Around 45 percent of adults snore while they are sleeping. It’s a problem that can lead to sleep issues for you and your partner. If your snoring is particularly loud, it can disrupt your partner from their sleep, which can lead to him or her sleeping in another room, it’s that simple.
Around 75 percent of individuals who snore suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing is briefly disrupted during sleep and that can increase the risk for heart disease.
Fortunately, there is hope for people who snore. There are certain home remedies for snoring that can help. If you suffer from this problem, you can try a few of these solutions to see which work for you and which don’t.
Change Your Sleeping Position
If you regularly sleep on your back and snore, changing your sleep position can help. Lying on your back causes your tongue and palate to collapse to the back of your throat, which leads to a vibrating sound while you’re sleeping. Try sleeping on your side and use a body pillow to support your entire body. It can also lead to a better sleep pattern overall.
You can also stack several pillows for your head to be propped up while you sleep. If your head is elevated by around four inches, it can prevent your tongue and soft palate from blocking the back of your throat and better open your airway.
Drink Mint Tea Before Bed
Peppermint is great for its anti-inflammatory properties because it reduces swelling in the throat and sinuses and helps you to breathe more easily. Drink a cup of mint tea no more than two hours before you go to bed and it can help. If your snoring occurs because you have allergies or a cold, this remedy can have a two-fold effect by also easing sore throats and helping you to sleep.
Practice Singing
It may seem odd, but one way to curb your snore habit is to practice your singing. If you regularly sing or play a musical instrument that requires your mouth to play, it can help with tongue and throat exercises that can strengthen your throat muscles. In turn, your muscles will relax less while you sleep, which can keep your airways open.
If you don’t like singing or feel that you have a bad voice, you can simply do tongue and throat exercises that can help. Stretching your tongue out as far as possible and then relaxing it can help to stop your annoying habit.
Olive Oil
If you want to have a good sleep that is snore-free, try taking three sips of olive oil before you turn in for the night. The oil has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and reduces swelling, which can clear out your airway. As a result, you will be able to breathe better while sleeping. You should take the oil every night for best results.
Nettle Leaf Tea
If you snore because seasonal allergies, a good natural solution is nettle leaf tea. Not only does it contain anti-inflammatory properties, but it also has antihistamines, which can ease your allergy symptoms. Drink three to four cups of the tea daily during allergy season. When you can breathe more easily and not snore, you will start to see an improvement in your sleep pattern.
Eucalyptus Oil
Another good remedy that contains anti-inflammatory properties is eucalyptus oil. Add a few drops to a bowl of boiling water, sit down and cover your head with a towel and breathe in the vapor coming from the water and oil mixture. This is an excellent way to curb a snoring habit and open up your airways when you’re suffering from a cold.
Ginger
Ginger can help you to sleep better if you snore because it can increase the production of saliva and coat your throat. This lubricates the tissues and opens up your airways. It also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and reduces swelling, so you can breathe better and therefore, sleep better. Take ginger by cutting and crushing it and adding it to tea. Mix with honey and enjoy a cup before bedtime.
Nasal Rinse
Use a saline solution or breathe into a Neti pot to give yourself a nasal rinse. It helps to eliminate excess mucus and opens up your airways, which can help stop snoring and help you to breathe better during sleep. You can also try certain decongestant nasal sprays, but the other options are better because they are all natural.
Quit or Avoid Smoking
If you are a smoker, you should quit smoking immediately. It is good for your health in general but also helps to eliminate the irritation and swelling that cigarettes cause to the lining of the throat.
Lose Weight
If you are overweight or obese, you are more likely to snore. Losing weight and shedding excess weight can help to curb your problem and help you to get a better sleep. It can also ease sleep apnea, which tends to affect individuals who are overweight or obese more than those of normal, healthy weight ranges.
These are some of the best home remedies for snoring. It’s a good idea to experiment with at least a few of these to see which ones work best for you.
