Problems caused by snoring:

Snoring can affect the quality of your sleep which may lead to fatigue during daytime, irritability, drowsiness and health problems. It is also no secret that loud snoring can prevent your bed partner from sleeping. Many couples start sleeping in separate rooms as a solution but this could affect your relationship.

Snoring causes:

Snoring is caused by a partial blockage or narrowing of your airway which may appear because of an improper posture or an abnormality in the soft tissue of your throat.

Most of the times, snoring is an indication of another health-related problem. The most common causes of snoring are:
• Your body’s physique. Men have a narrower airway so they snore more often. You can also have some hereditary physical attributes that narrow your breathing path;
• Age. With time, our throat becomes narrower and looses its muscle tone;
• Problems with your nose or sinuses. Blocked airways lead to snoring;
• Overweight. Low muscle tone and fatty tissue contribute to snoring;
• Sleep posture. Sleeping on your back will cause your throat muscles to relax and block the airway;
• Alcohol, smoking or medication. Alcohol, smoking and various medications lead to muscle relaxation causing snoring;
• Sleep apnea. Even though it is not that common, excessive and violent snoring could be an indicator of sleep apnea. In case of sleep apnea, the sleeper has its breathing obstructed and wakes up repeatedly during the night to regain his breathing. Sleep apnea poses serious risks and should be consulted by a doctor.

Snoring remedies:

In order to find the best snoring relieving solution for you, you’ll need to get to the bottom of your snoring problem. Depending on the type of your snore, you can find out different things about your body:

• Snoring with a closed mouth may point to a problem with your tongue;
• Snoring with an open mouth may be caused by a problem with the tissue in your throat;
• Most of the times, sleeping on your back causes mild snoring;
• Snoring in all sleep positions may indicate a more severe problem.

The best practices in reducing or stopping snoring are among the following:

1. Sleeping on the side

Experts say that sleepers are more likely to snore when they lie on their back than when sleeping sideways. If you have trouble keeping your position during your sleep, you could try sewing a small uncomfortable object like a tennis ball to the back of your pajamas.

2. Elevating your head

Elevating your head may encourage air passage, thus reducing snoring.

3. Lose weight

Even losing a bit of weight can help you reduce snoring. Not only will the fatty tissue in the back of your throat decrease, but your muscles will also become more toned.

4. Avoid smoking, alcohol and sedatives

Smoking irritates the membranes of your throat and nose, causing snoring. Alcohol and sedatives relax the muscles too much leading to a noisy night.

5. Regular sleep schedule

Keeping a regular sleep pattern will improve the quality of your sleep, which will reduce snoring.

6. Clear your nose

A difficult inhalation will probably lead to snoring.

7. Improve your diet

Avoid large meals and rich foods such as diary products or soy milk right before sleeping. Caffeine should also be avoided.

8. Get rid of allergens and keep the air moist

Keeping air purifiers and air filters can help people with allergies avoid snoring. Dry air can also irritate your respiratory path so having a humidifier could help.

9. Medical treatment

There have been considerable medical advances in the field of snoring treatment. Medics specialized in snoring treatment are physicians, otolaryngologists, or specialized dentists. Treatments don’t always require surgery. You can try Continuous Positive Airway Pressure treatment that involves wearing a mask that gets pressurized air blown into it. There are also dental appliances and jaw-positioners that help open the airway and bring your lower jaw and tongue forward during your sleep.

In case the snoring is very violent and loud, the sleeper stops breathing, chokes and gasps for air during his sleep, it is better to consult a doctor.

10. Anti-snoring products

There are a lot of anti-snoring products out there ranging from different costs and functionalities. Nasal strips, sprays for the neck, anti-snoring pillows… you’ve probably seen them on TV. Even though they work for only a lucky few and some of them may have harmful effects if used on a long period of time, you could use them as a last resort.

Lack of sleep has many negative effects on your health. Firstly, it makes you less productive by impairing your memory, mood and concentration. Moreover, it also weakens your immune system and increases the risk of accidents. Estimates show that about 10% to 20% of fatal car accidents are caused by driver’s fatigue and falling asleep at the wheel.

