Snoring can be disruptive of sleep, not only for the person that does it, but also to their sleeping partner (and sometimes even others in a different room!). While there are countless options for people to try, one of the simplest things for a person to attempt are different sleeping positions to stop snoring.
Believe it or not, the position a person sleeps can greatly influence their ability to snore. This is particularly helpful if you suffer from sleep apnea or have a condition such as a deviated septum or swollen uvula.
Place Something Under Your Chin To Stop Snoring
Placing something just under the chin can greatly reduce snoring. Snoring often occurs when there is a loosening of skin around the neck area, if you place something such as your hand or a small pillow under chin this will firm up the neck region and this lessens the ability for air to vibrate against the tissue in the neck region. Of course, the object can easily be brushed away during sleep and may not work for those that move around often during the night. See also our article on chin straps for snoring.
Prop Up Your Abdomen
Propping up the abdomen area is another great sleeping position to stop snoring. Many people opt to place a pillow under the small of their back. Not only does this provide additional comfort, but it also opens up the airways to allow easier breathing and less strain that brings on snoring. Several people have found this to be a great option that does not interfere with current sleeping positions.
Elevate Your Head
Elevating your head is another option for sleeping positions to stop snoring. Placing a pillow under your head can relieve some nasal congestion. This can greatly reduce snoring sounds, but some people have complained of neck pain from extending their head for a long period of time.
Try Sleeping On Your Side
Many avid snorers mostly do so through their mouth. Lying on your side will assist in keeping your mouth closed during sleep which can reduce the sound and ability to snore. Many people have found that using a full sized body pillow makes side sleeping more comfortable. However, a lot of people are able to snore through their nose and mouth so this may not assist some snorers. This can particularly help women who snore during pregnancy.
While you may be unable to sleep on your side, you should at least attempt to not sleep on your back. Most people that snore do so the loudest while they are on their backs. People who are natural back sleepers may have a difficult time conforming to any other position. One suggestion for putting an end to sleeping on your back is to tape golf balls to the back of your knees.
These Sleeping Positions May Help You Stop Snoring
Snoring is a common part of many people’s lives; however, it can be very disruptive for the snorer and those around them. Some of these sleeping positions to stop snoring may not be successful in completely ending it, but may reduce the ability to snore or at the very least the audibility. If your snoring continues despite your attempts to stop it, sleep apnea may be the cause. Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder and that poses many health risks, you should make sure this is not the cause for your snoring.
Remember you can always consider our mouthpiece for snoring. You can purchase our mouthpiece to stop snoring here.
Positional Therapy to Treat Sleep Apnea
What is Positional Therapy?
Positional therapy for sleep apnea is used to eliminate sleep apnea symptoms by altering the position in which a person sleeps. Positional therapy aims to prevent the airway from becoming blocked by encouraging it to remain open while a person is asleep. Positional therapy can be used to treat milder cases of sleep apnea, and if the treatment works, it can eliminate the need for more drastic treatment like surgery.
How does Positional Therapy work?
In positional therapy, a special device is worn around your waist to help you sleep on your side with the help of sleep position training. It uses "vibrotactile feedback" technology. It gently vibrates when you start to lie on your back during sleep. This vibration alerts your body to change position without waking you up.
The vibration acts as a warning, signalling your body to turn over before you end up in the position that causes sleep apnea. You can choose to purchase a device at a healthcare store and use it at home or visit a lab for a custom fitting.
As per the research, the side sleeping position is found to be the most effective to stop snoring and have a peaceful sleep. While diagnosing positional sleep apnea with a sleep test, your doctor may identify that you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Your doctor will then recommend positional therapy to treat your OSA and help you get a sounder, more restful night's sleep. Thus, positional therapy can be used as a treatment for milder cases of sleep apnea.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea and snoring affects millions of people worldwide, and it is a very common problem. It is a chronic condition, and therefore it may require treatment over time. Positional therapy is a user-friendly method of treating sleep apnea.
It is more affordable than the alternative treatments available, such as surgery. The side-sleeping position can be used as a treatment option for mild cases of sleep apnea. With the helpful advice in this article and the resources at hand, it is possible for you to rid yourself of sleep apnea for good. At the same time, positional therapy is a safe, effective way to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Related: Night Terrors In Adults & Children
