How to sleep without snoring
How to sleep without snoring is one of the most common questions asked by people just beginning to discover they may have sleep apnea.
According to the National Institutes of Health, most people with sleep apnea don’t know they have it. Often, it’s when their bedmate finally complains about their snoring that people start to think about their sleep habits and wonder whether their snoring might represent a larger health concern.
That larger health concern is often found to be obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition in which breathing is blocked during sleep, causing pauses and shortages to breathing that often result in snoring. Snoring isn’t the only symptom of sleep apnea; there’s also:
- Daytime drowsiness
- Waking up with a headache
- Lack of energy
- Poor concentration
- Depression
If you’re concerned about snoring, ask yourself whether you have these other symptoms, too. If the answer is no, you may be experiencing one of the many other causes of snoring beyond sleep apnea.
For example, you may snore because of poor sleep posture, or simple aging – as we get older, we lose the muscle tone in our throat that keeps our airway open.
Until you visit your physician for a sleep apnea diagnosis, then, consider these simple methods of how to sleep without snoring:
- Quit smoking. Smoking is believed to inflame the throat, which can cause snoring.
- Reduce alcohol intake. If you regularly enjoy more than three or four drinks, consider cutting back. Alcohol can help us fall asleep but can also cause sleep that’s of poor quality.
- Sleep on your side. Consider shifting your sleep posture. Sleeping on your back can block your airway and lead to snoring.
- Exercise! Getting on a regular workout regimen can improve your sleeping habits, as well as your health in general.
If your snoring leads to a sleep apnea diagnosis…
So, how to sleep without snoring? Consult your physician and take a sleep test. If you do have apnea, you’re already in the right place. The Resmed sleep apnea blog is a sleep apnea support community offering a complete library of OSA resources and tools dedicated to helping those with sleep apnea move along in their journey from diagnosis to successful treatment.
If you’re already a regular reader, all this is probably old news. But for those of you finding us for the first time during your search for info on how to stop snoring, welcome – you’ve come to the right place.
This blog post contains general information about medical conditions and potential treatments. It is not medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your doctor.