Snoring Solutions
According to the U.S. government's patent office (this is where you go to register
an idea or invention), hundreds of anti-snoring devices are on the market. Some
of them startle you awake when they sense you are snoring. Unfortunately, they may
only work because they keep you awake!
Those small white strips some football players wear across their noses that kind
of look like a bandage are another anti-snoring device. Football players wear
them during the game to breathe easier while running a play or making a tackle. Some
people wear these breathing strips to try to stop snoring.
Other snoring solutions include tilting the top of a bed upward a few inches, changing
sleeping positions (from the back to a side), and not eating a heavy meal (or for
an adult, not drinking alcohol) before bedtime. These kinds of "cures" may work
only for someone who snores occasionally and lightly — or they may not work
at all.
If you can't stop snoring or the snoring becomes heavy, it's a good idea to
see a doctor. He or she might tell you how to keep your nasal passages clear
and will check your tonsils and adenoids to be sure they aren't enlarged and don't
have to be removed.
Some people need to lose weight, change their diets, or develop regular sleeping
patterns to stop snoring. It may be helpful to remove allergy triggers (stuffed animals,
pets, and feather/down pillows and comforters) from the person's bedroom. The
doctor might also suggest medications for allergies or congestion due to a cold.
If someone might have sleep apnea, the doctor will order a test
to monitor the person during sleep. This is usually done in a sleep center (a medical
building that has equipment to monitor breathing during sleep). The person is
attached to machines that check heart rate, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, eye
movement, chest wall movement, and the flow of air through the nose. The
doctor can then tell if the person has a disorder like sleep apnea. The best
thing about the test is that it doesn't hurt at all. After all, you sleep right through
it!
Once doctors know what's wrong, a person can be treated for it, usually with
lifestyle changes, sometimes medicines, or even surgery, if necessary.
Solving a snoring problem lets everyone breathe and sleep a little easier!