“My wife used to say that I slept well but snored in my sleep. Though I slept well, I didn’t feel active throughout the next day. What could be the reason, doctor?” This is one of the many usual comments doctors get from their patients regarding their sleep cycle. But what many of them do not realise is that the lack of activeness may be due to snoring. Snoring isn’t a calibre to indicate the depth of your sleep.
It is a misconception that snoring while sleeping is an indicator of deep sleep. Snoring while sleeping is an unhealthy practice. ‘Sound sleep’ is the term used to denote a deep sleep. But snoring isn’t sound sleep, it’s just sound produced during sleep.
There are people who are empathetic enough to undergo therapy because their snores disturb others’ sleep. Snores will affect the person who is snoring. The sound indicates that parts of your respiratory tracts are affected.
Reasons
Some people have a very slender uvula and soft palate, which experience more dilation during sleeping. While breathing in, the frequency of vibrations is more in these parts, which causes snores.
People suffering from sinus, asthma, allergies, blocked nose, thickening of throat tissues and who have deviated nasal septum will also experience this issue.
Also, factors which inhibit proper breathing will contribute towards snoring.
Make sure you are not prone to cold and nose block very often. Children with this difficulty must be diagnosed and treated for tonsillitis. Having thhodhuvalai thuvayal, karpoorvalli rasam, thumbai poo nasiyam and thulasi saaru periodically may help get rid of this difficulty.
Chronic smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and ageing may also cause snoring.
For those who can’t accept the fact they are snoring, record the audio/video and show it to them. It would be useful if they are undergoing medical treatment. Also, it helps to find out whether the person is affected only with snores or also sleep apnea.
Symptoms And Manifestations
Some symptoms of snoring include a sore throat, irregular sleep, breathing difficulty, tiredness during the day, headache, etc.
If not treated, it might lead to fluctuated blood pressures, cardiac ailments, etc. It may also be connected to a condition called sleep apnea, where there will be inhibitions in the breathing process. Increased tiredness can be noticed, due to inadequate oxygen supply to the body and brain.
In rare cases, this inhibition in breathing could be fatal, too. If you feel tired despite an adequate amount of sleep in the night, then snoring might be the reason.
What Can Be Done?
When you get noticed by someone for your snoring, make sure you rejuvenate your body. Reduce your body weight, say a ruthless no to smoking and drink. Avoid self-medication, increase the height of your pillow, go for a walk. Avoid sleeping on the left side, as it manifests many ailments. Practising the exercises as guided by the physician will help to a great extent.
One of the best ways to avoid snoring is doing exercises which will assist you to strengthen your neck muscles. Nodding your head like ‘yes’, ‘no’ and sideways will help to a great extent. Doing yogasanas like pujangaasanam, thanuraasanam, omkaara pranayaama, and naadisuthi pranyaama to rejuvenate your oxygen levels will make a difference.
Rather than looking at snoring with ridicule, approaching it with concern will be the solution. Snoring isn’t just about noise pollution, it’s about an imbalance in your body too. Let’s learn about it and prevent it.