Finding Ways to Stop Snoring: What Kind of Snorer Are You?
Snoring brings misery to many people, not just those who snore, but to their partners as well. Inevitably snoring leads to a lack of sleep, consequently leading to relationship problems, poor performance at work, risks when driving amongst other problems. Finding ways to cure snoring then can bring considerable benefits to those who snore and indeed their partners.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring is caused by vibrations of the soft palate and other tissue in the mouth, nose & throat (upper airway). These vibrations are caused by a partial blockage that may be located anywhere from the tip of the nose to the vocal chords. During waking hours our muscle tone keeps the airway in good shape; which means that we don’t snore when we are awake.
The good news is that snoring can be controlled. Most snorers tend to take the ‘hit and miss’ route to finding a solution, which inevitably leads to disappointment. The first step is to identify what sort of snorer you are.
Find the Cause of Your Snoring – Nose Test
Look in a mirror and press the side of one nostril to completely closing it. Breathe in through your other nostril with your mouth closed. If the nostril tends to collapse, try propping it open with the clean end of a matchstick. If your breathing is easier then this suggests that this is the cause of your snoring.
Now, try breathing in through your nose with your mouth closed. If you are not able to breathe well through your nose you may have nasal stuffiness caused by an allergy. You might want to think about whether you have feather pillows and bedding, seasonal allergies (such as hay fever) pet hair, dust mites, cleaning products or perfumes.
Find the Cause of Your Snoring – Mouth Test
Try opening your mouth and making a snoring noise. Now try closing your mouth and trying to make the same noise. If you can only snore with your mouth open then you are a “mouth breather”.
Find the Cause of Your Snoring – Tongue Test
Now, try sticking your tongue out as far as it will go and grip it between your teeth. Try to make a snoring noise. If the snoring noise is reduced with your tongue in this forward position then you are probably what is described as a “tongue base snorer”.
Beating Snoring With Hypnosis
Because snoring is about the way in which you breathe when you are asleep, you can actually re-train yourself to breathe differently. If you can be trained to breathe through your nose rather than your mouth then your snoring will be cured. You can actually re-train the way you breathe while you sleep and stop snoring through hypnotherapy, either self-administered or by a hypnotherapist. One significant difference with this approach is that it can help not only the snorer, but can help their partner as well by training them to block out the noise and helps them at last to get a good night’s sleep.
Find out more about beating snoring with hypnosis here
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