Perhaps friends or family have told you that you sound like you are sawing logs when you sleep because your snoring is so loud. You no doubt realize what a tremendous impact snoring has on your life and on the life of your sleeping partner. This article will give you some practical ideas for getting the problem under control.

Smoking causes your throat to swell, which in turn causes you to snore at night. One good way to prevent snoring is to stop smoking now. Try a smoking cessation class, over-the-counter nicotine patches or a prescription medication from your doctor. You will not only improve your health and prevent lung cancer, but you will sleep better at night.

Get a mouth guard. Visiting a doctor for a prescription mouth guard is a successful method for many who suffer from a rattling snore. The mouth guard prevents your jaw muscles from relaxing too much, preventing them from slipping back. This method may be costly, but if you are a persistent snorer, it is worth a try!

Not eating a large meal close to bedtime is one of the best ways to prevent snoring. When your stomach is too full, it can makes it’s way up to your diaphragm, thus, limiting your breathing and causing snoring. Stick with big meals at dinnertime and have a light snack instead before bed.

People who are constantly congested because of allergies are a lot more likely to experience snoring while they sleep. Congestion will have airways and nasal passages become narrow, which would block the air which will cause snoring. One option is to take a decongestant before your bedtime; however, you should only use products that are formulated for nighttime use. Otherwise, it may be difficult to fall asleep.

Buy a new pillow to help with your snoring. Sometimes all you need to stop snoring is to change pillows. Some pillows restrict your breathing passages. This makes you open your mouth in compensation and, when you breathe through your mouth, you start snoring. Try using a firmer pillow and one that elevates your head somewhat more than your old pillow.

Do not sleep on your back, instead try sleeping on your side. If sleeping on your side is not natural, you can try to remedy the problem. Tie a tennis ball to your waist, positioned against your back. The discomfort caused by rolling onto the ball can keep you on your side.

To limit your level of snoring during the night, refrain from smoking altogether. Smoking can constrict your airways, which can make it much harder for you to breathe at night. This will not only help you to reduce the intensity of your snoring but make you feel better as the night wears on.

Stop smoking to stop snoring. When you inhale tobacco smoke into your lungs, irritants are produced that affect your airway and nasal membranes. The resulting inflammation causes your throat to narrow and contributes to your snoring. Try not to smoke before going to bed, or better yet give it up all together.

If your snoring seems severe, you should speak to your doctor. You will probably need a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea. If you do, the doctor will probably recommend that you use a CPAP machine at nighttime. The CPAP machine forces air into your airways to keep them open. This keeps you from snoring and it also makes sure you are well oxygenated.

If you want to stop snoring, sleep in a different position. Most of the time, snoring occurs when a person sleeps on their back. This position allows the muscles in the throat to relax and collapse somewhat. This doesn’t happen when you sleep on your side, so choosing this position may help you, and your sleeping partner, get sleep that is more restful.

Many people are advocates of a cure aptly named “tennis ball cure”. Attach a tennis ball to the back of your shirt by sewing on a pocket or putting the ball into a sock and then sewing that on. What happens is that you feel the ball when you are on your back, and therefore you stop sleeping on your back, cutting down on your snoring. Once you are used to sleeping in this position, you can stop sleeping with the tennis ball.

Consult your doctor if you have allergies and have started snoring. Seasonal allergies are an often overlooked cause of snoring. A stuffed up nose or clogged sinuses causes you to breathe through your mouth, which can lead to snoring. Your doctor may recommend using a saline spray, humidifier or antihistamine.

Before reading this article, you may have felt at your wits end with your snoring problem. Now you can see that there are actually many different steps you can take to reduce the effects this condition has on you and your partner. Go ahead and try out some of these tips, and see what a difference they can make in your quality of sleep.

The Best Ways To Stop Snoring Today was originally published on Spring