How to Reduce Snoring Through Proper Breathing
Snoring is a common sleep disorder caused by an obstruction of airflow that forces you to breathe both in and out through your mouth rather than through your nose. Being overweight, sleeping on your back, allergies, nasal congestion and use of alcohol and sedatives are all factors that can obstruct airflow and cause improper breathing and snoring. If you are overweight, you should attempt to lose weight, but in the meantime --- or if you are not overweight --- learning to breathe properly and keep airways open can help reduce snoring.
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Instructions
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How to Reduce Snoring Through Proper Breathing
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Practice inhaling deeply through your nose and exhaling through your mouth several times a day to promote a proper breathing technique during sleep. Proper breathing during sleep does not become a habit over night, but as you continue to perform this breathing exercise, breathing in through your nose rather than through your mouth will come naturally over time, both while you're awake and asleep.
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Wear a nasal breathing strip across your nose while you sleep. Nasal strips enhance proper breathing through the nose and prevent nasal obstruction by opening up the nasal passages, preventing excessive mouth-breathing.
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Sleep on your side rather than on your back to keep airways open so that you can breathe properly. Sleeping on your back causes your tongue to fall backward into your throat and obstructs airflow, while sleeping on your side prevents this narrowing of the airway, allowing you to properly breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
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Treat nasal congestion and allergies to prevent obstruction of the nasal passage. However, avoid using oral or spray decongestants for more than three consecutive days, as these types of decongestants can actually make congestion worse, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you have chronic congestion, talk to your doctor about alternative decongestants.
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Tips & Warnings
If you frequently end up on your back while you sleep, prop the head of your bed up 4 inches before you go to bed. This will keep your head slightly raised, preventing your tongue from falling backwards and obstructing your airways.
Avoid alcohol and sedatives at least two hours before bedtime. Alcohol and sedatives result in excessive relaxation of the throat and tongue muscles, causing the tongue to fall backward and obstruct airways.
References
- Photo Credit sleep image by DXfoto.com from Fotolia.com
