Snoring is an unusual problem in that people often don’t realize that they are snorers until someone else points it out to them. Some people go through their childhoods without snoring, only beginning when they reach puberty or adulthood. Sometimes, it seems that snoring is, for all intents and purposes, something that people ‘grow into’. However, in other cases, there might be an identifiable cause, perhaps even a remedy.
Men Versus Women
It has always been held that snoring, and a similar condition called sleep apnea, are both conditions which seem to predominantly affect men, although the jury is still out as to why this is. Historically, snoring has been considered as “not very ladylike”, and so women have sometimes been reluctant to seek help with the condition.
We now understand that the picture is more complex than this. While it might still be true that men are somewhat more susceptible, it seems that women present with different symptoms for the same problems. Issues with snoring and sleep apnea are now thought to be caused by a combination of individual airway anatomy and hormone levels. This would explain why the condition presents differently in men and women. It might even help to drop by the dentist to check if your oral health is a cause for your snoring issues. If you need a recommendation, consider checking out this dentist in NC.
Overeating and Lack of Exercise
Being overweight can cause a variety of health problems, as can a poor diet. A poor diet can have detrimental health impacts that aren’t as visible as weight gain, particularly the build-up of fat in arteries. Similarly, not getting enough exercise can quickly begin to affect physical and emotional health.
Both overeating, and not taking enough exercise, cause fat to accumulate at various points on the body. When this fat begins to build up around the throat, it can put pressure on the airway. If your muscle tone is not sufficient, the extra weight can prevent proper breathing and lead to sleep apnea.
Excessive body fat seems to cause more trouble for men than women. This is because, in women, fat tends to accumulate in different areas.
What Can You Do About It?
Sleep hygiene is like your physical hygiene, it is a measure of how healthy you are in this area and how much effort you have put into taking care of yourself. Sleep is important. Many more people are suffering from sleep deprivation than realize they are, the effects of which are cumulative.
There are a number of treatment options available for those who want to bring their snoring under control. If your snoring is caused by being overweight, well, you already know the answer! Some people find that cutting out alcohol alleviates their sleeping issues, as alcohol interferes with sleep in a number of ways. You might also want to look into the anti snoring devices available. For other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, there are also therapy machines like Airmini, which is a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). CPAP machines send a constant flow of airway pressure to the throat to avoid breath pauses
There are several things you can do which will improve your quality of sleep overall. Sometimes this helps to alleviate snoring, and even if not, these are things you should do anyway. You can read a full guide on good sleep hygiene here, but in essence: make sure that your bed is comfortable, and that you are kept free from artificial light and noises when trying to sleep.
