Snoring: Comprehensive Expert Guide

Here you can find out why we snore at all – and what you can do about it: Effective measures, cheap home remedies & other secret tricks against loud noises.

Snoring is a common problem. Almost 60 percent of all men and 40 percent of all women do it.

  • If you snore yourself, you will know how uncomfortable night noises can be.
  • This applies not only to you – but also to those who try to sleep around you.

In this post I have summarized a lot of information about snoring for you – the most common causes as well as effective treatment options.

You will also find links to many of the topics addressed in the text. I cover these points, among others:

It is my aim in this text to offer you a comprehensive insight into the subject of snoring. I very much hope that you will find answers to your questions and complaints here.

We start with the question of what snoring actually is:

General information about snoring

A clear definition of snoring is not that easy to find.

On Wikipedia, snoring is described as “a crackling sound made in the upper respiratory tract of a sleeping person”.

So far, so well known. On the other hand, it is reassuring to learn that normal snoring is not considered a disease

  • The fact is that snoring is a widespread problem and creates critical situations in many partnerships.
  • Fortunately, there are many things you can do to stop snoring yourself.

The first thing to do is to find out how intense your snoring is and how often it occurs.

Snoring – Illness or Bad Habit?

Almost everyone has snored before without being sick.

Snoring is only classified as a disease if it is chronic or affects health.

Even so, snoring can be a very serious problem:

Anyone who has spent several sleepless nights next to a snoring person (or wakes up every morning without feeling rested) knows what I mean.

As soon as you experience a lack of sleep , restless sleep , daytime tiredness or general complaints such as constant tiredness , you should take a particularly close look.

When is snoring pathological?

Doctors only classify snoring as pathological when it occurs chronically and begins to influence the normal daily routine.

In technical jargon, one speaks of a rhonechopathy .

This can range from light snoring to loud noises and does not say anything about the severity of the symptoms.

Snoring can be an indicator of other diseases

A serious illness, however, is so-called sleep apnea, in which breathing pauses during sleep, which interrupt the oxygen supply.

  • In the long term, this can have serious consequences. Fortunately, this disease is very rare.
  • Loud snoring or breathing through your mouth while you sleep can be an indication of such difficulty breathing.

Note : If you suspect sleep apnea, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, a heart attack, or a stroke.

Causes of Snoring

There are very many triggers that can cause or worsen snoring.

Since normal – i.e. not disease-related – snoring occurs very frequently, the reasons are accordingly varied.

A narrowing of the airways is usually responsible for the creation of snoring noises.

Of course there are other reasons as well, such as the humidity in the bedroom or the wrong pillow – but in the majority of cases it is due to breathing.

Since snoring usually occurs in the throat or nose, both breathing and the nature of the body (nose shape, mucous membranes, jaw) are possible triggers for loud noises.

How does snoring arise?

The pressure of the breathing air is increased by the narrowed airways like in a valve.

This pressed barrel ensures that the soft tissue in the pharynx is set in motion. This “movement in the wind” develops the annoying snoring noises.

Since the tissue is less tight with age, corresponding older people are more prone to snoring. Firm muscles and tight tissue, on the other hand, prevent snoring.

Another factor contributing to snoring can be the position of the tongue. If this falls back into the pharynx due to the position of the head, it can narrow the airways.

The sleeping position influences snoring behavior

Most people snore when they are supine.

Often a change in sleeping position can end snoring. Surely you have already nudged someone lying next to you snoring so that they change their lying position while they sleep

Snoring due to alcohol and tobacco

It has also been statistically proven that both alcohol consumption and smoking can increasingly provoke snoring. However, the reactions depend on the individual and are not subject to any fixed rules.

Snoring During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, it is very common for women who previously had no problems with snoring to suddenly start snoring.

Usually this happens from the sixth month of pregnancy. In most cases, this snoring has natural causes.

Tip: Read more on the subject in the special article Snoring during Pregnancy .

What you can do against snoring yourself

In order to successfully combat your snoring it is important to know what is causing your snoring.

