Snoring affects most people at one time or another, and some of us all the time. For many, the obvious down-side of snoring is the noise, which tends not to affect the snorer themselves, but people around them, particularly a sleeping (or often a not-able-to-sleep) partner.

But snoring has a much worse potential downside – it could be an indication of sleep apnea, which really does require attention.

Therefore, if you snore, you should go and see your doctor with a view to being treated for sleep apnea.

Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe, creating hoarse or harsh sounds.  Certain lifestyle changes can help with snoring, notably losing weight, cutting down alcohol before bedtime, or sleeping on your side. On the latter note, some people have had success affixing a tennis ball to the back of their neck – it’s uncomfortable, and tends to make you sleep on your side. It works for some people.  The AntiSnore Shirt is a more effective method for this.  Here’s what else can cause snoring:

• Your mouth. Having a low, thick soft palate or enlarged tonsils or tissues in the back of your throat (adenoids) can narrow your airway. Likewise, if the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula) is elongated, airflow can be obstructed and vibration increased.  A few years ago I had surgery to remove my tonsils, adenoids, and uvula, and also to correct a deviated septum (see below).  I’m sure it helped me generally but after two years I was snoring worse than before and back to the CPAP machine.
• Being overweight. Excess weight can also contribute to narrowing of your airway, as well as being generally unhealthy for you.
• Alcohol consumption. Snoring can also be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and decreases your natural defenses against airway obstruction. Paradoxically, many people with sleeping problems take a drink before bedtime to “help them sleep”.  It may in fact have the reverse effect.
• Nasal problems. Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum) may be to blame.
• Sleep apnea. Snoring may also be associated with obstructive sleep apnea. In this serious condition, your throat tissues obstruct your airway, preventing you from breathing. Sleep apnea is often characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence that can last 10 seconds or more. Sometimes, complete obstruction does not occur, but rather, while still snoring, the airway becomes so small that the airflow is inadequate for your needs. Eventually, the lack of oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide signal you to wake up, forcing your airway open with a loud snort or gasping sound. This pattern may be repeated many times during the night.

Assuming that you do not have sleep apnea, you can try one of these methods to top snoring. If none of them work, there are other options you can try.

Breathing strips: You are probably very familiar with the strips you see advertised that attach to the bridge of your nose.  The idea here is that the curved piece of metal has some spring in it which pulls at the outside of your nose, preventing snoring.  These items are now marketed by Glaxo-SmithKline, so we guess they must be popular.

Snoring Sprays: There are also various sprays available -  again, some are marketed by Glaxo SmithKline. There are others that claim to be “all-natural”.  The general opinion is that snoring sprays don’t work. I’d certainly go along with that based on my own experience.

However, our suggestion is that you try some of these items and see if they work for you.  However, let me state again, before you do anything, see your doctor about sleep apnea.