A Natural Approach To Health
Living With Snoring
I had a question the other day about snoring.
You snore when the flow of air from your mouth or nose to your lungs makes the tissues of your throat vibrate when you sleep.
This can make a loud, raspy noise.
This usually is caused by a blockage (obstruction) or narrowing in your nose, mouth, or throat (airway).
Loud snoring can make it hard for you and your partner to get a good night’s sleep.
You may not know you snore.
Your bed partner may notice the snoring and that you sleep with your mouth open.
If snoring keeps you or your bed partner from getting a good night’s sleep, one or both of you may feel tired during the day.
Snoring may point to other medical problems, like obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can be a serious problem, because you stop breathing at times during sleep.
So if you snore often, talk to your health care professional about it.
Snoring is more common in men than in women.
When you sleep, the muscles in the back of the roof of your mouth (soft palate), tongue, and throat relax.
If they relax too much, they narrow or block your airway.
As you breathe, your soft palate and uvula vibrate and knock against the back of your throat.
This causes the sounds you hear during snoring.
Your tonsils and adenoids may also vibrate.
The narrower the airway is, the more the tissue vibrates, and the louder the snoring is.
You don’t snore when you’re awake because the muscles in your throat hold the tissues in the back of your mouth in place.
Snoring may be caused by:
>Enlarged tissues in your nose, mouth, or throat. Enlarged tonsils are a frequent cause of snoring in children.
>Blocked nasal passages, which make it more difficult to inhale. This affects the tissue of the throat, which may pull together during the extra effort it takes to breathe, which in turn narrows the airway.
>A deviated nasal septum, which disturbs airflow in your nose.
>Loss of muscle tone in your throat, which makes it easier for tissue to collapse. This can be due to aging or lack of fitness.
Other things that may contribute to snoring include:
>Drinking alcohol, which depresses the part of your brain that regulates breathing. This can overly relax your tongue and throat muscles, causing them to partially block air movement.
>Obesity. Fat in your throat may narrow your airway.
>Medicines that relax you or make you drowsy, like those taken for allergies, depression, or anxiety.
You may be able to treat snoring by making changes in your lifestyle and in the way you prepare for sleep.
To deal with snoring it’s beneficial to:
*Drink 6-8 cups of purified water daily as it hydrates body and brain cells, thins mucus, and flushes toxins.
*Increase Omega-3 essential fats.
*Increase stress relief/relaxation techniques.
*Explore energy medicine techniques (EFT).
*Consider herbs like chamomile and valerian.
*Increase deep-breathing techniques.
*Increase exercise, activity, sunshine, outdoors, fresh air.
*Sleep in complete darkness with no night light as this promotes melatonin.
*Decrease blood sugar fluctuations/hypoglycemic tendencies.
*Decrease possible triggers, allergies, sensitivities.
Decrease toxic household cleaning, laundry, and personal care products and/or poor air quality.
*Decrease sugar and chemical-laden junk and processed foods.
*Decrease caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.
*Do not read/watch upsetting books/TV before bed.
*Avoid eating in the 2-3 hours before bed.
*Avoid exercise before bed.
*Research short- and long-term effects of sleep medications.
Recommendations:
It is essential to use: VitaLea, Protein, VitalMag, Gentle Sleep Complex, Stress Relief Complex, DTX, Herb-Lax, Alfalfa.
It is important to use: Lecithin, EZ-Gest, B-Complex (some find an evening dose helps relaxation; some find it too stimulating past dinner).
It is beneficial to use: Optiflora, Vitamin C, CoQHeart, Vitamin D.
email: lenayphillipps@gmail.com
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