“Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.”

- Anthony Burgess

Snoring — that loud, hoarse breathing during sleep — is a nuisance, whether it affects you personally or the person you share a bed with. And that’s a lot of people, since millions of people are consistent snorers, according to the World Sleep Foundation.

The sound originates in the very back of the mouth, where soft tissues of many structures meet. When these tissues vibrate together, snoring occurs. This phenomenon is much more common in men than in women, and normally increases with age.

Generally, snoring is not a cause for concern, unless it interferes with the sleep of others. But in some cases, it can be a sign of a severe medical condition called sleep apnea. In sleep apnea, people actually stop breathing for about 10 seconds at a time throughout the night, causing dangerous dips in blood-oxygen levels.

According to the National Institutes of Health, this disorder may contribute to high blood pressure and even stroke. So anyone who snores on a daily basis should be medically evaluated to rule out this condition.

But if sleep apnea is not involved in your snoring, then there are lots of techniques to try that may help reduce or even eliminate snoring. Here are ten simple suggestions that may help to reduce snoring:

1. Regulate your sleep.

There are two periods of sleep which, given the right circumstances, are particularly vulnerable to the development of unstable breathing. These are Stage 1 sleep, which should only occur when a person is first falling asleep but can occur many times during the night if sleep is poor; and REM sleep, which is the time when dreaming most frequently occurs.

If a person has very unbalanced sleeping habits during the week, it can result in the development of severe respiratory instability during sleep. It’s that simple: unstable sleeping patterns lead to unstable breathing. Therefore, all you need to do is regulate your sleep by getting at least 7.5 hours of it per night. Sometimes, this is all that is required.

2. Lose weight if you’re overweight.

Excess weight can contribute to a host of health problems, but it also narrows the airway, increasing the likelihood that those tissues will rub together. Bed partners almost invariably make the observation that the larger their snoring spouse becomes, the louder the snoring bellows, and the more often they hear snoring pauses followed by snorts, and a resumption of breathing. Conversely, in a large percentage of patients, weight loss down to an ideal weight has reversed the process.

3. Limit or avoid alcohol and other sedatives at bedtime.

It is the partial collapse of the airway (breathing tube between nose, mouth and lungs) that is the immediate cause of snoring, and its complete collapse that is the immediate cause of apnea. Alcohol causes too great a relaxation of the airway during sleep. This, and other effects of alcohol on the body, means that it can either cause or greatly contribute to the development of loud snoring and apnea. Limit yourself to less than one drink daily for women, or less than two drinks daily for men, and consume your last drink at least four hours before bedtime.

4. Avoid sleeping flat on your back.

Back-sleepers are more prone to snoring since this position allows the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway. If you are a habitual back-sleeper, try this method to retrain yourself: Stuff a tennis ball into a sock, and safety-pin the sock to the back of your pajamas. Each time you roll to your back during the night, you’ll feel uncomfortable and turn back to your side.

5. Elevate your head.

Sleeping with your head raised may take some of the pressure off the airway, making breathing easier and reducing snoring. Raise the head of the bed by putting blocks under the bed posts, or prop yourself up with pillows.

6. Get your allergies treated.

Chronic respiratory allergies may cause snoring by forcing sufferers to breathe through their mouths while they sleep. Taking a decongestant or antihistamine before bedtime may help. If your nose is blocked, try using over-the-counter saline spray or a humidifier to prevent snoring.

7. Don’t smoke.

Smoking has numerous undesirable effects on the body. Besides contributing to other respiratory problems, cigarette smoking causes obstructions to the airway: swelling of the mucous membrane in the nose, swelling of the tissue in the throat, and blockage of the small vessels in the lungs. Therefore, add this to another list of reasons why you should stop this nasty habit.

8. Avoid secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is just as harmful, and causes snoring in the same ways actual smoking does. Encourage your loved ones to quit, and avoid smoky restaurants and bars.

9. Improve your fitness level.

When you have poor muscle tone, you’re more likely to snore. Exercising tones and strengthens muscles all over the body, while also regulating your sleeping patterns. Aim for at least three cardio sessions and two strength training sessions each week.

10. Buy a mouth guard.

Your dentist or doctor may be able to prescribe an anti-snoring mouth guard that holds the teeth together and keeps the lower jaw muscles from becoming too lax.

In most cases, snoring isn’t caused by one single factor, but a mixture of many. If these suggestions don’t work, see you doctor for more ideas. There are lots of products and procedures designed to reduce snoring, from removable plastic nasal dilators to nasal surgery. If you or your loved ones are suffering from snoring, a good night’s sleep may be just a doctor’s visit away.

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