If you’re snoring a lot (which you may know either because it wakes you up, you can feel the soreness in your throat in the morning, or your significant other is tired of it), you may wonder what’s going on. First, recognize that snoring is the result of the tissues in your throat vibrating against one another. They do this when your throat muscles relax too much, allowing the tissues to make contact. Of course, there are other factors that come into play, as well. For some, snoring is an isolated issue. For others, snoring is a sign of something called sleep apnea. Learn a bit more about what might be going on (and talk with us for additional guidance).
When It’s Something More
Sometimes, your snoring is a sign of a more serious sleeping problem that we know as sleep apnea. Instead of the partial relaxation of your throat muscles (and partial collapse of tissues), there’s a complete relaxation and collapse. As you might have guessed, this means your throat becomes completely obstructed (which is why this type of problem is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea). You’ll need a form of treatment to keep airways open while you sleep.
When It’s Just Snoring
Sometimes, you’re just a snorer and it’s not sleep apnea or any other issue. Instead, you may need to make some lifestyle changes to improve your sleeping (and to keep airways clear and open). You should try the following for successful results:
- Try sleeping on your side or your belly to reduce snoring.
- Don’t do anything that might relax your muscles artificially before bed (such as taking any type of muscle relaxants).
- Sleep with your head (or the head of your bed) elevated at night.