To determine this, it is very helpful if you document your snoring behavior over several weeks (e.g. with a snoring app or a sleep app ).

The more you know about when and how much you have snoring, what position did you sleep, how often during the night because of sleep maintenance problems woke up and what you before taken her bedtime have, the easier it will be to efficiently your snoring to prevent.

It doesn’t have to be expensive

Before you buy expensive products (there are too) you should try some simple & cheap means beforehand.

  • These often bring just as good results against snoring and save a lot of money.
  • The list ranges from tips for changing your habits to old and tried and tested home remedies.

Helpful & inexpensive tools to find out more about your snoring are so-called snoring apps for cell phones and tablets, with which you can record nocturnal noises.

Tip: You will find further information and some recommendations in the article The best snoring apps .

Our top 5 first steps against snoring

In addition to observing your sleep, a few simple behavior changes can also help to reduce snoring noises.

If this is your first time snoring, here are 5 tips to start with:

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption
  2. Change sleeping position
  3. reduce weight
  4. Put on a nasal patch
  5. Use a humidifier

In addition to these simple steps, you can do a lot more – for example, try out one of the numerous anti-snoring aids.

Means & products that help against snoring

Depending on the cause of your snoring, there are different remedies and products you can try to reduce your snoring.

Many of them are inexpensive in normal stores. They all try to eliminate the causes of snoring and thus bring silence in the bedroom.

Anti-snoring products

There is a wide selection of anti-snoring products on the market that will either help improve your breathing or correct your sleeping position.

  • The so-called (anti) snoring splints , which I present to you in detail in the article of the same name, are generally considered to be very effective .
  • Nose patches are also very cheap and effective for many . Once stuck on the nose you ensure free breathing and prevent vibration noises.
  • Orthopedic neck pillow or special side sleeper pillow help to find the right sleeping position against snoring.

There are also electronic devices that are said to have a positive effect on your sleep.

Since there are so many anti-snoring aids, I have summarized the most effective variants in a detailed article:

Note: The article The best anti-snoring products provides a comprehensive overview of the most effective and widely used products currently available.

There you can find out everything from inexpensive nasal plasters to high-tech snoring masks.

Home remedies for snoring

If you are not only interested in products, but also in other treatment methods, then read on in the article  Remedies against snoring .

There I will give you an overview of behavior changes & simple home remedies that often help against snoring – at no great cost.

Surgical interventions against snoring

Only in the rarest of cases is it necessary to treat snoring with an operation.

  • There are various surgeries that primarily try to tighten or remove soft tissue in the throat.
  • Other methods reshape the jaw so that the throat constriction enlarges.
  • This means that there are no longer any strong vibrations & the main cause of loud snoring noises is eliminated.

However, such an intervention is very rarely necessary – you will very likely get the problem away with the strategies described above.

Tip: You can find an overview of the most common operations against snoring in the article Remedies against snoring .

Conclusion: Snoring is mostly harmless, but annoying

Many people suffer from snoring, but few do anything about it.

  • There are certainly means and products that promise relief. It is more difficult to say which product will work effectively in your case.

Every snorer has their own preconditions: age, weight, habits, diet and many other factors that can influence snoring. That is why there is no silver bullet for snoring.

My tip: collect detailed information about your sleep and snoring behavior and react according to the degree of problems that snoring is causing.

It is often more effective to go to the sofa for a night or two instead of buying an expensive anti-snoring breathing apparatus.

More tips for better sleep

I hope this overview has helped you and that you know more about how analyzing your snoring can increase your well-being.

 

If you’re interested in improving your sleeping habits, then do a little browsing and start getting a good night’s sleep today.

  • You may want to learn more about what to consider when choosing a cozy pillow .
  • Or maybe you just want to find out how to sleep better and give yourself a few hours of rest
  • However, many Germans may suffer from various sleep disorders that depress their well-being.
  • Last but not least, it also makes sense to know about current sleep research findings & apply them in practice.

Just jump to the point that seems most interesting and start creating a better quality of life today.

More about snoring:

I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.

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