It’s 2020, you want to start the new year right, and the first think on your list is to stop snoring. Everyone thinks snoring is a natural occurrence because so many people do it. However, snoring is not normal. Regular snoring can disrupt your quality of sleep. This often leads to many complications such as daytime fatigue, irritability, and more serious health problems down the road. Here are 5 tips to help you stop snoring and achieve your New Year’s resolution!

1. Switch your sleeping position

Your sleeping position greatly affects the likelihood of snoring. Lying on your back causes the base of your tongue to collapse to the back wall of your throat, blocking the airway. Sleeping on your side or even raising your head off the bed a few inches can help prevent snoring. Additionally, there are pillows designed to keep you sleeping comfortably sideways. Getting a pillow that keeps your neck and spine aligned is ideal for keeping the airways open. A body pillow can also help you sleep on your side and prevent you from lying on your back. 

2. Tongue Exercises

Throat exercises strengthen loose and floppy throat muscles and prevent them from collapsing during sleep. Try these 3 exercises every night to strengthen your throat muscles:

• Close your mouth and purse your lips. Hold for 30 seconds.
• Say each of the vowels out loud. Repeat 20 to 30 times right before bed.
• Open your mouth and shift your jaw to one side. Hold for 30 seconds, then shift it to the other side and hold for another 30 seconds.

3. Watch What You Eat

Avoid inflammatory foods that increase mucus production. Eating heavy meals high in dairy, wheat, and sugar before bedtime causes our bodies to produce mucus that lines the throat and restricts the airway.

Additionally, you need to drink plenty of water throughout the day to make sure you’re well-hydrated. Not drinking enough liquids can also cause mucus in the throat to thicken.

Lastly, although alcohol doesn’t cause mucus production, it does loosen the muscles in your throat which increases snoring. So avoid heavy drinking.

4. Regular Exercise

Routine exercise promotes a regular sleep/wake schedule. Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring. Therefore, exercising regularly strengthens muscle tone throughout your body.

Often, exercise is good for your health and improves sleep quality. However, avoid strenuous exercise 3-5 hours before bed. Exercise raises body temperature, but during sleep, body temperature lowers. Increased body temperature at bedtime can confuse the regular sleep/wake schedule and disrupt sleep, increasing the probability of snoring.

5. Use an Oral Appliance

Oral appliance therapy is using a custom-fitted oral appliance, like a retainer or mouthguard while sleeping to help keep the airway open during sleep. Sleep appliances are specifically made by a dentist and designed to pull your tongue forward or keep your lower jaw in a forward position while you sleep. You can find a dentist near you using our provider tool.

Start this new year right, practice these helpful tips to stop snoring and improve your night’s sleep. With such easy steps, you’ll be surprised at how simple it is to keep your new year’s resolution for 2020! Stop snoring today.