Sleep Insomnia » Snoring

What are the Reasons for Snoring in Women?

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:57:07 +0000

Snoring is considered to be a serious health issue as it affects sleep quality and oxygen levels. It has been known to commonly affect men. But studies have recently showed that a number of women have been doing snoring too, and even heavy snoring. Women who snore, especially those who are pregnant may pose a significant health risk to themselves and the unborn child. The oxygen deprivation during snoring may affect the normal growth of the fetus. The stressful and unhealthy lifestyle today also contributes to why many women are snoring.

There are a variety of reasons for snoring in women. But whatever reason it is, snoring surely happens if the substance or habit causes the throat muscles to relax or cause airway blockage while sleeping. Here is a list of the causes of snoring:

Obesity: Being overweight or obese can lead increase of fat surrounding the throat and this may decrease muscle tone that is needed to keep the airway open during sleep. The excess fat can narrow the passageway for airflow, thereby preventing air flowing in and out freely.

Inactive Lifestyle: Lack of activity such as exercise can decrease muscle tone and that includes your muscles along your passage airway which will eventually relax and reduce normal breathing.

Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol is known to a depressant and as it flows into your bloodstream, it slows down the body’s responses. This relaxes the muscles which in turn can cause the throat to collapse more easily and could lead to snoring.

Smoking: Cigarette smoking can irritate and cause inflammation and swelling on your nasal cavity and throat which in turn can cause narrowing of the air passage. The frequent you smoke, the more you would snore every night.

Sleeping Position: Some sleeping positions can lead to snoring such as sleeping on your back which can cause your tongue, chin and some fatty tissue on your chin to relax back and block your airway.

Medical Conditions: Some medical reasons for snoring include respiratory conditions due to allergies (e.g. asthma) and tonsillitis. These cases causes inflammation and swelling of body parts near the throat causing the airway to become clog, hence, leading to snoring.

The reasons for snoring mentioned above are just a few examples women need to be aware of. In today’s society, women are also becoming part of the working individuals; juggling a job, being a full-time parent and housework. That stressful lifestyle can be very unhealthy and if you don’t do anything about it, then the serious issue of snoring that can harm your health will always remain.

Snore No More with the Snore Reduction Pillow

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:04:01 +0000

Are you keeping your bed partner up all night because of your loud snoring? Or are you the one who kept on nudging your partner to be quiet? Whichever the case is, it can certainly create havoc in any relationships. Tempers are bound to flare up and frequent mood swings will happen, these are just some of the consequences of lack of good sleep at night brings. Before your partner kick you out of the bed, you better do something to address your snoring issues.

Do not let snoring rob you of quality night of sleep. In fact, there is something you can do to end your snoring fest. Determining the cause of your snoring and coming up with a solution will greatly improve your sleep and relationship with your spouse.

The solution to your problem lies on top of your bed, a pillow. No, not a regular pillow, you need to purchase a snore reduction pillow that is designed to maintain proper alignment of the head and neck.

To better grasp the mechanism of anti snore pillow, let us understand what snoring is and why it occurs. Snoring is due to the airway narrowing, either from abnormalities in your throat tissues or improper sleep posture. As you breathe, the air passes through the narrowed airway, a vibrating sound is created, that we called ‘snoring’.

You may be wondering, how a snore reduction pillow works. To keep the airway open, the head should be position in a way that the jaw is extended, head and neck is properly aligned with spine to prevent the tongue from slacking off the throat, which cause an obstruction to the airway. That is what an anti-snore pillow does.

There are various types of snore reduction pillows designed for your needs. Some are made for you to sleep on your side. The pillow is placed behind your side

To keep you from sleeping on your back as this position is known to contribute to snoring.

Another type of pillow is one that is tailored to place between the legs to properly align the spine while you sleep. This position is supposed to maintain the airway open.

Lastly, the back snore reduction pillow is designed keep your chin raised, jaw extended and head and neck in proper position.

However, there is another type of pillow that is sought by many snorers; it’s the memory foam reduction pillow. This pillow conforms to the contours of your head and neck, suitable for back sleepers and side sleepers. Unlike the other pillows, memory foam pillow is sensitive to temperature and provide adequate support for your body, to ensure a quiet night’s sleep.

