Snoring

More and more studies have begun to show that snoring is not only a nuisance to those around the snorer, but that it is indeed a threat to the snorer’s health.

This is because it’s been shown to thicken the walls of the carotid artery, putting snorers at a much higher risk for heart disease.

You can bet that there are all types of devices and procedures that work very well at curbing snoring, but there are also plenty of effective remedies that are all natural and cost next to nothing. Here are my five favorite natural snoring solutions.

1. Sleep On Your Stomach or Side

The simplest way to try stifling snoring is to switch up your sleeping position so that you are either on your stomach or side.

The reason that people tend to snore when they sleep on their backs is that the palate, tongue, and jaw can all sort of “slump” backward and restrict the airflow.

The resulting vibration is what causes a snorer to snore. If you can’t sleep any other way than on your back, try propping your head up with pillows, as that may remedy your snoring problem on its own.

2. Drink More Water

A lot of people out there simply aren’t getting the water that they need during the day. This results in dehydration and the drying out of your nasal passageways, which can be a contributing factor to the plight of a snorer.

It’s entirely possible that you have dry nasal passageways even though you are already well-hydrated; if that’s the case, try taking a hot shower before bed, or even sleeping with a humidifier.

3. Try Warm Tea Before Bed

Warm drinks will help to relax a person and hopefully reduce the amount that they snore. For a warm drink before bed, try a “breathe easy” blend of tea. Stay away from green tea, coffee, or hot chocolate—essentially anything with caffeine or calories that you don’t need.

Warm milk has traditionally been a go-to drink before bed, but there are some out there that believe that milk helps contribute to snoring, as it’s been propose that the body produces more mucus when digesting dairy products.

While mucus does contribute to snoring, there is no evidence that dairy does indeed induce mucus production, so take that advice with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, warm tea is recommended over these other choices.

4. Practice Yoga

While yoga has not been clinically proven to reduce snoring, I have recommended at least trying it on multiple occasions for a couple of reasons.

First, yoga is all about controlling your breathing. The more you learn to control your breathing while awake, the better chance you have of controlling your breathing while you sleep, subconsciously.

On top of that, yoga is a great way to lose weight and get in shape. A lot of times, snoring will occur because there is extra weight in the neck that pushes down on the soft tissue in the throat during sleep—losing weight can actually help to remedy that.

5. Apply Natural Oils and Balms

Among all of the topical solutions that one might as a snore-remedy, the two that I have heard the most recommended and have had some luck with myself would include either mint oil or eucalyptus.

Try mixing up up a 50/50 mint (menthol) and water solution and sprinkling it at the at the head of your bed every night before you go to sleep, or applying a little bit of eucalyptus oil on your upper lip before you sleep.

These are, of course, just a few of the natural remedies out there, though they are my favorite, if you want to find more you can check sources like this. If you have any to suggest, feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments section below.