Learn How to Stop Snoring Effectively

Nearly everybody snores. Snoring is a nasal block that occurs while sleeping and is very common. If you are suffering from a common cold or other nasal impediment, then some amount snoring is nearly unavoidable.

However excessive snoring is a medical problem that needs to be examined and treated appropriately. In fact, excessive snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea in which an individual actually stops breathing for a few seconds, numerous times throughout the night. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Needless to say, this situation needs to be remedied right away.

But assuming that a sleep apnea isn't the problem, what actually causes excessive snoring?

It has been shown that being overweight makes excessive snoring more likely. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption also contribute to the occurrence of excessive snoring. And, not surprisingly, asthma and any sort of nasal infection will make any snoring even worse.

If you happen to be near an "excessive snorer" you may notice a sudden loud noise, or more commonly, that the mouth is open and there is a continuous loud noise at a volume that makes it nearly impossible for anyone nearby to sleep.

So, how do you stop snoring excessively?

First, understand that excessive snoring can be treated by a doctor. Your sleep pattern and position has a large impact on how much you snore. If you sleep on your side, snoring can be greatly reduced or even avoided. Excessive snorers generally sleep on their back with their mouth wide open. Your doctor may advise methods of keeping your jaw shut, such as by using a "sleep genie" in order to avoid snoring.

If excessive snoring is still a problem, then surgery may be required.

So, how do you know if your snoring remedy is working? If you share your bed with another person, ask them to help you keep a journal of how often you snore and what your body position was. Keep this journal every night for a period of several weeks to observe any changes.

Once a sleeping aid or course of treatment has been prescribed for you, keep another journal in which you describe the results. Has the snoring gotten better? Worse? Do any sleep positions work better than others? Does a device to keep your jaw shut at night actually help?

If you are taking medication, keep a record of what you take and when. Is it helping the symptoms? Are there any side effects? Keep track of when side effects occur and how severe they are. Having this information handy will help your doctor prescribe the treatment that best addresses your overall health.

Setting up journals like the ones described here is easy to do. You can use a paper worksheet, a computer word processing program, or even a spreadsheet program like Excel.

You owe it to yourself to take an active role in managing your own health. Excessive snoring is nearly unbearable for anyone who is near you when you sleep, and you need to use every tool at your disposal to make sure you resolve this problem.