It’s a rare person who hasn’t spent hours lying awake listening to the sound of their partner snoring. Perhaps you’ve been the person doing the snoring yourself. Since everyone wants to get a good night’s sleep, there are lots of so-called snore remedies on the market. But do any of them work?
While some gadgets that claim to stop snoring do little to nothing, depending on the source of the snore, there are plenty of options for getting a quiet night’s sleep. It often depends on what is causing you or your partner to snore throughout the night.
Changing Your Sleeping Positions Works — Sometimes
For plenty of people — and their partners — who are tormented by nightly snores, the quickest, easiest fix is also the most effective treatment. If a person snores while lying on their back, it can be worth it to try rolling them over to their side while they sleep.
If you snore and you regularly sleep flat on your back, try turning over. You can use a body pillow or bunch up a blanket against your back to keep yourself from rolling back over.
The reason why turning over helps some chronic snorers is that when you sleep on your back, the soft palate and your tongue can fall back into your throat. As you sleep, the position of your palate and tongue creates a vibrating sound, which can keep everyone else in the room awake.
While changing your sleep position might help in many cases, if your snoring is a result of sleep apnea, it is likely to keep going, no matter how you sleep.
Weight Loss Sometimes Works, Too
Carrying around extra weight can lead to extra pressure on your airways while you sleep, which can make you snore. But, since people who aren’t overweight snore, too, being overweight isn’t always the cause of snoring. If you noticed that you’ve recently gained weight and recently started snoring, it can be worth it to try losing weight to see if doing so helps.
Cut Out Snoring Triggers
Alcohol can make you snore, even if you don’t normally do so. That’s because alcohol helps the muscles in the back of your mouth relax so that they end up blocking the airway when you try to sleep. If your partner complains about your snoring — but only have you’ve had a few, try giving up on alcohol or at least avoiding it a few hours before you go to bed.
Although alcohol is often one of the main snoring triggers, it’s not the only culprit. Some other medications, notably sedatives, can also relax the muscles so that snoring is more likely.
An Oral Device Can Help
In some cases, snoring is connected to sleep apnea, a condition that actually interferes with your breathing while you sleep. People who have sleep apnea might feel tired even after sleeping for a full seven or eight hours. If snoring is a part of sleep apnea, wearing a device, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine can help reduce the symptoms, including snoring.
In some cases, people without sleep apnea might benefit from wearing a device while they sleep. Over-the-counter nasal strips might help some, but only work on snoring that comes from the nasal passages. Others benefit from a device that moves the jaw forward while they sleep.
Surgery Can be a Last Resort
Surgical treatments are available for snoring but usually aren’t considered until all other remedies and treatments have been tried without success. That’s because surgery often involves changing the size of the tongue or the position of the jaw, both of which are pretty invasive and involve a long recovery period.
If you’re getting frustrated about your snoring or if your partner is keeping you up all night, there is hope. Discussing the various options available with your surgeon can help you choose the treatment that will be most effective for you.
ABOUT DR. RUBINSTEIN
Dr. Rubinstein has nearly sixteen years of experience helping patients who snore in the Hudson Valley. A board-certified facial plastic surgeon and board-certified otolaryngologist, he has extensive knowledge of laser procedures, facial plastic surgery, and nasal and sinus treatments, which allows him to improve aesthetics as well as the functionality of the nose and facial features. Dr. Rubinstein received his board certifications through the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. To learn more about how turbinate reduction can improve your sleep and minimize snoring, schedule an appointment with Dr. Rubinstein at the Hudson Valley Sinus Center by calling 845-562-6673.