One common question that How Can I Permanently Stop Snoring While Sleeping? a condition that has caused quite a hassle to almost every one of us is snoring. May it be experienced by our loved ones or by us; this sleeping condition has troubled us all during sleep time. Snoring can be caused by different reasons and may start very minimal but can also escalate in an alarming phase. Some may seek natural remedies to battle this sleeping condition somewhat, but some resort to more permanent measures in dealing with snoring. Today, we find out how we can stop snoring permanently and provide a much better sleep time like before.
Medical Measures for Snoring
Snoring is a condition that has genuinely caused us to have some sleepless nights that kept us awake, pun intended. But the effects of this sleeping condition are no pun, especially if it has resulted in serious concerns with our health and well-being. Some choose to take medical approaches that have more permanent results. Here are some of them.
Imaging test – doctors employ tests such as X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans, or magnetic resonance imaging are examples of tests that check and see the structure of air passageways for problems and issues like, for example, a deviated septum.
Sleep study – doctors may conduct sleep studies depending on the severity of snoring. Doctors may also check for other symptoms. This procedure can be done at home but may require you to stay overnight at the sleep center and undergo an in-depth breathing analysis during sleep. Called polysomnography, a patient is connected to numerous sensors, observed overnight, and records the following information:
- Sleep stages
- Brain waves
- Heart rate
- Breathing rate
- Blood oxygen level
- Eye and leg movements
Treatment – doctors will likely first suggest lifestyle changes like:
- Weight loss
- Alcohol avoidance close to bedtime
- Nasal congestion treatment
- Sleep deprivation avoidance
- Avoiding sleeping on your back
For those who suffer snoring along with OSA, or Obstructive Sleep Apnea, another sleeping condition, doctors may recommend the following:
Oral appliances – dental mouthpieces that are form-fitting and help advance your jaw’, tongue’ and soft palate’s respective positions will keep the passageway of air open.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) – uses a mask worn over the nose or mouth while sleeping. This mask directs air pressure from a small pump beside your bed to your air passageway and keeps it open while you sleep. It eliminates snoring, most often used to treat those cases associated with OSA.
Upper airway surgery – procedures that deal with the opening of the upper air passageway and stop significant narrowing while sleeping through different techniques:
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) – after imploring general anesthetics, doctors tighten then trim tissues in excess from your throat — a kind of face-lift for throats.
- Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) – is the movement of the upper and lower jaws forward, helping open the air passageway.
- Radiofrequency tissue ablation – employs low-intensity radiofrequency signals that shrink tissues in the soft palate, tongue, or nose.
- Hypoglossal nerve stimulation – a newer surgical technique that employs applied stimulus to the nerve, controlling the forward movement of the tongue, so it does not block the air passageway when breathing.
The effectiveness of these surgeries differs per patient and situation, with responses a bit challenging to predict.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies for Snoring
Aside from the medical measures, some people who suffer from snoring resort to lifestyle changes and home remedies that are a more natural approach in treating this very inconvenient sleeping condition. To prevent or quiet down snoring, try these tips:
- For people who are overweight, weight loss is the key. Fat people may have excess throat tissues that contribute to snoring. Losing weight can significantly help reduce this sleeping condition.
- Avoid or limit the drinking of alcoholic beverages at least two hours before bedtime as much as possible. Also, tell your doctor and talk about your snoring before you take any sedatives. Both alcohol and sedatives depress the central nervous system and cause excessive muscle relaxation that includes the throat tissues.
- Smoking cessation and eventual quitting can significantly reduce snoring on top of numerous other health benefits you can get.
- Take care of nasal congestion or obstructions since allergies or a deviated septum limit airflow running through the nose. This incident forces breathing through the mouth, significantly increasing the chances of snoring.
- Use nasal strips or external nasal dilators. These adhesive strips are applied to the nose bridge and help many people. These strips increase areas of their nasal passage and enhance their breathing. On the other hand, nasal dilators are stiffened adhesive strips applied externally across the nostrils. These dilators help decrease airflow resistance, making you breathe easier. However, nasal strips and external nasal dilators are not as effective for OSA patients.
- Get enough sleep and aim for at least seven (7) hours per night. The suggested number of sleep hours for children differs by age. Preschool-aged children should have ten (10) to thirteen (13) hours of sleep a day. School-age children need nine (9) to twelve (12) hours of sleep a day, with teens needing eight (8) to ten (10) hours of sleep a day.
- Sleep on your side. When we lay on our backs, this sleeping position allows our tongues to fall backward towards our throats and narrow the air passageway, partially obstructing the flow of air. Try sleeping on your side. When you end up on your backs in the middle of the night, sew a tennis ball in the back, top part of your pajama. This ball can prevent this incident as much as possible.
- Raise the head of your bed around four (4) inches that may help reduce snoring.
- Consult your doctor regarding prescription steroid sprays if you suffer from chronic congestion. Correcting a structural defect in your air passageway like a deviated septum may already require surgery.
Coping and Support
Snoring and other sleeping conditions can also be taken care of with coping mechanisms and support from our loved ones. If it’s your partner who’s snoring, there may be times of feeling frustrated or exhausted. Suggest to them some of the lifestyle changes and home remedies mentioned earlier. If these measures don’t help quiet down your partner’s nocturnal noisemaking, already tell your partner to make a doctor’s appointment. Earplugs or background noise like white noise machines or fans near the bed may help lessen the snoring noise and its effects, so you get more sleep, at least in the meantime.
Conclusion
Snoring and other sleeping conditions can indeed be very challenging. But with the right approach to your unique situation, you can resolve all of these inconveniences. Treat snoring and other sleeping conditions quite seriously and eventually get that much-deserved sleep you have always wanted.
Want to know more about how to stop snoring and other sleeping conditions? Our amazing friends at Cache Valley ENT are experts in this field of endeavor. Visit them now to learn more!
