How To Stop Snoring

Snoring is a common phenomenon in American bedrooms -- roughly 90 million adults in the U.S. are affected, according to the National Sleep Foundation, and more than a third of adults say that they snored at least a few nights weekly during the past year.

Side effects of snoring go beyond the annoying rumbles -- the condition can affect the snorer's health with complications that include daytime exhaustion, weight gain and even cardiovascular disease. And it can also disturb a partner's sleep and sometimes result in separate bedrooms or even divorce.

"It's miserable for both of you," says Dr. Jordan Josephson, a New York ear nose and throat specialist in this interview with Howdini. "It's the number one medical cause for divorce or breakups of relationships."

But that doesn't mean you can't do anything to solve the problem -- the first step is to become a "detective" in order to figure out the underlying problems, Josephson says. See the rest of his stop-snoring tips here:

WATCH:

Comments

[NatashaP]

08:35 AM on 07/18/2011

Great article! Another product that I found to work wonders is the SnoreMeds mouthpiece. It basically works by holding your lower jaw slightly forward while you sleep and this ensures that your throat stays open while you sleep. The air is then able to flow through a lot easier, and therefore doesnt cause the vibrations you hear as snoring.

[kathleens]

03:50 PM on 06/06/2011

True Story:

My husband snored and had moderate-to-severe sleep apnea for about twenty years. I got used to it, so the sound of it never really bothered me. It was worrisome, though, because sleep apnea is a health hazard.

Last year, he went on a diet a lost 20 pounds. He did that because his blood pressure was edging up, and he'd high cholesterol for about 10 years. Nothing serious, but health issues were coming up.

A year later, he is off all his medications. His blood pressure and cholesterol are normal. Other side effects: No more snoring, no more sleep apnea. It's gone, as is the acid reflux that was keeping him up a couple of nights per/week. Twenty pounds was all it took.

[NatashaP]

06:42 AM on 06/06/2011

The nasal strips may not work for you if your snoring is caused by the muscles in your throat becoming too relaxed while you sleep. If this is the case then one of the better solutions is to try an anti-snoring mouthpiece. The mouthpiece works like a splint and shifts your lower jaw forward, ensuring your throat/airway remains open while you sleep. This ensures that the air will flow through freely and unobstructed, eliminating the vibrations you hear as snoring. The mouthpieces that you find at www.snoremeds.com also come in a smaller size - so women who suffer from snoring can be sure that they can also try using the mouthpiece to cure their night-time problem.

[Freedom Rush]

09:42 AM on 06/04/2011

seperate bedrooms works wonders

[JeffJeckyll]

05:00 AM on 06/04/2011

move out

[jsand96876]

11:38 PM on 06/03/2011

Try using Breath Right strips. Don't use them on your nose, instead use them to tape your wife's ears shut. That's the only thing they are good for.

[Barry Clarke]

11:58 PM on 06/03/2011

I was thinking about the mouth......

[myviews]

09:13 PM on 06/03/2011

Stop dairy and the snoring will often go away. Really. Try it. Stopping dairy saved my sons from unnecessary surgery - one that their friends are getting - to take out the adenoids. It's never recommended before the voice changes for boys. And if they stop dairy completely, most never need the surgery. Try it - before surgery on kids. You won't be disappointed.

[JessiChamberlin]

10:54 AM on 06/02/2011

Lose 5 lbs, that will stop snoring. Some people have small mouths/air passages and it can't be helped but most people have fat stored in those areas making air passage tighter. Losing weight will help stop snoring, you'll sleep better and feel like a million bucks. http://blog.mydiscoverhealth.com/

[jamalc]

12:34 PM on 06/02/2011

YEP! I snore when I weigh over a certain number... take it up even higher and I'm straight up suffering from sleep apnea... a lower number and I sleep like a baby on nyquil!

[onionboy]

02:19 PM on 06/03/2011

That was my first response, but after knocking off twenty I got the same info from my wife. If I lost more I'd start to look sickly. So, I ended up with a CPAP, and that works like a charm.

But I agree, weight loss is the first thing that people should try. Even if it doesn't affect snoring, you've lost weight.

[RhiannonRings]

08:50 PM on 06/05/2011

What about skinny people who snore?