Anti-snore pillows are widely available in the market. Choosing the right one can be overwhelming, pick the one that you are comfortable with, at the same time affordable.

What are Considered to be the Best ear plugs for Snoring?

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:19:03 +0000

When searching for the best earplugs for snoring, it is important to know that what works for one person may not work for another. There are several things that will have an effect on the success of the products you try. If someone else’s snoring keeps you awake at night it is probably not a good idea to just head to your local drugstore for any old pair. It is important the manufacturer says that the earplugs are specifically for blocking out snoring. Otherwise, whatever you purchase will not give the best results.

It is believed that most earplugs can only block out certain amounts of noise, usually around 33 decibels. If you are sharing a bed with someone who does not snore that loud, your sleep problems should be easily solved. However, if you are sharing your bed with someone who snores louder than that amount, you may still have a problem, even with the best rated earplugs. You may then want to try to combine earplugs with some form of background or white noise.

Another thing to consider when looking for earplugs for snoring is that everyone has some differences in the shape of their ears. Some sets may be seriously uncomfortable for you and not work that well either. These same sets may fit better and work fine for other people. That being said, there are some earplugs for snoring out there that are made with moldable and comfortable materials that should fit any ear. One example is the World’s Finest Earplugs found at earplugsonline.com. They are made from lanolin, cotton, and beeswax, which combined is supposed completely seal the ear canal.

A different way to find the best fit for your ear is to try a Snoring Relief Kit from the Earplug Superstore online. They offer a number of earplug sets in a single purchase guaranteeing that one will be the best fit for you. They also include a white noise CD to help improve the soundproofing effect.

There are also products out there that claim to be made with the most efficient soundproofing materials, such as the hydrophilic foam plugs found at the Snoring Shop online. These earplugs are also great because they can be reshaped and reused.

All in all, the best earplugs for snoring will be the ones that fit your ear canal the most comfortably. However, adding in a sound machine to the mix will really give the best results.

How to Avoid Snoring: A few Things you can do

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:07:20 +0000

Everyone is affected by snoring at least once in their life. Whether you are the person snoring or your sleeping partner is the person snoring, it affects us all. If you find that snoring is getting in the way of your sleeping and you are suffering from daytime fatigue, irritability and sleepless nights, there are a few things you can do on how to avoid snoring.

First of all, make sure that where you are sleeping is comfortable. If you are a person that sleeps flat on their back, try elevating the head of your bed, this will help to open up your airways and make breathing easier during the night. If you are sleeping flat on your back you are making it possible for the flesh in your throat to be relaxed, this can cause extra vibrations when you are sleeping and in turn, cause you to snore.

The second thing you can do is lose weight, middle age; overweight men are the leading candidates to be “snorers.” If you are snoring and you are a bit overweight, try to lose a few pounds. Easier said than done? True. However, give it a shot, you may see a difference.

If you are a smoker or live with a smoker, this can also be the cause of snoring. Exposure to second hand smoke as well as being a smoker causes your muscles to relax and in turn causes congestion. Nasal congestion and small airways can lead to excess snoring.

Lastly, if you are on regular medications or indulge in alcoholic beverages every so often you might find that you snore on a regular basis. Similar to smoking, medication and alcohol increase muscle relaxation, which leads to snoring.

There are many other reasons you may be snoring. It can be hereditary and can be caused by medical conditions such as a cleft palette or deviated septum. Men are more likely to be chronic snorers because men are made with narrower nasal passages than women. You could have allergies or a cold, which will also increase the likelihood of you snoring. All of these things are possibilities. If you find that none of the above suggestions help solve the problem, you should go see a doctor and see if there is anything else you can do. A good night sleep is very important to a healthy life and a healthy attitude. Do not sacrifice sleep or the sleep of the ones you love. Do something about it.

Does the Stop Snoring Pillow Really helps?

