Snoring: 5 ways to avoid it

One of the biggest sleep disorders is insomnia, and it is often caused by factors such as our partner's snoring disrupting our rest. At Morfeo, we want to help you solve this annoying problem. Take note!

Table of Contents

• Snoring: What Is It?

  • Causes of snoring

  • How to prevent it

• 5 ways to prevent snoring

  • 1. Light dinners

  • 2. Sing before bedtime

  • 3. Exercise your tongue

  • 4. Sleep on your side

  • 5. Exercise daily

Snoring: What Is It?

People who snore are not always aware that they make this sound while sleeping. Snoring is that rather annoying sound, loud or soft, that comes from the mouth while sleeping and is usually caused by certain factors. This noise occurs when the air you breathe while sleeping touches one of the structures of the pharynx and makes it vibrate.

Causes of snoring

Why do some people snore while others do not? Snoring is caused by certain factors, and it is usually more common in men and overweight people. But there are other factors that can cause this annoying sound:

• Sleep apnea: due to breathing problems while sleeping, snoring can occur in people who suffer from it.
• Overweight: the airways of overweight people are subjected to greater pressure while sleeping because of the fat located in the neck. This causes an obstruction of the airways and, consequently, snoring.
• Alcohol and tobacco can cause snoring at night. It is best to avoid consuming them before bedtime.
• The position we take when sleeping: some positions make it difficult for air to pass through (sleeping on your back or stomach), which can cause snoring at night.
• A nasal obstruction due to a problem, ailment, or illness is also one of the most common causes of snoring.

How to prevent it

Many times we do not know what to do to get our partner to stop snoring. Although it is advisable to have a specialist evaluate the symptoms and causes of snoring, it can be helped by prevention. The first thing we should keep in mind is that all the muscles in the body can be worked. Doing exercises that help strengthen the muscles of the mouth can help prevent this annoying sound.

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5 ways to prevent snoring

If our snoring problem requires medical intervention, these tips will not help. However, the first thing we should do before consulting a specialist is to change our lifestyle habits. If the problem persists, it is advisable to consult a specialist if we want to eliminate it.

1. Light dinners

A heavy dinner makes the stomach very full and puts pressure on the diaphragm (the muscle between the abdominal and chest cavities), which plays a fundamental role in breathing. Light dinners prevent the stomach from becoming overfilled and putting pressure on the diaphragm. If you have a heavier dinner one day, wait at least two hours before going to bed to avoid sleeping with too full a stomach.

2. Sing before bedtime

As we mentioned earlier, exercising and strengthening the muscles of the mouth and throat can help prevent snoring. Singing is a fun way to exercise your mouth. There are two singing exercises that are very beneficial:

• According to a study by the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in England, certain singing exercises practiced daily, using sounds such as “ung” and “gar” at different pitches and intensities, can help reduce snoring in people who snore or have mild obstructive sleep apnea.
• Playing certain wind instruments, such as the flute, for example, helps exercise the muscles of the pharynx, preventing them from obstructing the throat while sleeping.

3. Exercise your tongue

Another type of mouth exercise involves strengthening the tongue. Moving the tongue helps strengthen it and prevent it from falling back while sleeping. Here are a couple of very useful exercises to prevent snoring by exercising the tongue:

• Stick your tongue out as far as possible and move it up and down, to the right and left, several times for one minute.
• Place your tongue flat and perform isometric strength exercises. How? 👉 Push your tongue down and keep it flat, using the back of your tongue to push it down as far as possible. The tip of your tongue should touch your incisor teeth. Hold this position for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise 5 times.
• Press your tongue back, open your mouth, and lift your tongue to press against the hard palate, then move your tongue back, trying not to fold it before reaching the soft palate. Do this exercise carefully to avoid injuring yourself and repeat it 20 times.
• Pucker your lips and inhale as if you were drinking through a straw, tensing the muscles of your tongue and mouth. Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat 5 times.

4. Sleep on your side

Often, the position we unconsciously take when we sleep can affect the onset of snoring due to airway obstruction. Therefore, sleeping on your side, preferably your left side, is the most suitable position for proper airflow while sleeping and preventing snoring. To stay comfortable on your side, the pillow must fill the gap between your shoulder and neck: the AirHigh pillow, which is 18 cm high, is designed for this position.

5. Exercise daily

Doing some physical activity every day improves sleep quality and helps maintain a healthy weight, one of the factors that has the greatest impact on snoring.

Sleep is essential for people's well-being and health, and snoring should not cause poor sleep. Therefore, try these tips and let us know if they worked for you 😉 Sleeping on a good mattress, where you can comfortably maintain a side position, also helps. And if snoring persists or is accompanied by pauses in breathing, consult your doctor.

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