Now that we’ve scared you enough, let’s review the best 10 tips that can help you fight insomnia (sleep disorders).

1. Keep a proper environment for sleep

Improving your sleeping environment can help you deepen your sleep and avoid interruptions. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Having a proper bed. Your bed should be large enough in order to give you plenty of space to stretch and turn. Also, keep a mattress and pillows that you feel comfortable in.
• Reduce noise. This is obvious, but noise levels should be down when sleeping. If you have no control over the noise in your room, try masking it with relaxing sounds or shut them out with ear plugs.
• Keep your bedroom dark when sleeping. Even the smallest light can disrupt your sleep, thus causing sleep problems. Close your TV or computer screen and pull down the curtains.
• Ventilation and temperature. Maintain a steady room temperature that you feel comfortable in. People usually prefer a slightly cooler and airy room.

2. Maintain a good sleep schedule

Keeping a steady sleep schedule is the best thing to do for your body clock. Set up a good bedtime when you normally feel tired and stick to it, even in the weekends when you feel tempted to stay up late.

Make sure your bedtime is not too early as this will make you wake up during the night and you’ll have trouble falling asleep again. If you just crawl into your bed with your clothes on or fall asleep on the couch after returning exhausted from work and barely having the energy to eat dinner, you’re only going to make matters worse. Find a mildly demanding activity that will prevent you from falling asleep. You can wash the dishes, clean little bit in the home, or prepare your clothes for the next day.

3. Make your worries go away

Stress, anxiety and worrying about things outside your control keep you up at night. Constantly worrying about your problems will not solve them, but it will cause sleep disorders. Try different relaxation techniques to calm yourself and prepare for a nice and peaceful sleep.

4. Create a relaxing sleep ritual

Take a warm bath, have a light snack like a glass of warm milk or a banana, read a book or magazine, listen to soft music; any of these activities done on a regular basis before going to sleep will train the mind to know it’s time to rest.

Most people have a TV in their bedroom and watch it until they fall asleep, sometimes even leaving it on. Even if you set it at a low volume, television should be avoided as most of the times it displays violent or disturbing programs and the flickering light disrupts the body’s internal clock. While you may find it a bit difficult at the beginning to fall asleep without it, you will be better off in the long run. If you have a favorite show during that time, you can record it and watch it later.

5. Keep your diet under control

Eating before sleep is a bad idea as it will make your stomach work on digestion especially if the food is fatty or rich. Furthermore, drinking a lot of liquids will make you wake up repeatedly during the night. Of course, don’t go to bed on an empty stomach either. Some light snacks like a hot cup of chamomile tea or a glass of warm milk can calm you down and help you sleep better.

6. Regular exercises

In addition to great health benefits, regular exercises can also improve your sleep. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something intense. A walk in the park, a short run or a ride with your bicycle will reduce sleep problems. Just make sure you do your exercise routine during the morning or early afternoon because in the evening the main goal is not to burn lots of calories but more to get rid of stress, relax and prepare for a deep sleep.

7. Go to bed when you’re tired

If you’re tired and it’s about the time for your normal bedtime, go to sleep. Don’t just stay a few more minutes to check your e-mails or surf the Internet. You will get distracted, stay up late and pay for it the next day.

Also, you should get into your bed only when feeling tired. Otherwise, you’ll just stay in bed for minutes or even hours before falling asleep. Furthermore, when waking up during the night, we’re sometimes not tired anymore. Staying there and staring at the ceiling won’t help. Just get up and find something to do, your desire to sleep may return.

8. Reserve your bed only for sleeping and other “relaxing” activities

Avoid watching TV, emotional discussions, eating or studying into your bed. Otherwise, you may end up associating your bed with unwanted events that could make it harder for you to fall asleep. Needless to say, keep your laptop on your desk and not on your lap!

9. Avoid caffeine, alcohol or nicotine

• Caffeine can keep you awake for up to 10 or 12 hours, so try not to drink any beverages containing it after lunch hours;
• Smokers could start “thirsting” for a cigar during the night. You should know that nicotine will also disrupt your sleep;
• Drinking may make you a little drowsy but alcohol reduces the quality of sleep and can cause a lot of sleep problems.

