Snoring

Snoring can be soft, loud, raspy, harsh, hoarse, or fluttering. Your bed partner may notice that you sleep with your mouth open and that you're restless while sleeping. If snoring keeps you or your bed partner from getting a good night's sleep, either or both of you may feel tired during the day.

To help prevent snoring, you can:

• Avoid the use of alcohol and medicines that slow your breathing, such as sleeping pills and tranquilizers.
• Eat sensibly, exercise, and stay at a healthy weight.
• Go to bed at the same time every night and get plenty of sleep. Regular sleep patterns help you sleep better, and more restful sleep may reduce snoring.
• Sleep on your side, not on your back. Sleeping on your back can increase snoring. Try sewing a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, putting a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitching it closed. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back.
• Quit smoking. This reduces inflammation and swelling in the airway, which may contribute to the narrowing of the airway.
• Raise the head of your bed 4 in. (10 cm) to 6 in. (15 cm) by putting bricks under the legs of the bed. (Using pillows to raise your head and upper body will not work.) Sleeping at a slight incline can prevent the tongue from falling toward the back of the throat and contributing to a blocked or narrowed airway.
• Promptly treat breathing problems, such as a stuffy nose caused by a cold or allergies. Breathing problems can raise the risk of snoring.

You may be able to treat snoring by making changes in your lifestyle and in the way you prepare for sleep. For example:

• Lose weight if you're overweight.
• Quit smoking.
• Sleep on your side and not your back.
• Limit alcohol and medicines such as sedatives before you go to bed.
• If a stuffy nose makes your snoring worse, use decongestants or nasal corticosteroid sprays.
• Try nasal strips or nasal disks. They attach to the outside of your nose to help with breathing during sleep.
• During sleep, use a device in your mouth that helps you breathe. It pushes your tongue and jaw forward to improve airflow.

If you snore and have sleep apnea, you may be able to use a machine that helps you breathe while you sleep. This treatment is called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP (say "SEE-pap"). In rare cases, surgery may be used to treat snoring.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You snore, and you feel sleepy during the day.
• Your sleeping partner or you notice that you gasp, choke, or stop breathing during sleep.
• You do not get better as expected.