Snoring is a problem that’s bigger and common than you would like to believe! If you snore or are stuck with someone who snores, you are not alone. According to a survey, around 40% of adult men and around 24% of adult women snore. While most people only talk about how snoring affects, not the snorer but those who sleep beside them, did you know that snorers don’t enjoy a great sleep too?
They have more than their fair share of challenges, including the risk of sleep apnea. There are many options to treat snoring from numerous over-the-counter medicines and devices to expensive surgeries. But are these affordable to everyone? Do they have any side effects? What is the probability that there will not be a relapse once you stop using them? Well, these remain unanswered questions.
However, that does not mean that there’s no fool-proof remedy available for snoring. If you dig deep into your kitchen supplies, you will have adequate remedies for all the ailments, including snoring. It is possible to treat snoring with home remedies and tips that would control your snoring and eventually reduce it. Remember, these methods require slight changes to your lifestyle and will produce results in the long-run, so do not expect an overnight change!
Meditation
Meditating regularly will help you in more than one way. Besides promoting your mental and physical health, it also enables you to reduce snoring. This is because, while you meditate, you regulate your breathing too. And when you do that, any difficulty or obstruction in your respiratory system reduces. If you don’t have ample time to meditate, you could sit down on your bed, close your eyes, and do a few rounds of breathing exercises. For this, you have to slowly inhale through one nostril, hold your breath for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale.
Essential Oils
Run a bath with essential oils or get yourself an aroma diffuser. Essential oils are known to be effective in treating anxiety, nausea, and stress. Besides that, it also improves physical, mental, and emotional health. A study on the use of essential oils in treating showed that it reduces snoring significantly. However, there is not much evidence available on why it does so.
Garlic
Consuming hot foods like garlic, ginger, reddish, etc., are said to be effective in treating snoring. While there’s no concrete evidence to prove the reason behind this, a few studies suggest that these foods dry up the nasal passage. It thus prevents the formation of mucus in the respiratory tract that causes snoring. If mucus build-up or sinus is the cause for your snoring consuming these foods could be an effective way to treat the problem.
Mint Tea
Regular consumption of mint tea is proven to be effective in reducing snoring. This is because mint is said to remove traces of mucus from the lungs and free the passage. It thus helps you breathe with ease, which prevents or reduces snoring.
Sleeping Posture
This might be a simple factor but has a key role in the quality of sleep you get. Most people tend to snore when they sleep on their backs. Instead, make it a habit to sleep on your side. The reason for this is simple. When you sleep on your back, there’s a possibility that your tongue rolls back and blocks the air passage. This obstruction in the airway causes snoring.
But, when you sleep on your side, you rule the possibility of this happening, and thus, the chances of snoring come down. You could also try using an elevated pillow or pick an anti-snoring pillow to help your cause. An extra pillow will help you open up the airways, remove any obstruction, and help you stop snoring.
Conclusion
Dealing with snoring is tough. So, it is always best to ensure you take steps to prevent it. If you have recently gained weight, that could be a cause for your snoring too. So, try and shed those extra pounds. You can make it a habit to take a hot shower before you hit the bed. This will help your body ease any stress around the nasal area. Besides that, nasal strips, nasal spray, and neti pots are also helpful in reducing the mucus in your respiratory system, which reduces snoring.
However, if the snoring starts interfering with your sleep or gets severe, make sure you consult a doctor. This will help you rule out sleep apnea, which is a serious concern that leads to numerous deaths every year! Yes, snoring could be a symptom of a more serious health concern, which you can rule out only after a series of professional examinations.
