Health & Lifestyle

How even mild snoring is bad for your heart – and two hacks to stop doing it, according to experts

  • Snoring can be linked to several health issues like heart disease and diabetes
  • Experts said that sleeping on your side and avoiding alcohol can reduce snoring
  • Get more sleep tips and advice on quitting snoring at our new wellness page!

It is perhaps the most infuriating of habits in any partner.

But snoring is generally seen as more of an irritant than a harmful health problem.

However, experts are now warning that making loud noises at night is not normal – and isn’t as inocuous as you may have thought.

Snoring, they say, could lead to lasting health issues

Dr Colin Sullivan, a sleep expert in Australia, told Salon that there is no such thing as ‘harmless’ snoring. 

In addition to being annoying, snoring has been shown to increase the risk of several different diseases, including heart disease and diabetes

In addition to being annoying, snoring has been shown to increase the risk of several different diseases, including heart disease and diabetes

‘Snoring is a forerunner of such disorders for so many people, probably the majority,’ he said.

As you drift off and fall into a deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth, tongue, and throat start to relax.  

However, if they relax too much, they can block the airway and vibrate, which causes snoring. 

Ear nose and throat doctor Dr Joorabchi suggests avoiding sleeping on your back to open up the airways and reduce the risk of snoring

The doctor also warned that alcohol leads to excessive relaxation of the muscles in the mouth and throat, which could lead to snoring

Dr Sina Joorabchi, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon in Florida, shared several tips on TikTok for how to stop snoring

Dr Sullivan said: ‘Snoring isn’t good for you. It damages the airway, it interrupts your sleep.’

He says that the problem is often a sign of a harmful condition called sleep apnea, which too often gets missed.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop throughout the night, sometimes for several seconds at a time.

TOP FIVE TIPS TO REDUCE SNORING 

Ear nose and throat consultant Jonathan Hobson shared his top tips for reducing snoring.

1. Reduced alcohol intake – Alcohol is a prime risk factor for snoring: it relaxes the muscles in the upper airways, causing them to collapse through the night and amplify snoring.

2. Sleep on your side – By sleeping on your back, you exacerbate snoring – however, sleeping on your side, or at the very least, having your face on the side, this reduces it.

3. Stick to a healthy weight – Weight reduction for those carrying excess weight can improve snoring – so much so that in some cases, symptoms can be eliminated.

4. Take a hot shower or bath – This can help to clear the airways, as may a humidifier in the bedroom.

5. Prop up extra pillows – A more upright position means less pressure on the airway from flesh in the neck, compared to lying flat.

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It can lead to loud snoring, gasping for air while asleep, insomnia, excessive sleepiness, and irritability.

Snoring is also known to disrupt deep sleep, which the body needs to produce growth hormones that repair the muscles, bones, and tissues.

Interrupted sleep has long been linked to a host of chronic health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. 

The Cleveland Clinic also states that snoring could lead to difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and an increased risk of heart attack. 

Snoring can also be a sign of a nasal blockage or chronic congestion, also known as chronic sinusitis. 

This occurs when the sinuses are swollen or inflamed. 

Several studies have suggested that snoring is far from harmless.

A study published last year by researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that people who snore have diminished brain health and could be at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. 

Additionally, experts in Sweden found that the lack of oxygen that snorers who have sleep apnea get could be linked to a greater chance of developing cancer.

Dr Sina Joorabchi, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon in Florida, posted a TikTok video last year with his tips to stop snoring.

One tip is to stop sleeping on your back. 

‘The more you lie on your back, the more the tissues in the back of your throat can collapse, thereby putting you at risk for snoring,’ he said. 

Dr Joorabchi also recommended propping yourself up at a 30-degree angle, such as with a pillow, to open up your airway.

Additionally, he suggested avoiding alcohol close to bedtime. ‘Alcohol basically relaxes the tissues in your throat,’ he said.

‘It’s going to obstruct it, so when air is passing through, it’s going to put you at a greater risk for snoring.’

Taking a hot shower or bath close to bedtime can also clear your airways and reduce the risk of snoring.  

TOP HACKS PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO STOP SNORING 

A survey by Mute in the UK of more than 2,000 people found 44 percent of those who snore or live with a snorer are so fed up with the noise, they would do anything do stop it.

The top hacks people have tried to stop snoring include: 

1. Using extra pillows

2. Drinking more water

3. Nasal strips/ dilator

4. Nasal spray before bed

5. Avoiding alcohol before bed

6. Avoiding alcohol completely (i.e. not just before bed)

7. Rubbing decongestant onto your chest before bed

8. Hot shower or bath before bed

9. Sleeping sitting up

10. Sleeping the other way round e.g. head at the end of the bed

11. Buying anti-snore pillows

12. Using a mouthguard

13. Saline rinses/ sprays

14. Exercise before bed

15. Eating mints before bed

16. Sipping warm honey and lemon before bed

17. Throat exercises

18. Snoring exercises

19. Wearing an eye mask

20. Drinking alcohol before bed

21. Having a humidifier on

22. Buy a snoring ring that’s meant to stop you snoring

23. Rubbing Vaseline or similar on the tip of your nose

24. Put a tennis ball in your PJs to stop you lying on your back

25. Taping your mouth

26. Putting a peg on your nose

27. Humming/ singing

28. Acupuncture

29. Wearing compression socks

30. Thyme oil on your feet


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