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.