- 6 exercises to stop snoring
- How to Stop Snoring Naturally
- How Snoring Strips Work
- Main causes of snoring
Snoring is a disorder that causes noise, due to the difficulty of air passing through the airways during sleep, which can end up causing sleep apnea, which is characterized by periods of a few seconds or minutes, during which the person is without sleep. breathe. Learn more about what sleep apnea is.
This difficulty in the passage of air usually happens due to narrowing of the respiratory tract and pharynx, where the air passes, or by the relaxation of the muscles of this region, especially during deep sleep, due to the use of sleeping pills or consumption of drinks alcoholic.
To stop snoring, exercises can be done to help strengthen the muscles of the airways, in addition to having attitudes such as losing weight and avoiding the use of sleeping pills. If the snoring is persistent or more intense, it is also important to see the general practitioner or pulmonologist, to identify the causes and guide the treatment.
6 exercises to stop snoring
There are exercises that help to strengthen the muscles of the airways, which treats or reduces the intensity of snoring. These exercises should be done with your mouth closed, avoiding moving your chin or other parts of the face, concentrating on the tongue and roof of your mouth:
- Push your tongue against the roof of your mouth and slide it backwards, as if sweeping, as much as you can 20 times; Suck the tip of your tongue and press it against the roof of your mouth, as if it were stuck together, and hold for 5 seconds, repeating 20 times; Lower the back of the tongue, also contracting the throat and uvula 20 times; Raise the roof of the mouth, repeating the “Ah” sound, and try to keep it contracted for 5 seconds, for 20 times; Place a finger between the teeth and the cheek, and push the finger with the cheek until it touches the teeth, keeping it contracted for 5 seconds, and alternate the sides; Fill a birthday balloon, with the cheeks contracted. When drawing in the air, you must fill the belly, when blowing in the air, feel the muscles in the throat contract.
To be able to do the movements well, you need some training time. If there is any difficulty, it is recommended to ask for a speech therapist to assess whether the exercises are being done correctly.
How to Stop Snoring Naturally
In addition to the exercises, there are attitudes that help the person to stop snoring naturally, such as sleeping always lying on his side, avoiding smoking, avoiding drinking alcohol, losing weight and using devices that help stop snoring, such as a mouth guard that can be prescribed by dentist. Learn more tips on what to do to not snore anymore.
In fact, the weight loss process seems to be very important in the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea, not only because it reduces the pressure on the breath, but because, according to a recent study, it seems to decrease the amount of fat on the tongue, which facilitates the passage of air during sleep, preventing snoring.
If snoring is very uncomfortable or does not improve with these measures, it is important to see a general practitioner or pulmonologist to help identify the causes and guide the appropriate treatment.
In the case of more severe snoring or associated with sleep apnea, when there is no improvement with these measures, the treatment should be guided by the pulmonologist, made with the use of an oxygen mask called CPAP or with surgery to correct airway deformities. that are causing snoring. Learn more about what treatment options are for sleep apnea.
How Snoring Strips Work
Anti-snoring bands are placed over the nostrils and help to reduce the intensity of snoring, since they open the nostrils more during sleep, allowing more air to enter. Thus, the need to breathe through the mouth, which is one of the main responsible for snoring, decreases.
To use the band, it must be glued horizontally over the nostrils, fixing the tips on the wings of the nose and passing over the bridge of the nose.
While it can be a relief for the vast majority of cases, there are people who do not get any benefit, especially if snoring is being caused by problems like inflammation of the nose or changes in the structure of the nose.
Main causes of snoring
Snoring occurs during sleep as, at this moment, there is relaxation of the throat and tongue muscles, which are positioned a little further back, which makes it difficult for air to pass.
The people most predisposed to developing this disorder are those with changes in anatomy that narrow the passage of air, such as:
- Flaccidity of the throat muscles; Nasal obstruction caused by excess mucus or phlegm; Chronic rhinitis, which is the inflammation of the nasal mucosa; Sinusitis, which is the inflammation of the sinuses; Nasal polyps; Adenoid glands and enlarged tonsils; Retracted chin.
In addition, some lifestyle habits, such as smoking, being obese, taking sleeping pills, sleeping on your back and abusing alcohol consumption, are more likely to snore.
Snoring can exist in isolation, or it can be a symptom of a disease called sleep apnea syndrome, which impairs breathing and sleep quality, causing various symptoms, such as daytime sleepiness, irritability and difficulty concentrating.