10. Try to manage without sleeping pills

You should always check with your doctor before taking any kind of medication. In the case of sleeping pills, the doctor will check if there will be any interactions with other medication or with another medical condition and recommend the best dosage. When you want to quit, gradually diminish the dosage. Try other natural ways of getting rid of insomnia before resorting to medication.

Sleep brings more energy into people and can make us think clear and in a more positive way. In addition, sleep can also be considered as a method of reliving stress build up during the day.

It is recommended to sleep around 7 or 8 hours a night in order to function at maximum capacity. From a personal point of view, I think that decreasing a little the number of slept hours will not cause any problems. However, exceeding this period can make us feel heavier and lethargic. We should also bear in mind that the time frame allocated for sleep it is important. Going to sleep earlier or later than we have to can also have a negative influence on our after sleep mood. For example, you will fell better even if you sleep less during the normal night period as compared to sleeping more hours but in the day, morning, etc.

Research has shown that less or bad sleep during the night can affect our health. Sleeping 4 hours or less for several days can gradually affect our ability to perform complex tasks. This can also cause several changes in the immunological system, e.g. increase in CRP (C-reactive protein), which is a defense reaction indicator. Other surveys found social inequalities in sleep problems with less sleep recorded for people with low income and low education. A group in Munich and Ingolstadt had determined an influence of a chronic sleep disorder going along with severe sleepiness (narcolepsy) on the processing of emotional stimuli in the human brain. This last finding is a very important proof of the fact that disturbed sleep regulation affects our well being and the interaction with the environment.

Food can help when it comes to getting a solid sleep. The following 10 foods are known to stimulate sleep-inducing hormones like serotonin (an important neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of sleep, anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, etc.) and melatonin (melatonin regulates our body’s perception of night and day and stimulates sleep when night falls. People suffering from insomnia do not produce enough melatonin. Also, stress can reduce the level of melatonin produced by our bodies). In addition, these foods have other positive side effects like relaxing tense muscle, calming stressed minds, etc.

1. Bananas

Bananas contain melatonin and serotonin which are practically some of the best sleep stimulating substances (such substances are frequently used in pharmaceutical industry). In addition, bananas contain magnesium which has a relaxing effect on muscles.

2. Warm milk

As probably a lot of us know from childhood, a glass of warm milk was the solution when we couldn’t fall asleep. The explanation for this would be that milk contains tryptophan, which is an amino acid that has a sedative effect. Moreover, calcium contained by milk helps the brain use tryptophan.

3. Chamomile tea

Chamomile is one of the oldest garden herbs which was considered a universal remedy in ancient Egypt. The plant is usually used for tea making and, as we all know, tea has a relaxing effect and is most often used for this purpose. Chamomile tea is generally known not only for its relaxing effect, but for its sedating effect as well, being in this way the perfect natural antidote for stressed minds and bodies.

4. Honey

Usually, sweet food products provide an extra quantity of energy to our bodies. When we think of extra energy, we definitely do not think of sleeping. However, recent studies have discovered that glucose (like the one contained by honey) can stimulate the brain to reduce the quantity of orexin. Orexin is a recently discovered neurotransmitter that is connected to alertness.

5. Potatoes

Potatoes clear away acids that can interfere with tryptophan amino acid. Baked potatoes can have an even
greater sleep inducing effect if they are combined with warm milk when eaten.

6. Almonds

These nuts contain both tryptophan (sedative effect) amino acid and magnesium (muscle relaxing effect).

7. Oatmeal

Oats are good for a good night’s sleep because they stimulate the production of melatonin.

8. Whole-wheat bread

Eating bread will cause insulin to be released into the body, which helps tryptophan get to the brain where it’s converted to serotonin.

9. Turkey

Turkeys are a very good source of tryptophan. However, bear in mind that tryptophan is most effective when the stomach is basically empty, not full, and when there are some carbs in the stomach, not lots of proteins.

10. Flax seeds

These little seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, acids that act as natural mood lifters. So, when feeling down is what’s keeping you up, these seeds should be considered as antidote.