If your partner tells you that you snore, maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal. Well, maybe it’s not. It might just be the kind of minor annoyance that sometimes surfaces, sometimes leads to a bit of noise in the house at night.

Maybe that’s the case.

On the other hand, maybe it’s a little more serious than that. Maybe, just maybe, your family is tiptoeing around the subject, laughing about it together. Here’s an example of what the experience can be like for a family, as captured by Amy Armstrong of Illinois. We don’t tend to link to things much on here, but this is a very good example of the kind of thing which the families of snorers have to put up with. And thanks to Amy and the magic of Youtube, her husband’s snoring has now been captured forever:

This reminds me very much of a time I lived in a shared house with a gentleman who was a very loud snorer. His was the bedroom above the living room, and a lot of nights, I would be sat up late watching a film or something on TV, and generally in those situations I  keeping people up with the noise I was making.

Of course, living with this guy, I knew that I didn’t have to worry. I could hear the evidence that he was still fast asleep, loud and rasping through the floorboards. It was funny, really, but it was also, I’m guessing, a little embarrassing for him. I remember one time friends of mine were round, and actually heard him snoring away at night. No-one said anything to him afterwards, but I’m willing to bet that he’d rather not have been a source of fun. He did, eventually, do something about it.

Coincidentally, a few months later, he started going out with a very attractive girl. I’m not linking the fact that he finally did something about his snoring directly to that event, but I’m sure the fact that he wasn’t audible through walls certainly helped matters! What’s more, once that issue was sorted out, it maybe helped him to gain some confidence.

If you’re that guy, snoring away, then maybe you should think about looking into a Snoring Aid. Before you end up on Youtube, too.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

One Woman’s Very Funny Revenge On Her Snoring Husband

Snoring aids are a very useful and effective way to treat the problem of snoring. They are also easy to obtain and, once you find the right one, very reliable.  One drawback to them, however, is that if you are still using an anti-snoring pillow, for example, you are still faced with the fact that the underlying physical cause of your snoring is still there, it’s just being dealt with by your snoring aid.

There is another way to deal with this general problem- exercise. Now, I don’t just mean exercise in general, although both snoring and the rather more serious variant, sleep apnea have been found to have a link to obesity. Whilst it’s always a good idea to get out and active a few times a week, it is also possible to tone up those areas of your body most involved in the production of those irritating rasping sounds at night.

The benefit of specific exercise is a strengthening of  the muscles around your mouth and throat, as one common cause of snoring is weakness or softness in the tissues surrounding the breathing passages. If you can strengthen these, then you’ll find that that’ll help you snore a lot less.

There are two main types of exercise, which use the tongue and the voice. To exercise the tongue, it’s like exercising any other muscle- you need to move it, tense it, and hold it still. Try sticking your tongue out as far as it will go, holding it for ten seconds, and then relaxing and repeating. A set of ten of those, followed the same process only sticking the tongue out and pushing upwards to touch your nose, will go a long way to improving the muscle tone of your tongue.

To improve your throat muscles, you can use vocal training, in the same way an actor or a singer would. Learn a set of scales (this can be as simple as the classic ‘doh-ray-me-fah-so-la-te-doh’ of Sound of Music fame, and there are a lot of instruction videos online) and repeat them, holding each note for a few seconds as you sing it and concentrating on the muscles of the neck and throat.

You’ll find that as time goes on, you’ll get better and better at this, and you’ll also start to feel like you can breathe more easily. This will, hopefully, have quite an impact on your snoring, too.

If you persist with these exercises, it won’t take long at all to see a difference in your snoring.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Some Thoughts On Anti-Snoring Exercises

There’s a lot of stories about how snoring is a bad thing, but in the interests of balance, here’s a story about how snoring saved someone’s life!

This was a house fire in Omaha, US, where Kenneth Fox, a local police officer who answered a general distress call whilst out on a routine patrol found himself playing the role of hero. On hearing a passer-by say that a man was trapped in the basement, Fox entered the building (which by this point was filled with smoke) and then managed to locate the bedroom of the homeowner, 54 year-old Emmanuel Harvey.  He then kicked down the door, dragged the sleeping Harvey out, and pulled him to safety.

Just a normal tale of heroism and daring deeds, right?

Well, kind of. It’s the sort of quiet, ‘just-doing my job’ heroic action that any good police officer will do for the citizens they are charged to protect, but there’s a detail we maybe have to think about.

