Nobody wants to sleep next to someone who snores. Snoring is usually made fun of or depicted in a comedic way in movies or TV shows, but it isn’t funny at all. Snoring typically can wake up the snorer, or it can cause poor sleep patterns for the person who sleeps in the same bed as the snorer.
What Causes Snoring?
You breathe through your nose and mouth. If your airflow is blocked or inhibited via congestion, the throat and tongue relax, which causes blockage and vibrations. These vibrations result in loud noises, snoring. If the airways are narrower, the snoring will be louder. Sometimes snoring can be attributed to other causes, which are listed below.
- Alcohol consumption (relaxes muscles, including the tongue and throat, and can cause congestion)
- Nasal problems (chronic nasal congestion or atypical nostril pattern)
- Sleeping position (higher chance of snoring if you sleep on your back)
- Sleep apnea
- Sleep deprivation (less sleep than usual can lead to snoring)
Natural Remedies
Humidify and Humidify Again
Dry air can be contributing to your snoring because it makes nasal and throat membranes dry, which contributes to congestion. This inhibits airflow and causes your tissues to vibrate, i.e. snoring. Add a humidifier to your room and use essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, and chamomile.
Drink Cardamom Tea
Cardamom helps to naturally decongest your nasal passages, which opens up blocked airways. This results in better air passage and less snoring. Add ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder to 8oz of hot water and stir. Drink this 30 minutes before bed daily to help reduce snoring.
Raise the Head of Your Bed
If you raise the head of your bead about 4 inches, this can help prevent your tongue from falling back and blocking your throat while you sleep. This may help to open up your airways. You’ll need sturdy blocks of wood that are about 1-2 inches thick. Add several of these blocks, one by one, under the two bedposts where you lay your head. Make sure this is steady and not wobbly. If you don’t want to do this, you can adjust your pillows to help elevate your head and open your airways.
Garlic
In addition to the many things garlic can do for the body, it can also help reduce mucus build-up in nasal passages. It also works to decrease inflammation in the respiratory system. This is going to be intense, but chew on one raw garlic clove, spit it out, and drink 8oz of water before bed. This should help reduce snoring.
Keep the House Clean
We know this is everyone’s favorite thing to do, so keep it up! Keeping your home clean can pay off when you go to sleep. Allergens like dust, animal hair, or pollen can cause congestion and impair proper airflow, both of which contribute to snoring. It’s also recommended to regularly change your air filters in your house.
Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives
It is best to avoid alcohol beverages and sedatives roughly two hours before going to sleep. Both alcohol and sedatives can relax your throat tissue, causing it to expand and block proper airflow. This results in snoring.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
