Some Ways to Stop Snoring and Get Your 40 Winks

What is "Sleep Apnea"? The word "apnea" in Greek translates to meaning "without breath." Sleep Apnea is a condition where the sleeper stops breathing several times during the sleep cycle. This may only last a few seconds or so, but it is still a lack of oxygen. And usually a person who has this condition is not really getting sufficient sleep because it is interrupted periodically. The most common type of Sleep Apnea is Obstructed Sleep Apnea, this happens when the airway is blocked during sleep. This may explain why some people mysteriously died in their sleep. A person can have Sleep Apnea and only have occasional snoring. Obstructed Sleep Apnea seems to be common in people who tend to be overweight.

Who is at risk for Sleep Apnea:

People who are overweight, middle-aged men and women and anyone who has a family member with Sleep Apnea.

Some stop snoring tips:

Some helpful tips to stop snoring can be just simple lifestyle changes. If you are a little overweight, losing a few pounds may help improve, not only your general health , but your snoring as well. Cutting back on smoking and alcohol and dairy products help also. Getting more exercise will help you to sleep better.

The number one most effective thing you can do, is to change your sleeping position. If you normally sleep on your back, try sleeping on your side. Raise the angle of your head with a pillow, this will help keep your tongue from rolling back. You could also raise the head of your bed if you like. Changes in lifestyle and sleeping position usually cure most snoring problems.

Do these stop snoring products really work?

There are a ton of stop snoring products out on the market, some work and some don't. I would suggest that you could try 1 or 2 of them, but it's all trial and error. The chin strap apparatus seems to be very popular with people who snore, but although it may stop you from snoring, if you have a Sleep Apnea condition it will not cure it. There are stop snoring products like throat sprays, nasal spray, mouth guards and other devices aimed at correcting the causes of snoring.

The best advice would be to go see your doctor, he may want to run some medical tests or monitor you while you sleep. There is a machine that measures your breathing and records the time when it stops and for how long. If you do have Sleep Apnea these stop snoring products will not be of much use. Your doctor can advice you of other options in that case. There are surgical procedures if your doctor thinks it may be necessary. If not treated Sleep Apnea can cause high blood pressure, and other factors for cardiovascular disease leading up to heart failure.

Resources:
http://www.sleepapnea.org/
http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/snorescore.html
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_WhatIs.html