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:00:42 +0000

National research statistics show that 60 percent of people are sleeping in an improper position when they snore. Sleep experts also suggest that correcting this position has the potential to stop snoring. The stop snoring pillow, in fact, was designed specifically to address the issue of noisy breathing without drastic intervention methods.

A previous incarnation of the stop snore pillow was created to help those with acid reflux ease symptoms for sufferers while they slept. What most noticed, however, was the pillow was useful for the halt of snoring. This discovery led to the development of a pillow to stop snoring.

Stop snoring pillows are often made from polyurethane foam and are made in a way to keep the head positioned for air passages to stay open.

The Smart Anti-Snore Pillow, made in Taiwan takes the stop snoring pillow a step further than merely correcting sleep posture. This pillow is able to detect the decibel and frequency of snoring and change the neck and back angle of the sleeper to stop snoring. A mechanism in the pillow shifts back and forth seven times after the pillow sensor picks up the fourth successive snore. An extra benefit of the pillow is that is also alleviates the sore neck and back that come from sleeping in the wrong position.

Many versions of the stop snore pillow are wedge shaped. The thin edge of the pillow rests under the shoulders and the thick edge goes under the neck. Experts believe this posture properly aligns the shoulders, head and neck and keeps the throat and breathing airways open to stop snoring.

Before making any kind of investment in the stop snoring pillow, it is important to find out what causes your snoring. Doctors have found that 10 percent of adults in the U.S. snore because of obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep state in which the upper airway collapses. When this condition is extreme, no air at all can get to the lungs. This causes the sleeper to wake up in order to gasp for air. Repeated episodes of this through the night can cause daytime fatigue, since sleeping at night is never restful.

The stop snoring pillow has revolutionized what is possible for snoring sufferers. For many decades, this was not considered a curable condition and not something many people made moves to correct. They simple suffered each night creating massive fatigue and breathing problems that eventually had a greater damaging effect on overall health.

Read some Helpful Tips to Stop Snoring

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:20:38 +0000

Few maladies provoke as much household debate as snoring, whether from the disbelieving snorer; or, from his or her discomfited spouse or partner who is at his or her wits’ end wishing the other could or would listen to tips to stop snoring. Not everyone who sleeps with an inveterate snorer feels about it the way a correspondent to Dear Abby once said: “Snoring is the sweetest music this side of heaven—ask any widow.”

The problem carries a burden for the snorer as well. Those surging honks and rumbles could be symptoms of something more serious such as sleep apnea and insomnia, the latter being itself a symptom of the former. Assuming you can convince your spouse or your partner at all that he or she is snoring like an engine with a dissipated muffler, what can you recommend?

This much advantage you have: elementary knowledge. Of all the tips to stop snoring, there may be no more important and least expensive tip than telling your mate that sleeping on his or her back is the cause of it in up to ninety percent of the times. In addition, suggesting your mate sleep on his or her side should put an end to up to ninety percent of the snoring.

You can even suggest a certain advantage of intimacy when suggesting the sleep position change: it is easier to put a loving arm around your mate when sleeping on your side. If your mate simply cannot sleep comfortably in any position other than on the back, suggest a pillow designed orthopedically to put his or her head into a side-sleeping position even if they cannot lie comfortably in any position other than on the back.

If those positional shift ideas do not slow down or stop snoring, there could be another physical cause involved. If the cause turns out to be a blocked nasal passage, a doctor is likeliest to recommend corrective surgery. However, if the cause is tied to a breathing pattern, there are exercises that can be done to relieve the problem to a great extent. Often as not, breathing patterns can be altered or corrected by nothing more complicated than vigorous walking during waking hours.

Sometimes snoring can be caused by drying in the throat passages, and simple throat sprays—such as the kind you might use to relieve a sore throat—can help keep your throat moist when you sleep. Other times, snoring can be cause by digestive pressure toward the respiratory system, which is a good reason why it is recommended that you do not eat too close to your bedtime.

Many who learn and accept that they snore find themselves curious about anti-snoring mouthpieces. These are plastic devices worn in your mouth that work to keep your lower jaw forward and your tongue toward the roof of your mouth, the better to keep your tongue from possibly blocking your windpipe. Do not worry about being unable to breathe—the mouthpiece seals your lips and presses you to breathe through your nose.

