds more high-pitch than the average snore. Tongue snoring is usually always caused by sleeping on one’s back. This can be treated by adjusting your sleep position.
There are also mouthpieces that can be used to help keep the tongue in place, as well as a backpack or sleep positioner that will help you to sleep on your side in order to keep the airway open.
Snoring through the mouth sounds like a fluttery or rumbling sound. This is caused by swollen or enlarged tonsils, weak palate tissue, and loose flabby tissue in the throat. It can also be triggered by nasal breathing. This happens only when sleeping with your mouth open.
Mouth snoring can be treated with a mouth guard, chin straps, or nasal dilators that can improve nasal breathing. It may also help to use a neti pot to help keep the nasal passage clear. As a last resort, surgery that tightens the tissue in the throat and soft palate is also an option.
Throat snoring is loud, paired with long periods of silence lasting 20 seconds or more. This type of snoring may occur regardless of a person’s sleep position and may be paired with interruptions in breathing. This type of snoring is usually caused by sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder.
This occurs due to the tissue in the oral cavity relaxing during sleep—sinking into the respiratory tract and blocking the airway. This causes breathing to stop, and then an arousal that sparks muscle tension and opens the airways again. This is typically a repetitive cycle that can have numerous health impacts on sufferers.
A respirator or CPAP-therapy is a great treatment option for sleep apnea as it clears the airways to allow consistent breathing throughout the night. EPAP-therapy is another good option that works by placing two small ventilated plasters over the nostrils to assist with breathing. UAS-therapy is also an option. This is essentially a tongue pacemaker that is implanted under the tongue.
Nasal snoring is consistent and sounds like a grunting, rumbling, or fluttery noise. It can even sound like a kettle whistling. This type of snoring can cause bad breath, dry mouth, and headaches.
Nasal snoring is caused by blockages to the nasal airway that impair breathing through the nose. Common causes are a cold, allergies, and a deviated septum. Nasal snoring can be treated with nasal strips or using a neti pot help keep the nasal airway open and clear out any mucus from allergies or a cold. Nasal snoring is the result of permanent physical restrictions in the nose, and can be treated with surgery to remove the restrictions.
In addition to the treatment methods mentioned above, there are other methods that may help to stop snoring naturally. The method that works best for you will ultimately depend on the type of snorer you are, so be sure to do your due diligence in finding this out before you begin treatment.
Natural anti-snoring remedies include:
Several other options are available for naturally decreasing your snoring habits.
Certain natural oils and herb such as peppermint oil, spearmint, and eucalyptus can help reduce your snoring.These herbs will help keep the airways clear and can help aid with sleep apnea as well. They can be consumed, or used in the essential oil form with aromatherapy. It’s also a good idea to avoid alcohol, or at least to limit the consumption of it in order to stop snoring.
Another natural way to combat snoring is to sing your heart out. If you’re not the greatest singer you can do this in the shower, or in your car with the music turned up. Statistics show that singers have significantly lower risks of snoring since this practice strengthens the soft palate and upper throat muscles.
The Mayo Clinic also recommends 11.5-15.5 cups of water daily to help prevent snoring and keep mucus from forming in the mouth and throat. Taking a warm bath or shower before bed may also help with reducing congestion.
An anti-snoring pillow may be used to help keep the airways open. There are even anti-snoring pajamas that you can buy that help prevent snoring. These pajamas have a tennis ball sewn inside that fits between the shoulder blades. This helps keep sleepers on their sides throughout the night. The same effect can be gained by wearing an inflatable anti-snoring belt.
If snoring is caused by allergies, it’s important to seek treatment for the allergies. You may also want to discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor to determine if anything you are taking is causing the snoring. Your doctor may be able to work with you to help switch your medications or offer additional support to help stop snoring. Surgery may also be necessary for anything physical that is causing the snoring such as enlarged tonsils.
If you’ve tried everything suggested above and are still having issues with snoring, there are more aggressive treatment options available. A surgical treatment called somnoplasty may be a viable solution for persistent snoring that doesn’t respond to other forms of treatment. This is done in-office under local anesthesia. It involves using heat energy to modify the tissues of the tonsils and soft palate. This procedure isn’t recommended for cases of sleep apnea, as there are different surgical procedures available for treating this more severe condition.
The most common surgery available for treating sleep apnea is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). This surgery targets the soft palate by removing excess tissue and repositioning it to allow the airway to become wider. Tonsils may also be removed during this process. This surgery is typically combined with other surgical procedures to help treat moderate to severe cases of sleep apnea. There are numerous surgical procedures available for treating sleep apnea, so if you suffer from this disorder it’s best to speak with your doctor to discuss a comprehensive treatment plan that is best for you.
Snoring is more than a nuisance. When left untreated, snoring may become a serious health hazard. Do what you need to in order to protect your sleep and your health by seeking the appropriate treatment for you.
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