The sound of snoring is produced by vibration of the muscles in the roof of the mouth, tongue and throat. When a person goes into deep sleep these muscles relax and partially obstruct the airway. So, with every breath the air forced through the narrow passage creates the snoring sound. A variety of causes may contribute to loudness and pitch of snoring - the anatomy of the mouth, alcohol consumption, nasal congestion, and the condition of sleep apnea. Generally, snoring is a commonly found disorder and can be taken care of with some changes in lifestyle.
It is seen that obesity is a cause of snoring. Obese people are more likely to have loose muscles that vibrate more during breathing, causing more noise. So, one of the first steps to treat snoring is to lose the extra body weight. Take up a regular exercise routine and make some changes to your dietary habit to lose weight. The posture in which you sleep may also make you snore. Always sleep on your side, rather than on your back. Sleeping on your back makes the tongue to fall back in the mouth and thus narrows the airway. Consequently, there is more noise in breathing when sleeping on your back, than when you are sleeping sideways. To reduce the snoring you should also try to avoid alcohol consumption and smoking. Alcohol intake, especially if drunk immediately before sleep, causes the muscles in the throat to relax more. This results in making more snoring noise. Smoking increases the chances of congestion in nose and throat and introduces mucous build-up. Therefore, smoking should be avoided to keep the throat airway free and make the breathing less labored. If possible, avoid taking sedatives drugs or sleeping pills before sleep as these may also increase snoring. These drugs depress the nervous system and cause excessive relaxation of the muscles. Drinking warm milk before sleeping is known to decongest the airway and lessen the chances of snoring. Similarly, eating yogurt is also considered beneficial for reducing snoring.
If the snoring does not go away even after trying out the steps mentioned above, you may need to seek a doctor's advice to get yourself treated properly. There are oral appliances that can be fitted in the mouth to reduce snoring. The doctor can also suggest a surgery to permanently correct any problem related to the anatomy of the mouth. In some cases, the doctor may also suggest wearing a pressurized mask that gives continuous positive airway pressure while you are sleeping.
answered by G M