Almost everyone has snored while sleeping at least once in their lifetime. If it’s too frequent, snoring can affect the quantity and quality of your sleep, affecting your sleep partner and your family. So, how to get rid of snoring naturally? Take a look at some of the ways below.
Various ways to get rid of snoring naturally
The habit of snoring is usually not realized by people who experience it. They only find out when family members, spouses or people who have slept next to each other complain about it.
Not only disturbing others, the habit of snoring, according to the Mayo Clinic, can be a sign of a health problem, obstructive sleep apnea. In the long term and without treatment, this disease can lead to complications such as daytime sleepiness, waking up tired, and increasing the risk of chronic disease.
That is why you must overcome the habit of snoring sleep. Sleeping in a separate room with other people is not the right way to deal with snoring. This action only keeps other people away from the sound that arises when you snore, and this bad habit of sleeping persists.
Don’t worry. Here are some ways to get rid of snoring that you can follow.
1. Change sleeping position
Sleeping on your back or your stomach causes the tongue and the meat around your throat to loosen “into” and block the airways, causing a vibrating sound when you sleep. Sleeping on your side can help you deal with annoying snoring every night.
You can also use a body pillow (a large, long pillow that supports your entire body) to help you maintain a side-sleeping position throughout the night.
If you have a sleep partner who snores, try tucking a tennis ball into the back of his nightgown (you can sew a pocket on the inside to keep the ball in place).
When he rolls to change positions, the discomfort caused by the tennis ball will “force” his body to return to the starting position, sleeping on his side without having to wake him up.
As strange as this may sound, if he can continue to sleep soundly without being woken by his snoring or your pokes throughout the night, this method should not be a problem to get rid of snoring naturally.
If snoring continues regardless of the sleeping position, obstructive sleep apnea may be the cause.
2. Change your pillow
Allergens in your bedroom and pillows can play a role in your snoring “hobby.” Dust mites can accumulate on pads and cause allergic reactions related to snoring.
Sleeping with pets can also affect your snoring. As a result, hair loss may be inhaled, clogging the airways, and causing irritation.
To get rid of snoring naturally, wash your pillows twice a week and replace them with new pads every six months. In addition, regularly clean your bedroom to avoid the buildup of mites and allergens.
3. Set the room temperature in a humid state
If you sleep in a very cold or arid room, this could explain why you snore. Dry air will dry out the throat and the nose lining, causing a stuffy nose.
A congested nose causes the entry and exit of air to be limited and makes the surrounding tissue vibrate. So, a powerful way to get rid of snoring naturally is to increase the room temperature by about 1-2 degrees or use a humidifier to warm the room air.
4. Support your head while sleeping
You can support your head about 10 centimetres higher while you sleep to keep your tongue from pushing back and blocking the airway. It can also help open the airways a little wider.
Remember, don’t make the head support too high because this can also block your airways and keep you from snoring.
Adjust the height headrest as comfortably as possible, and choose something that is neither too soft nor too flat, such as a pile of two rather hard pillows or a stack of books tucked into the back of your cushion. Use a pad to keep your head and neck properly and comfortably.
5. Exercise the throat muscles regularly
The cause of snoring could be because the muscles that support your breathing pathways begin to relax. So, the right way to get rid of snoring naturally is to do oral exercises to strengthen these muscles.
The following are oral exercises that you can follow regularly.
- Say each vowel (a-i-u-e-o) out loud and repeat it several times a day for three minutes.
- Place the tip of your tongue against the back of your upper front teeth. Slide your tongue back and forth for three minutes each day.
- Close your mouth and purse your mouth. Hold for 30 seconds,
- Move your lower jaw to the right with your mouth open and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat for the left side.
- With your mouth open, repeatedly tighten the muscles at the back of your throat for 30 seconds. Tip: Look in the mirror and watch the uvula (the ‘ball’ hanging from the back of the tongue) move up and down.
- Move your lower jaw forward by showing your teeth, holding it for a slow count of 10. Repeat 5-20 times a day
- Stick out your tongue as far as possible. Move it to the right and left, touching your lips’ corners while keeping your language straight. Do it twice a day.
Do this throat exercise daily to strengthen the muscles in the upper respiratory tract and, simultaneously, become an effective solution to reduce or stop the intensity of your snoring.
