If you're having a hard time staying awake at work, you should evaluate your sleeping habits - or your partner's.
Snoring is something that’s very wide-spread, but it's also an ignored indicator to a large number of problems in the human body. Here are some important things you should know about snoring:
What Causes Snoring?
When we are in sound sleep, the deep, heavy breathing that our body indulges in, causes the air pressure to hit the narrow airway along the nose and throat, which in turn vibrate. This is heard in the form of light (or sometimes drastically loud) snoring, as per Mayo Clinic.
Do Women & Children Snore, Too?
As said previously, snoring is pretty wide-spread. Even though it’s more common in men, there are many women and children who also snore, according to
British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association. Almost every other male adult snores on a daily basis, while every third woman is a part of this group. Usually, the kids who have tonsils are found to snore. You can find more
good advice below.
Is It Okay To Snore?
Well, honestly, it’s not. There are reasons manifold to justify this statement:
- First of all, it annoys people who sleep around the snorer.
- It isn’t normal, and your body wasn’t made to produce such noises - something’s definitely wrong.
- Its immediate consequences are tiredness and impatience, since you don’t get the right amount of oxygen when you’re snoring (which makes you wake up more than often), thus, making you sleep-deprived and cranky on every morning.
- According to WebMD, snoring eventually leads to a poor quality of life, since you might doze off at work, or become the home to high blood pressure, strokes, or even heart attacks.
- In worst cases, people suffer from sleep apnoea, which is one of the most overlooked sleeping disorders. People might wake up gasping, or wake up over a 100 times every night, and not know it, according to leading medical portals like the Mayo Clinic.
What Causes It?
Well, now you that you know that it’s actually something agonizing, all you have to do is check yourself and your environment for the following factors:
Dust Mites - Since most of us are too consumed with work to worry about the surroundings, it’s safe to assume that we ignore our bedroom, too. So, take some time out to change the bed sheet, pillow covers (as well as pillows), and dust the surroundings, too (especially the ceiling fan, if you have one).
Other Allergies - Allergies of any type cause irritation and swelling of the throat, which can cause snoring. Though the common cold is something we all catch every now and then, the snoring from that won’t stay long. However, people who are prone to respiratory allergies, snore more when exposed to the condition. So, keep check of what your body rejects.
Tongue Base Snoring - Though this isn't applicable to all snorers, some of them can be classified as those who sleep with their mouth open. This causes the tongue to vibrate. It sometimes helps to sleep on your side. That way, it keeps the tongue from falling back.
BritishSnoring suggests this simple technique to get rid of snoring.
Drugs, Alcohol, and Cigarettes - Needless to say, these bad habits contribute to snoring. Leading snoring knowledge resource
American Sleep Apnea Association claims that the above mentioned agents cause inflammations of the throat and narrow your airway. You’ll feel irritation and congestion along with uneasiness in breathing. That’s enough reason (if you don’t think there are enough already), to
quit smoking, and avoid alcohol, and pills at night.
Laziness - Sometimes, it’s as simple as that. The fat that builds around your neck makes it harder for the air to flow through. It’s important to eat right, but even more important to exercise. Therefore, if you haven’t been motivated enough yet to tone yourself, here’s a reason to be!
Treatments
There are nose-strips, CPAP masks (to be worn on the nose), dental appliances that can be used to hold back your tongue from falling back, and a number of medications that you can take, and see if these provide a relief, even to some extent.
Though most of the readers will cringe at the thought of surgery, if your condition of snoring is that bad, and it isn’t apnoea, you might want to reconsider. There are surgeries done on the palate in your airway, septum correction, nasal surgery, and the removal of tonsils. There’s no harm in consulting your general physician regarding the same.
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