According to statistics, approximately 30%-50% of all sleepers snore.
In the majority of snoring cases, only the sleeping partner is disrupted by the obnoxious, droning sound.
In other cases, however, snoring can completely disrupt the sleep pattern and awake the snoring sleeper.
Severe cases of snoring, otherwise known as sleep apnea, can cause the sleeper to stop breathing at night, causing wakefulness and fatigue throughout the day.
Most people know that sleep apnea is a sleep disorder.
Few know, however, that all cases of snoring are considered a sleep disorder; some are just more severe than others.
And all cases can decrease the restfulness of your nighttime sleep.
So how do you stop snoring? How do you determine whether or not the disorder is serious? What should you do if it is serious? These questions will be answered in the following sections.
How to Stop Snoring Snoring is caused when tissues surrounding the throat's airway restrict the flow of air.
This can be caused by weak muscles in the throat, enlarged uvula or fatty tissue in the throat from excessive weight gain, or other health conditions, like swollen tonsils or sinus congestion.
So why does snoring only happen during the day? Because the body is alert, the muscles at the back of the throat aren't as relaxed.
Additionally, the lying down position of sleeping allows the tissue to push back into the throat, obstructing airway, causing vibration, which causes snoring.
If your snoring problem is mild, there are a few things that you can try to reduce snoring.
These include: Weight loss Diet changes Exercise Sleeping on your side Relieving sinus congestion Breathing exercises Refrain from alcohol use Is Your Snoring Problem Serious? Determining if your snoring problem is severe enough to warrant medical treatment is important.
Prolonged snoring, especially when severe, can lead to other health complications: diabetes, fatigue, heart conditions, obesity and more have all been linked to improper or inadequate sleep patterns.
So how do you tell if your snoring problems are serious? Here are a few symptoms of sleep apnea that may help you determine whether or not a trip to the doctor is in order: Chronic fatigue Frequent night waking Prolonged sleep periods Abnormal daytime sleepiness Abnormal daytime sleep patters Headaches in the morning Difficulty concentrating, decreased memory Insomnia Restless sleep Depression, mood changes, personality changes Leg swelling in extremely severe cases If you notice more than a couple of these symptoms, particularly leg swelling, chronic fatigue and abnormal daytime sleep patterns you should talk to your doctor about your sleep.
What Happens When Snoring is Severe? A doctor can best help you determine what, if any, interventions are needed to treat your sleep condition.
To determine the severity of your condition, your physician may opt for a sleep study - an overnight stay at a sleep facility where your sleep patterns and obstruction severity are gauged.
If at all possible, physicians opt for the most natural methods, such as weight loss, diet changes and special dental or sleeping devices, like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines may be recommended.
If sinus congestion is a factor in your snoring problems, sinus medication or treatments may be recommended or provided as well.
If none of these options work, the physician may opt for surgical intervention.
During surgery, the surgeon will remove sections of tissue at the back of the throat.
A tonsillectomy may also be performed if the doctor feels they are obstructing your airway enough to promote snoring.
Sinus surgery may also be considered at that time, should sinus congestion be considered a factor in your snoring problems.
You should know that treatment may not stop snoring altogether.
Additionally, snoring problems can return, even after surgical intervention.
To achieve the best results, follow all recommendations made by your physician.
When receiving treatment for snoring, it is imperative that you follow all of your doctor's orders.
Sleeping disorders can be very serious and failing to follow treatment plans can result in prolonged treatment plans, unnecessary procedures and overall deterioration of health.