How to stop snoring

Snoring as it is commonly known is one of the breathing problems that occur when you are sleeping and it is due to an obstructed air movement in the upper airways.

Not only is it a simple but annoying noisy problem for whomever else is in the bed and even for the neighbours, it can also be associated with other more serious health problems, such as sleep apnea, blood pressure or heart problems.

If you suffer from this condition and you also have other symptoms such as a sore throat, drowsiness or fatigue during the day, blood pressure, headaches when you wake up, difficulty concentrating or if you wake up in the middle of the night with a choking feeling, the first thing to do is to consult a doctor. A sleep specialist will determine whether you have obstructive sleep apnea and if you do they will prescribe the most suitable treatment.

Snoring might also be caused by anatomical factors, such as a deviated septum, thickening of the soft palate due to excess weight or excess liquids, the consumption of alcohol… Males and age are other very important factors related to snoring, along with the position in which we sleep.

As we can see, there are simple ways to try and control some of these aforesaid factors. For those who snore when they sleep on their backs, the best thing to do is put pillows propped up against their back when they are sleeping on their side or even sew a small ball, a tennis ball, on the back of their pyjamas, just like the American Sleep Association recommends, to prevent them sleeping in the supine position.

Drinking alcohol is one of the main reasons why snoring gets worse. If you have an addiction problem, we recommend you visit a specialist and a nutritionist as soon as possible, so that they can help you overcome both the addiction and the snoring.

A blocked nose is another important factor that can result in snoring. If you have a cold and a blocked nose, use a seawater nasal spray to help flush out your nostrils before going to bed and regularly during the day. This will also help alleviate the cold symptoms quicker. If the problem is chronic sinusitis the most important thing to do is cut out all dairy products from your diet and put a poultice of fresh grated daikon in the area of the nostrils, that is to say: the space between the eyebrows, the part above the eyebrows and the sides of your nose. This treatment lasts for about 30 minutes. It should be carried out three times a week for two weeks or until you feel better. If you have a deviated septum you can also consult a specialised surgeon.

If you are overweight it is essential that you go on a weight loss diet with lots of vegetables, around 60% of your daily diet, it is better if they are cooked for just a few minutes because an excess of raw foods will not help improve the situation. Try steaming or blanching for green leaf salads, especially in the winter and limit the amount of fruit consumed to one piece a day. Too many salads or fruit in the winter make the body cold and instead of helping you lose weight, they soften the tissues of your palate and they vibrate more with air movement. You should also avoid eating animal protein at night, because it does not favour a relaxing or restorative sleep.

Finally, one of the most effective treatments for snoring is putting ginger compresses on the kidney area, which I will show you how to prepare in the next post.