However, do worry about the right kind of mouthpiece. Consult your dentist even if most such mouthpieces are available without medical or dental prescriptions.

What are the Home Remedies for Snoring?

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:17:14 +0000

Home remedies for snoring have included a number of simple solutions from rolling a snorer on his side to strapping a ball behind him to prevent him from turning over on his back again in his sleep. Propping the head up during sleep has been a popular snoring remedy as well. Sleepers have achieved this by finding a way to tilt the head of the bed they are sleeping on.

Limiting alcohol, caffeine and medications have also been effective for curing snoring. These substances are ones that tend to contribute to the blocking of the upper airways while a person sleeps. Obesity has also been found to play a vital part in the development of fat deposits in the nasal cavities. These fat deposits obstruct the breathing passageway.

In the worst scenarios, snoring has led to sleep apnea – a condition brought on when a person has an obstructed breathing pathway and stops breathing for about 10 seconds many times through the night. Prolonged breathing delays can lead to heart conditions, strokes, elevated blood pressure, extreme daytime fatigue and a host of other health concerns.

Certain homeopathic remedies for snoring have included nasal sprays, nose drops and herbal pills that break down mucous in the body in an effort to stop congestion. Anti-snoring pills are made with plant enzymes and herbs that stop nose and throat tissue from swelling, which keeps airways open for better breathing.

Aromatherapy has also worked as a home remedy for snoring. Marjoram oil, which can be left open on a saturated sponge in a jar by your bedside, has been used in many aromatherapy treatments. Lavender also has many properties that help relax sleepers and promote optimal sleeping conditions. It is a sedative that helps to induce sleep, reduces anxiety and depression and helps to boost your immune system.

The neti pot has also been included among home remedies for snoring. This tool, which has been used in India for centuries, is shaped like the lamp of Aladdin, and uses saltwater to flush allergens out of the sinus tract.

Some other home remedies for snoring are newer and still being tested. SnoreControl, an herbal spray, can be dissolved under the tongue. Another pill that has not been released to the market yet (and for now is only known by a codename) has shown a 40 percent reduction in sleep apnea symptoms in test groups. One-third of the group showed a 50 percent reduction.

Stop Snoring Exercises That Will help You sleep Better

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:59:23 +0000

If you have tried several snoring treatments and devices but your sinuses still roar at night, maybe it is time to give snore reducing exercises a shot. Starting exercises to stop snoring may be one of the best Christmas gifts you can give someone who has to share a bed with you and your nasal choir. There are several recommended exercises and programs available online. A routine that may be the cure for you can be found right at your fingertips.

Snoring is typically caused by some kind of blockage in the airways. If the blockage is actually part of your own anatomy a stop snoring exercise program may adjust things in the area and alleviate the problem. It is common for the jaw to either be too lax and fatty or too clenched and tight. Because the jaw connects to upper throat, the effects create snoring vibrations there.

The two main types of stop snoring exercises are facial and voice. The most common facial stop snoring exercise is actually using your tongue to repetitively touch your chin and nose, which stretches the muscles in the back of the mouth. Some say doing wide smiles in repetition also helps. What works for each individual really just depends on what is actually causing each person’s problem.

One of the biggest advocates out there for using voice exercises is Christian Goodman, the founder of the stop snoring exercise program. His website tells his story about attempting several treatments to end his snoring problem. The site also says that he eventually found success using exercises to stop snoring that his wife actually taught students in her singing lessons. The exercises his wife taught him were for strengthening and opening the throat to improve singing ability. He then adapted these exercises to target his problem areas and created an entire program that he used to cure his snoring problem.

The stop snoring program on Goodman’s site is one that costs money to access. However, he offers your money back if the program does not work for you. Part of the success with this program is that it first tries to determine what is causing the problem, and then gives the options for correction. There are websites and articles on the internet that will give you some exercises for free, but as Goodman has apparently learned, you need to know what the cause of your snoring is before you can find the routine or cure that works for you.