True story.
I went way on a trip with a friend of mine.
We were kind of broke so we decided to share a room.
It seemed like a good idea at the time until the end of the evening came and we went to sleep.
Well, he went to sleep.
I tried to go to sleep.
Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.
Not that night.
As much as I love my friend, he snores like nothing I have ever heard in my life.
I literally was up all night.
It was the last time I ever shared a room with him again.
For those of you who have partners who snore, you know exactly what I am talking about.
There's something about late at night that really magnifies sounds.
Snoring becomes the train out back that seems to have no end, or the cars driving down your street with bad mufflers.
Snoring can really turn your bed time into a literal nightmare - one you're awake for.
And the worst part about it is, if it's your husband or wife, the last thing you want to do is bring it up and hurt their feelings.
I mean it's not like they can do anything about it.
They're asleep.
Well, maybe they can't, but you can.
And it doesn't involve taking harmful drugs or having dangerous surgery.
First, we have to understand what causes snoring in order to understand how to treat it.
Most people really don't know what causes snoring.
Actually, it's a rather complicated chain of events.
When we go to sleep, our stages of sleep progress from light sleep to deep sleep.
As we go from one stage to the other, the muscles in the roof of our mouth, tongue and throat, begin to relax.
If the tissues in your throat relax too much, they begin to vibrate.
In doing so, they may actually obstruct your airway.
The greater the obstruction of the airway, the greater the force of the air that comes through it.
The more the tissues vibrate because of this obstruction, the louder your snoring becomes.
There are a number of problems that can cause snoring, such as the actual anatomy of your mouth and throat.
If you have a narrow airway to begin with, you are going to be more prone to snoring.
Alcohol also contributes to snoring especially if you drink before bed because alcohol relaxes the throat.
Nasal congestion can also cause snoring.
Most people who snore, after finally being confronted by their partners, try many methods to stop this problem, with little results.
Many ultimately end up having dangerous surgery.
Well, this isn't necessary.
There are some simple natural treatments that can prevent snoring.
For starters, stop sleeping with a pillow.
Pillows elevate your head.
This increases the chance of snoring.
Sleep on your side.
To prevent yourself from turning onto your back, simply sew a tennis ball in the middle of the back of your sleep-wear.
When you roll over, the ball will force you to roll back onto your side.
If you are overweight, going on a diet will greatly reduce the amount of snoring that you do.
If you drink, don't drink sooner than two hours before bedtime.
Finally, change your diet.
But eating healthier and eliminating foods that are bad for you, not only will your snoring improve but so will the quality of your life.