The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association has provided tips to cure snoring problems. It recommends working out whether snoring comes from the nose or throat, reports the Daily Express.
If you can make a snoring noise with your mouth open and closed, try this: stick your tongue out as far as it will go and grip it between your teeth.
Try to make a snoring noise. If it is reduced, you are probably a "tongue-base snorer", meaning your tongue is vibrating and causing the problem. If you are a "nose snorer" you snore with a closed mouth, it says.
The Association lists their solutions as follows:
1. Sleep on your side
The theory is that when we lie on our backs the tongue and muscles in the throat collapse, constricting the airway and causing snoring.
2. Higher pillows
This aims to keep the airways open by supporting the neck so the throat is less constricted. It works fairly well until you fall asleep and slump down in the bed.
3. Breathe Right Nasal Strips
These are supposed to open your nostrils from the outside and they certainly do seem to do this. They can also provide temporary relief from nasal congestion and stuffiness caused by colds and allergies.
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4. Snoreeze Oral Strips
These dissolving mint-flavoured strips target the main cause of snoring and are ideal if you tend to snore more when lying on your back. They contain a time-release formula, which coats the back of the throat throughout the night and reduces the vibrations of the soft tissues, helping to stop snoring.
5. Snoreeze Throat Spray
This lubricates and tones the soft tissues at the back of the throat that vibrate and make you snore.
7. Nozovent
This is a piece of flexible plastic which you push into your nostrils to make them wider and allow easier breathing. It looks like something from the Spanish Inquisition but users report good results.
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8. SomnoGuard
This is a bit like the gumshield worn by a rugby player, but it is reported to produce good results. The idea is to bring your lower jaw and tongue forward, making more space for breathing. The drawback is that it takes sometime to get used to and is costly.
9. Rhynil Herbal Spray
The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association says its herbal nasal spray shrinks the lining of the nostril, creating more space to breathe. It also tightens the tissue of the roof of the mouth, making it less likely to vibrate. It smells pleasant and a friend who tried it said it reduced snoring significantly.
10. Abstinence
You should cut down on cigarettes or, better still, give up completely. Also, try to have your last alcoholic drink at least four hours before you go to bed.