The house was filled with smoke. How did Fox locate Harvey in his room?

He followed the sound of Harvey’s snoring.

That’s right, this man was snoring so loud that he could be heard above a raging inferno. The fact that he was snoring that loudly meant the difference between life and death for this slumbering citizen.  That’s quite impressive levels of volume, to say the least!

So what is the point to this?

Let’s think for a second about how loud Harvey’s snoring would have to be. It was so loud it was heard through a door,  above the crackling of flames.  I wouldn’t want to put a decibel figure on it, but it’s got to be fairly high.

Now, ask yourself, if you were lying in bed next to someone who snored like that, would you be able to get to sleep?

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Life Saving Snoring!

Here’s some good news- the more sleep you get, the easier it is to keep to a healthy diet, and to lose weight.

It sounds so obvious, but a lot of people aren’t getting a good night’s sleep. Obviously, sometimes sleep apnea can be the problem. In general, however, more and more people are sleeping less and less, anyway.

The amount of sleep the average American gets has dropped from an average of 8.5 hours per a night to around 7, by the end of the nineties.  This makes a difference, as people who sleep less have been shown to have larger appetites. One study of Chicagoans who were allowed a mere 5.5 hours of sleep showed a tendency to consume on average 200 more calories worth of sugar-rich foods than similar subjects given 8.5 hours. Another study found that women gained an extra three percent of body fat for every average hour of sleep lost. Apply that to our difference in Americans, and that’s a 5.5 increase in our body-fat.

As we know, obesity can lead all too easily to sleep apnea, which can then lead on to further difficulties. It’s a vicious cycle, and another good reason why it’s so important this is treated.

Of course, the other way to look at it is that if you start to make progress in the other direction, the health benefits can snowball too- lose weight, and you may find it easier to sleep well, snore less, and suffer less sleep apnea symptoms. This then makes it easier to lose weight and eat well.

It’s all about starting a pattern- small things like avoiding stimulants late at night, keeping a regular sleep pattern, and exercising regularly, can all make a difference!

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

How A Good Night’s Seep And Dealing With Sleep Apnea Helps With Weight Loss

Snoring is a medical condition that not only affects the person doing the snoring; it can mean a sleepless night for the co-sleeper too.  It gets even worse because some people snore so loud at night that they can keep the whole house awake!  It doesnt matter if you are the person doing the snoring or if you are the one trying to cover your ears, you can read on to familiarize yourself with five easy ways to prevent snoring for good.

Lose Some Weight:

Yes, not every snorer is someone who is overweight or obese, but a good percentage of people are.  Obesity can lead to a number of health complications, but it is also a common cause of snoring.  You snore because your airways are restricted.  Excess weight contributes to this restriction because your passageways are narrower.  While you will not lose weight overnight, you should notice a decrease in your snoring with each few pounds you lose.

Stop Smoking:

It has long been known and said that smoking can lead to a number of health and respiratory problems.  However, it also leads to the congestion of the nose and the lungs.  This congestion can be the cause of your nightly snoring.  Saying you want to quit smoking is a lot easier said than done, start out small if you need to.  By the time you are smoke free, you should have already seen a reduction in the frequency of your snoring.  Pretty soon, you will be able to completely prevent snoring for good.  Even if you arent a smoker, avoid second-hand smoke.

Change How You Sleep:

Snoring is the result of an airway blockage.  Often times this blockage is caused by muscles in your mouth or throat that relax too much.  They not only block the airway at bit, but make a noise when clanking against the back of the throat.  Changing the position of your sleep can reduce the risk of this.  Most people see immediate relief by slightly elevating their head or by sleeping on their side (as opposed to the back).

Give Over-the-Counter Products a Try:

Whether it be online or in your local retail stores, you will find a large selection of products designed to prevent snoring.  Just a few of your choices include a snoring pillow, snoring spray, snoring mouthpiece, and nasal strips.  While they do cost more, mouthpieces are a popular choice with some of the best results; they are constructed of plastic and adjust the jaw to prevent tongue or throat muscle blockage.  Nasal strips are not only popular because they are safe and drug-free too, but because they are affordable.

Meet With Your Doctor:  Although most individuals can prevent snoring at home, you may want to seek professional advice.  You can seek that advice right from the start or after unsuccessfully using home treatment options.  Your doctor will work with you to determine the best way to prevent your snoring; this may include using surgery as a last resort.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

5 Easy Ways to Prevent Snoring

Imagine having found a snoring cure for your husband. You’re looking forward to a great nights sleep free from the usual howling and grunting next to you when…Horror you can still hear snoring you prod the usual suspect but no you can still hear that dreadful noise.

