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Snoring & Sleep Problems

Many of us will have experienced someone who snores, even if it is ourselves. And many of us will try and deny that we snore! However, snoring can become an issue if it disturbs either yours or your partner/families sleeping. Due to its noisy nature, it can be quite disturbing to anyone who can hear you. Equally, it can lead to you waking up and suffering from disturbed sleep. When snoring becomes disruptive then you may need to begin to try and solve or ease your snoring.

Causes of Snoring

Snoring is caused by vibrations within your airways. These vibrations normally occur in the tissues in the mouth and nose, e.g. the uvula, tonsils and so forth. They create a noise as they become floppy during sleep, particularly REM sleep and therefore can create a kind of blockage for air. However, sometimes other blockages can occur which also contribute towards snoring, and these are sometimes harder to diagnose and treat as they are more internal. For example, obese people may have fatty tissue blocking other areas, and smokers can have blocked areas in their lungs. Whilst these blockages are not as serious as they may sound should they only result in you snoring, there can be long-term complications. The frequent vibrations of the muscles can damage them so that they collapse and prevent breathing even more. Equally, snoring can be a sign of Sleep Apnoea.

In the majority of cases snoring will sound a lot worse than it actually is, up to 40% of Briton’s will admit that they snore quite regularly but only because someone has told them they do. Whilst there are complications that can arise due to snoring, it is not generally a cause for concern. Additionally, if you are concerned about your snoring there is more or less a solution for everyone. There are simple things that can be done to try and prevent it, and with a differing sleeping pattern, you, or should I say, your partner, will be on the road to a less noisy night of sleep!

Symptoms of Snoring

Whilst there is one blaringly obvious symptom for snorers, there are other features/behaviours that some snorers will have and if you have any of the following then you may need to change your sleeping pattern.

Physical features that can cause snoring:

• If you are overweight you may find that you are more likely to suffer from snoring. A physical feature of this is the fatty deposits around the neck. Equally, obese people may find internal problems that are not as easy to detect, such as fatty tissues building up around the airways causing dangerous blockages.
• If you have abnormally large tonsils, uvula or soft palate, these can also contribute to blocking your airways. Your doctor will be able to examine these areas to see if they are causing your snoring.
• If you have a large build up of any mucus, causing nasal congestion or catarrh then this may also contribute to snoring.
• If you have small nostrils or collapsing nostrils, they could be the area for concern regarding your snoring. 

Lifestyle features that can cause snoring:

• If you are a smoker, you are more likely to notice an increased build up of tissues in the airways, and even catarrh. The smoke you inhale can irritate the lining of your airways and cause them to swell which will constrict your breathing, even if you are only a passive smoker.
• Drinking alcohol before you sleep can worsen snoring as the muscles can become more relaxed and cause more constriction of your airways. Alcohol is also thought to contribute towards obstructive sleep apnoea in those who start out as habitual snorers. This in itself is quite a serious condition.
• If you suffer from an allergy this may increase your chances of snoring due to the mucus build up that the allergy may cause. People who suffer from hay fever may find they are more likely to snore during the summer season.
• Even something as simple as a cold can increase your chances of snoring. The increased chances of getting a blocked nose mean more chance of you breathing through your mouth and thus snoring.
• A lack of exercise can contribute towards snoring due to the allowance of fatty tissues to build up. Even by being overweight by a few kilograms can increase your chances of snoring as any fatty tissue build up will add more pressure to your airway system.

How to Stop Snoring

Reducing your snoring is a lot easier than you may think and adopting a few lifestyle changes may be just what you need. Do not be frustrated should your first attempt not work, there are many different help guides and solutions available and only some of them will be beneficial for you. Below are some simple things you could try, to stop snoring:

• Sleeping on your back is not encouraged when it comes to snoring. This is due to the gravity that can take even further hold on the muscles that are already relaxed and contributing towards your snoring. There are head positioning pillows available that can keep you lying on your side rather than your back. Equally an old, home-made solution is to sew tennis balls in the back of your pyjamas! This will then prevent you from rolling onto your back.
• Try to maintain a healthy exercise routine, this will reduce the chances of fatty deposits building up.
• Avoid alcohol a few hours before you go to bed.
• Do not raise your head with many pillows, try to use as few as possible. If your head is raised by too many pillows then you may find that your airways become restricted.
• Raise the bed head, tilting your body can ease the airways. Be sure to maintain a flat position and do not raise your head with pillows.

Should simple things like this not reduce your snoring, then you could try over-the-counter remedies such as nasal strips, oral sprays and so on. If even these do not work then you should seek medical advice about the variety of treatments available for snoring.

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