How To Stop Snoring

Chronic snoring is a huge medical problem in the United States, but many people don’t take it seriously.
It has long been the subject matter for jokes, and continues to be even today. But it’s no laughing matter. Now, we should make clear that we’re not talking about occasional, light snoring.

Virtually everyone does that from time to time, and it’s not a problem. Usually when they roll over or change position, light snoring will stop. Every married person has at one time or another nudged their spouse for this very reason.

No, we’re talking about heavy snoring, done on a regular basis. Heavy snoring is not something to be taken lightly. But by using a snore pillow, the sufferer can alleviate the problem. At least as long as they sleep on that pillow.

And it’s not just the serious health problems that the snore pillow addresses. Heavy snoring has ruined many a marriage, and seriously damaged many more. It’s no fun having to sleep in separate bedrooms because of your spouse’s snoring. It kills romance, causes resentment, and strains the bond that unites a married couple.

It’s no joke - there are many cases of people divorcing a spouse because it’s impossible to sleep with them snoring, even in another room. And there are countless cases that never reach that stage, but have reduced the marriage to two people simply sharing a TV, kitchen, and bathroom. So it’s fair to say that snore pillows, when they work, besides being health savers, can also be marriage savers.

Are snore pillows expensive? No, not at all. Especially when you compare the trivial cost of one with the cost of surgery to reduce snoring, or hospital stays from the effects of snoring. And there’s no way to put a price tag on a strained or ruined marriage. Which means that snore pillows are truly a bargain. But if they don’t work it doesn’t matter if they are a bargain.

The one treatment with a 97% satisfaction from users is the well known program with simple exercises to stop snoring developed by an Icelandic therapist. If the pillow does not help, the well known exercise program has shown to be very effective.

The only problem is that snore pillows don’t work for everyone. In that case, you’ll need to look at alternative treatments if you want to stay healthy, avoid surgery, and keep your marriage happy. Snoring exercises have worked for a lot of folks who got no help from the snore pillow.

Does someone in your family have a snoring problem? If so, you know how trying it can be to live with a snorer. Getting a good night’s sleep is virtually impossible if you sleep in the same room as a heavy snorer, and some people snore so loudly that even moving to another room doesn’t help much. Not only does it drive you up the wall, it’s also unhealthy, for both people involved.

There are serious health risks associated with heavy snoring, but the person who has to put up with also suffers from sleep deprivation and stress, which can devastate a person’s health. It’s no joke, and the sooner you find snoring relief, the better, for all concerned.

What are the options for snoring relief? Well, the big one is surgery, where a surgeon goes in and removes some of the soft tissue at the back of the throat. It goes without saying that this should be a last resort for anyone, given the risks of even minor surgery. And this is to say nothing of the cost.

If you’ve tried everything, and nothing has worked, then certainly you shouldn’t rule out surgery. But it should never be your first or even second choice.

There are a variety of products that promise relief from snoring. One is a specially made “snore pillow” which forces you to sleep in a way that the position of your throat area is less conducive to snoring. These have worked for some folks, but they can be tough to get used to and as soon as you do not sleep on that pillow, your snoring is back.

Sprays, and nasal strips are two more snoring products that are popular. There seems to be a lot of products in this segment, and many users report that they only work for light snoring, or the effects wear off. So caveat emptor.

The best non-surgical way to treat snoring seems to be with exercises designed specifically to address that.

It’s your body causing the snoring, and if you can change your body, you can find snoring relief.

So you snore, or worse, your partner does. And you don’t know what to do about it, but you know you just have to cure that snoring.
There are tons of gimmicks and products to chose from, not to mention going under the scalpel. Ouch!

Finding a cure for you snoring can be as simple as not sleeping on your back any more. Or consuming alcohol. That is if you have a light, maybe intermittent case of snoring. But for the millions of snoring Americans (not to mention all those snoring in the rest of the world!) many need something more powerful to cure their snoring.

You cure snoring by affecting the tissues that vibrate or in some other way partially obstruct the airways as you sleep.

That is the basis for all products selling snoring cures, including the surgical option. The airways can get partially obstructed from your nasal passages, the back of your mouth and tongue, the palate and down through your throat area. Tightness in the jaw and neck and shoulders can also affect your snoring.

The problem with most devices is that they will target only one of these areas. They will also not work if not used or worn, and let’s face it, they are not all that comfortable. While some of the devices do have some effect, it can be a bit of a hit or miss to find something that works in your case.

Chronic snorer Christian Goodman, an Icelandic therapist, discovered that when he did some simple exercises to target muscles and tissues around his nose, mouth, and throat areas his snoring went away completely. For anyone with a bit of understanding of physiology that makes a lot of sense.

He discovered that with just a few minutes per day of specific snoring exercises, the tissue surrounding the airways became toned and strong enough to not vibrate and cause those sounds we know of as snoring. One of the many advantages of his best selling program is that not only is it inexpensive and easy to use, it targets the entire airway, covering all the common causes for snoring.

Stopping the snores from disrupting the quiet of the night, and even causing disruptions in ones marriage can be top priority for a snorer. And it should be. Not only is snoring annoying, sometimes downright irritating, it has effects in many areas. Some who snore have to sleep alone in order to not cause sleep deprivation in their partner. That can have less than positive effects for ones relationship.

The market place is full of all sorts of devices and gadgets to help people to stop snoring. Look at the plethora of mouth pieces supposedly designed to keep your mouth in the right position. (Who could even sleep with one of those things in the mouth?)

But do they work?
Yes and no. Some of them have some effect as long as they are worn. Don’t use the device, and your are snoring again. The problem with devices are that they do not address the cause of the snoring. There are a number of common reasons for people to snore, and IF the device you bought targets the reason you snore, you can get temporary help.

The cause for sounds to be created as you breathe is when the air gets partially obstructed. Period.

That obstruction can have a number of causes but always involve tissue or muscles that are either too tight, as is common with the jaw, or to loose, as is common with the tongue, soft palate or throat.

The Case Of The Flopping Palate
When you are deeply at sleep and your muscles are deeply relaxed, muscles or tissue that lack tone can cause your tongue to fall back into the throat or your soft palate to “flop around in the wind”.

The real solution to snoring is to not have tissue that is too loose or too tight, thus allowing the air to pass freely and soundlessly. Like we exercise other parts of our body to keep them toned and supple, we can exercise the tissue along our entire airways to free up our breathing and stop snoring. Voice teachers know this.
And while exercising the muscles in your throat and tongue may seem far fetched it is not far fetched for singers and singing instructors.

Many of us groan when we hear the word exercise The good news is that these exercises are not only easy to do, but you do not even need to join a gym! Nor do you need to spend more than a few short minutes a day. A few simple exercises for a few weeks and you may be snore free. I think that beats some gadget in your mouth for the rest of your life.