In fear you creep down the stairs searching frantically for the source only to discover…It’s flossy your pet rabbit!

Sigh I’d think I was cursed. Take a look at the video and you’ll see what I mean

The pet shop never said anything about the rabbit snoring!

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Talk About Needing A Snoring Cure

The problem of snoring is widespread and millions of people all over the world are either snorers themselves or have to live with a snorer.  If your own or your partner’s snoring is making your life a misery, then snore relief is a topic that will be of the utmost importance to you.

The problem of snoring is not as straightforward as it may seem, as there are different types of snorers and different reasons for snoring.  The good news is that there are many effective remedies available in stores and through the Internet and it is worth trying a few and seeing which one works best for you.

The ultimate solution is surgical intervention, but like any surgery that has its drawbacks, in that there is always a risk of complications during anaesthesia and as removing some of the loose flesh within the mouth is part of the operation, the after affects can be extremely painful for several weeks afterwards as the wounds heal.  Even then, there is no guarantee of a cure and the surgical option is by far the most expensive.

More cost-effective remedies to give snore relief range from custom made mouth pieces to jaw supporters, and from nasal dilators to elasticated nasal strips.  All these items have the same purpose; to try and keep the airways unobstructed during sleep, as it is the passage of air into the lungs being blocked, or at least partially blocked, that causes all the noise associated with snoring.

The causes of snoring are varied; sometimes people snore because they have a blocked nose or suffer from rhinitis, hayfever, or are asthmatic and those people with naturally small nostrils can also be sufferers.  More men snore than woman; this is not a sexist remark but a proven fact!  The reason for this could be that men tend to acquire excess flesh around the chin and jowls, especially as they get older or if they are overweight.  Also, men have proportionally narrower airways then women.  Women on the other hand, tend to gather their excess weight around the stomach and hips as opposed to under the chin and have bronchial tubes that are proportionately larger compared to their size.

Snoring is rarely a condition that is hazardous to your health, although the exasperation of your sleeping partner can be slightly dangerous if they have a suitable weapon close at hand. The other exception (apart from an exhausted wife clutching an axe) is a condition called sleep apnoea, where breathing ceases momentarily during sleep.

For obvious reasons this is a serious condition that needs to be properly diagnosed and treated, usually by a machine that is hooked up to the sleeper and monitors their breathing, sounding an alarm if breathing ceases.  Sleep apnoea is a frightening concept but is uncommon and can be controlled satisfactorily with no side-effects.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Snore Relief – Discover The Secret

If you happen to be married to a man whose snores, then it is likely that neither of you is getting much sleep. He will be waking up several times a night without realising it, due to the fact that his airways aren’t clear, so basically he’s falling asleep, starting to snore, waking up with a jump, then falling asleep again. The whole process means that his brain never gets the chance to drift into the deep sleep state that is known as REM sleep, which is where the body heals and repairs itself and the mind becomes rested and rejuvenated.

The consequence of this snoring process is that he wakes cross and grumpy the following day, does not perform well at work and is an absolute nightmare to live with because, being a man, it can’t possibly be his fault!  So you both need to sit down and discuss how to prevent snoring, before you are tempted to hit him over the head with the nearest heavy object in desperation.

There is a large market of remedies available to prevent snoring without resorting to medication. There are sprays and gels to coat the mouth and the back of the throat to keep the tissues there moist during sleep, and are also such things as a jaw supporter that fits over the top of the head and under the chin and keeps the jaw in place while you sleep. This may not sound a likely remedy to help stop your snoring, but if the tongue base does not drop back into the throat during sleep, then there will be no reason for the snoring.

Special snoring pillows are also easily available that claim to be very useful in keeping the head in line with the spine, and therefore keeping the airways clear. These can be very effective and are comfortable and unobtrusive and he won’t look like a muzzled Rottweiler!

