From avoiding booze to mouth exercises, five ways to beat snoring with 15million Brits being noisy sleepers
ALMOST 15 million of us snore – and millions more say a snoring partner disturbs their sleep.
The sound, caused by vibrations in your mouth, throat or nasal airways which relax and narrow while you doze, can deprive you of rest, which is vital for mental and physical health.
It’s also the most common sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, a condition which causes your breathing to stop and start while you are a slumbering and can increase the risk of high blood pressure, depression and heart disease.
Dr Michelle Miller, an associate professor and head of the University of Warwick’s sleep, health and society programme, told Sun on Sunday Health: “Snoring is produced by the vibration of the airway and obstruction of airflow during sleeping.
“It can be very disruptive both to the sleep of the bed partner and for the individual themselves.
“In OSA, it will be accompanied with changes in oxygen levels when the breathing is impaired or stops and an increase in heart rate.
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“Over time this can lead to cardiovascular complications such as high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.”
More than 10 million men and nearly five million women snore, according to the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association.
And surveys have shown men to be even louder snorers than women.
According to bedding experts Silentnight and researchers at The University of Leeds, the number of snorers equates to 57 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women.
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The team found that another 40 per cent of people struggle to sleep because of their partner’s snoring.
The NHS describes the sounds as “very common” and not usually caused by anything serious.
People snore more if they have a cold or flu, and light, occasional snoring is not usually a cause for concern.
Simple lifestyle changes can also help stop or reduce snoring, and doctors recommend trying to lose weight, sleeping on your side or buying a special pillow to help limit the problem, as well as getting earplugs for your partner to help safeguard a healthy night’s sleep.
Alcohol, smoking and sleeping pills can all increase the likelihood of snoring.
But if lifestyle changes have not made a difference, The Sleep Foundation recommends you see your GP if you suffer from any of these conditions:
- Snoring three or more times a week
- Very loud or bothersome snoring
- Snoring accompanied by gasping, choking or snorting
- Daytime drowsiness, lack of focus or mental sharpness.
- Morning headaches and congestion
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Night time teeth grinding
- Frequent visits to the toilet
Some of these symptoms are signs of OSA, which is particularly common in men who are overweight, over 50 and have a large neck.
Dr Miller says requesting a sleep test from your doctor can help to diagnose and treat the condition,
Often it can be remedied by using a small mask at night which pumps air into your mouth while you sleep.
Dr Miller adds: “OSA has important health and societal consequences, especially if accompanied with excessive daytime sleepiness.
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“It’s important that you should seek a referral to a sleep clinic if the snoring is loud, accompanied by periods of silence when the individual does not seem to breath or snorting or choking sounds.”
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5 ways to beat it
HERE are Silentnight’s expert tips for combating snoring . . .
1) Adopt a new sleep position: Changing your position can help break the psychological association between snoring and the way you usually sleep.
Falling asleep on your side, as opposed to your back, is more likely to reduce snoring as it can weaken the body’s physical ability to snore.
2) Avoid drinking alcohol: When you consume alcohol, it causes the muscles in your body to relax, including in your throat and mouth.
During sleep, this makes it harder for oxygen to reach your lungs, resulting in more vibrations and an increased likelihood of snoring.
3) Invest in an anti-snore pillow: What you sleep on can have a huge impact on your quality of shut eye.
Silentnight’s Luxury Anti-Snore Pillow, £19.99, is tested by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association, which found it reduced snoring frequency and volume by roughly 50 per cent by positioning your head in a way that improves breathing.
4) Practice healthy sleep habits: Going to bed at the same time every day, getting a full eight hours’ sleep and ensuring you stay hydrated throughout the day all help reduce your risk of snoring and increase your quality of sleep.
5) Try mouth exercises: In the same way as going to the gym improves your arm or leg muscles, repeatedly moving your tongue and parts of your mouth for ten minutes every day has been found to reduce snoring by almost 60 per cent.
The Sleep Foundation has information on the best mouth stretches.
