How Can I Stop Snoring Permanently While Sleeping?
Has a roommate or a family member complained about your snoring? At times, snoring can be so loud that it affects other people in the room. If this describes you, it might be high time to get snoring appliances in Calgary, Alberta.
At times, heavy snoring is a sign that you have sleep apnea, a severe sleep disorder. This disorder is characterized by breathing pauses when the soft tissues at the back of the mouth collapse. But, it doesn’t mean that if you snore, you have sleep apnea.
Either way, it would not hurt if you came to our dentist’s office near you to get checked or even get the treatment that can help deal with snoring.
What Is Snoring?
As mentioned before, snoring is not necessarily a sign that you suffer from sleep apnea. On the flip side, you will snore if you have sleep apnea.
Everyone has those days when we snore, but some people snore every day. This means that their snoring is a chronic issue that disrupts other people in the room.
Snoring is a croaky, harsh, or hoarse sound that occurs whenever air flows past the over-relaxed soft tissues in your throat, causing them to vibrate when you breathe. In certain cases, snoring could be an indicator that there’s an underlying condition that needs to be addressed.
Lifestyle changes and snoring appliances in Calgary, Alberta, can help reduce disruptive snoring.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring can occur because of several issues that range from anatomy allergies to weight. Whenever you dose off and drift from light to deep sleep, the soft palate muscles (muscles in the roof of the mouth), throat, and tongue relax. These tissues can relax and partially block the air passage. So, when you breathe, these soft tissues vibrate.
The narrower your air passage becomes, the more forceful the airflow becomes. Therefore, there will be an increase in tissue vibration, which causes your snoring to become louder.
Here are some conditions that contribute to the blockage of the air passage when you are sleeping:
- Your mouth anatomy. If you have a low, thick, and soft palate, your airways can become narrow when you sleep. Plus, if you are overweight, the extra tissues in the back of the throat can also make the airways narrow.
- Sleep deprivation. If you are not getting enough sleep, it might cause further relaxation of the throat
- Sleep position. Snoring can become louder when you sleep on your back, and gravity’s effect on the throat can narrow the airways.
- Nasal problems. A crooked partition of the nostrils or chronic nasal congestion can contribute to snoring
- Alcohol consumption. Snoring can also be a by-product of too much alcohol consumption before bedtime
How Will You Know If Your Snoring Is Linked to Sleep Apnea?
When you experience chronic loud snoring, the chances are that you might have sleep apnea. However, you might need to have other accompanying symptoms to ascertain that you have sleep apnea, such as:
- Morning sore throats
- Restless sleep
- High blood pressure
- Chocking and gasping at night
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Loud snoring
- Difficulty concentrating
- Chest pain at night
- Morning headaches
- Witnessed breathing pauses when you sleep
You might not even notice most of these symptoms since they happen when you are asleep. So, you might need the help of a family member to check for the signs while you are sleeping. But in any case, it is best to visit our dentist near you to get checked.
How Is Snoring Treated?
Snoring isn’t necessarily a disease, but it could be a symptom of another disorder or underlying condition. So, if you have chronic snoring, our dentist may recommend that you get snoring appliances.
These appliances are similar in appearance to an athlete’s mouth guard and are placed in your mouth when you go to bed. At our dentist’s office near you, we have an innovative and effective snoring appliance known as Comfort Nite/Silensor. This appliance will ensure that your airway remains open since it shifts your lower jaw forward.
You can also incorporate lifestyle changes into your day, such as losing weight, avoiding excess alcohol before bed, changing your sleeping position, treating nasal congestion, etc.
Do you wish to say goodbye to snoring? Contact us at the Dental at the Met, and we would love to sort you out.