It is well worth trying some of these remedies to prevent snoring (all of which are readily available and don’t need a prescription from a doctor) before embarking on more radical cures, such as surgery to change the shape of the nostrils or cut away the loose flesh in the mouth and throat that is causing the problem. Surgery is painful and it takes several weeks post-operatively to determine whether it has been successful or not, and it comes with no guarantee of success! It is also the most expensive option to choose to prevent snoring, as insurance companies will not fund it in the US, and the surgery would have to be necessary to the patient’s health for the NHS in the UK to pay for it.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Remedies to Prevent Snoring

Unless you sleep in a sound-proofed room by yourself, you’ve probably been disturbed by your partner (or even a person sleeping in another room) when they snore. Just when you are dropping off to sleep, suddenly there’s a sound like a train in your ear  yes, its your dearly beloved who is keeping you awake yet again.

Once again, a sex equality issue raises its head but unfortunately this time the government cant legislate against it!! More men than women snore. Whilst your man is sleeping soundly, chances are he’s keeping you awake because he’s snoring loudly.  No wonder women feel that they have to work harder during the day  its much more difficult to work effectively if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation.

Unless a child has a cold or flu, if they snore you should ask your doctor to check to find out the reason for this. The child could be suffering from swollen adenoids or tonsils and the doctor will need to investigate.  Chronic snoring in adults can also be symptom of high blood pressure or diabetes so medical advice should also be sought.

There are many things that contribute towards a person snoring. Whilst medical reasons include obesity and lack of muscle tone there are also other contributing factors. These include alcohol (as this can cause people to sleep deeply), medication which causes drowsiness as well as medicines taken to combat colds and flu. Some people also thing that sleeping on a very soft pillow should be avoided and that a snoring pillow can help.

Cures for snoring (and ways to stop people snoring) have been advertised for many years.  There are many traditional and herbal cures advertised, as well as various mainstream medications. Even surgery is marketed but the one thing all these so-called cures have in common is that they all promise that suddenly and miraculously the problem will disappear.

Having a partner who constantly disturbs your sleep by snoring can put a strain on even the strongest relationship. Whilst the snorer themselves usually remains blissfully unaware of the noise they are making, their partner is continually woken up (even if they manage to get to sleep in the first place).  Its common knowledge that a succession of sleepless nights can really contribute to marital problems.

If you want to prevent snoring or, more usually, if your partner wants you to stop snoring, there are a few simple things you can try which should help.  It may seem like common sense, but theres no need to spend a fortune on advertised cures when you can look at solutions such as sleeping on your side and limiting your intake of alcohol (especially in the evening).

A lot of research has been carried out into the reasons why some people snore and some people dont. Its common knowledge that the noise is caused by a vibration in the throat when you sleep but for years the medical profession has been carrying out research into why it only affects some people.  If the exact reasons for this can be pin-pointed, it will go some way to finding a method to prevent snoring once and for all.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Prevent Snoring – Common Sense Cures

If you want to prevent snoring there are quite a number of remedies that you can try. The characteristic sound of snoring is caused when a person falls asleep (most commonly men) and their airways become slightly compromised.  The airways don’t close completely – if they did, the snorer would wake up with a gasp and a jump because there is a fail-safe within the body to ensure we don’t stop breathing and die in our sleep. However, a condition does exist called sleep apnoea where the sleeper does actually stop breathing, but this is thankfully rare.

With a “normal” snorer, the airway in the nose and throat gets partially blocked by  fleshy tissue which vibrates with each breath and makes a noise. There are two types of snorers, those people who snore through the nose and those who snore through the mouth.  Nasal snorers are normally people who suffer from asthma, or perhaps have a cold or have naturally small nostrils; sometimes because the septum inside the nose is damaged after the nose has been broken. I understand that rugby players, who break their noses frequently are renowned for being terrible snorers!

Mouth snorers are the ones who sleep with their mouth open, usually laying on their back – the flesh in the throat and at the base of the tongue slides backwards and again vibrates – and the noise that the mouth snorer makes can be incredibly high on the decibel chart and can make anyone tried to sleep with them very miserable indeed. In a handful of chronic cases, snoring has been even cited as a reason for divorce! This is perhaps more understandable when you realise that the snorer’s unfortunate partner is likely to be disturbed dozens of times a night by what sounds like the space shuttle lifting off – right in her ear.

There are several methods types of anti snoring devices available to prevent snoring; some can only be obtained on prescription and the most radical (and most painful) is surgery to physically move the flesh that is getting in the way.  However, there are many less extreme methods to try, including the wearing of a jaw supporter at night to keep the tongue base in place, nasal plugs to widen the nostrils, snoring pillows and also nasal strips that are placed over the bridge of the nose. These can look extremely peculiar, but can be very effective.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

How To Prevent Snoring