How to Stop the Snore and Restore Rest without a CPAP
Funny, this was the only clip art I could find of a WOMAN snoring!!
I had to face the awkward truth.
I tried to ignore it.
The data was irrefutable.
I snore.
Studies published in different sleep and medical journals suggest that at least 20-30% of women in my age bracket snore. So I am not alone. But it feels so cringey to be guilty as charged.
There’s no ignoring it, so lets dig into why people snore, when to worry, and how to prevent it. And I will share what I have learned to dramatically decrease my own nocturnal orchestra.
Why Do We Snore?
Sleeping Position:
Did you know back sleepers snore more? Sleeping sunny side up, can actually cause the tongue and soft palate to collapse, obstructing the airway.
Nasal Congestion: The Stuff Snores are Made of
Blocked nasal passages due to allergies, colds, or sinus issues can lead to snoring as airflow becomes restricted.
Weight and Lifestyle:
Excess weight, especially around the neck, can put pressure on airways. Lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol consumption may relax throat muscles, contributing to snoring.
Perhaps the most surprising cause to me…
Hormonal Changes:
During perimenopause and later, declining estrogen and progesterone can increase muscle relaxation, including the muscles responsible for keeping airways open while you sleep. Furthermore, changes in fat distribution can cause more to accumulate around your neck and throat. If that is not insult enough, hormonal fluctuations can contribute to insomnia and fragmented sleep, which only exacerbates snoring and contributes to the development of sleep apnea.
Man, I feel like a woman. And snore like a man. Sigh.
When Snoring Might Be Sleep Apnea:
Maybe he wasn’t evil, just cranky. Couldn’t they have put a CPAP into that mask?
Loud and Persistent Snoring:
Intense, chronic snoring may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Especially alarming are pauses followed by gasps in breathing during sleep. Ask your partner to report or record yourself to verify this.
Daytime Fatigue:
If you snore heavily and feel excessively tired during the day, it could be a red flag for sleep apnea disrupting your sleep quality. This is what really had me worried and motivated to dig in. I was finding myself tired in the day and couldn’t tease out if it was stress, or disrupted sleep. Probably both. (This is what untangling health issues looks like!)
Morning Headaches:
Frequent headaches upon waking may be linked to the oxygen deprivation that occurs with sleep apnea. I am lucky not to report these. But I’ve worked with clients who wake up like they partied sorority-style the night before. This is a red flag for sure!
Other Symptoms:
I slept fine, why do you ask?
Difficulty concentrating or memory problems.
High blood pressure or other cardiovascular issues.
I felt I was sliding down this slippery slope but still hesitant to dig into the CPAP route. I am not against them if you need them. They can work miracles! But I believe in exhausting all front-line avenues first. So what prevents snoring?
Preventative Steps—some general tips:
Maintain a Healthy Weight:
Losing excess weight can reduce the pressure on your airways, decreasing the likelihood of snoring and sleep apnea. Note: snoring does not mean you are overweight! Carrying extra weight just increases the likelihood of snoring.
Experiment with Sleep Positions:
Sleeping on your side can prevent the collapse of the throat and tongue. So can sleeping elevated. I’ve tried for years to sleep on my back (it’s supposed to prevent face wrinkles) and just can’t do it! Now I have permanent sleep lines and I STILL snore, but at least I can stop fighting the side sleeping. (Incidentally, side sleepers that don’t snore report more spooning 😉)
Address Nasal Congestion:
Treat allergies or congestion to ensure unobstructed airflow. John Candy demonstrated effective sinus clearing in this short, instructional clip. Additionally, you can discourage mouth breathing with mouth tape and other practices to help increase nose breathing capacity.
Regular Exercise:
Engage in regular physical activity to improve overall health and potentially reduce snoring.
Address airflow through your nose to improve sleep quality.
Steps in the day can mean steps toward better sleep!
Personal Case Study.
Unfiltered proof of sleep lines and exhaustion. Oh the horror!
In the last eventful months*, I have put on some weight, neglected my workouts, and now sleep somewhere unfamiliar. I miss my bed so much! And my fancy pillows! So my occasional snoring bloomed into full blown buzzsaw cacophony. Living in closer quarters makes this even more mortifying and I went on a crusade to stop it. I worried if I didn’t have sleep apnea, I was headed there.
*at the time of writing, I am in the middle of an extensive mold remediation, displaced from my home, and steeped in financial and emotional drama. A tough chapter I am looking forward to getting through so my whole family can sleep better!
Getting Real with Myself.
No one wants to admit they snore. I didn’t. My sweet husband was evasive with his answers and didn’t want to hurt my feelings. His ear plugs and sleep aids spoke louder than he did.
I downloaded a free app called SnoreLab. Ladies, do it! You can’t argue with hard data. It quantifies the levels of snoring and the percentage of your snooze spent in siren song.
Here is the link in to check it out for iOS. And here is for Android.
Here is my first sample:
I died when I saw this. I died harder when I HEARD it. I died to see it quantified as EPIC. That’s a word I reserve to describe giant impacts, like failures, clearance sales or really amazing things…like cheese samples. An hour and 35 minutes of my night was spent in EPIC snorefest!
Forget Beauty, I was a Sleeping Beast!
Suddenly I couldn’t deny or minimize it. I had the disturbing truth of my sleep disturbance right in front of me.
This app shares ideas of how to resolve this. I wanted to try everything before taking the sleep apnea route. I began experimenting.
I purchased so many gadgets to try:
A neck brace that guaranteed no snore. My snoring actually went up and I woke up with a stiff neck.
Mouth tape. No difference in snoring (but other benefits—another post for another day!)
A chin strap that did nothing but make me feel stupid.
A mouth piece so uncomfortable, I threw it across the room in my sleep.
I started doing exercises the app walks you through. Who knew tongue exercises entailed more than just tying cherry stems in knots? It’s probably too soon to call if that will help me or not, but reviews are promising.
With experimentation, I was shocked to find what worked for me.
Positional therapy: a fancy word for sleeping propped up.
When I combined that with mouth tape, I got my best score yet! And shocker, it worked better wehn I piled pillows up than when I bought a fancy wedge pillow designed for snorers. Check it out:
—————————————————->
Lion’s roar to little purr….
From an EPIC 69 to a tiny little 5.
I’ll take it! I was so happy this day. I woke up feeling rested and had enough energy for a happy dance!
Apparently snoring is hard work. I wake up more tired and with less reported sleep on my Fitbit on nights when I snore despite spending the same amount of time in bed. Rude!
Sleep quality is paramount to health. To hormonal balance, metabolism, mental performance mood, immune function…everything! So this is worth every effort to engage in.
I consider those ZZZz a call to action. I plan to stay the course until I can get a few pounds off, strengthen my “anti-snore” muscles, and get back into a regular bed. Hopefully me and my loved ones can enjoy more silent nights and fewer rumbles in the jungle and I can dial in my stress levels and get better rest.
If you are stuck in the snore zone, you have options! See what works for you. Like with so many health outcomes, it will look different for everyone and take time and experimentation, but its empowering to know that we have more control than we think we do.
Sleep, hormonal issues, fitness…these are all pieces of your health puzzle and we address them and more on a wellness journey. My client report improved sleep even if it wasn’t one of their primary complaints when we started working together!
Reach out if you are ready to talk about your health journey! Drop me an email anytime!
And here’s to a good night sleep!
P.S. This post isn’t meant to replace medical advice and may not keep you from needing/pursuing a sleep study and CPAP prescription. I just encourage us to keep options open before rushing to the most invasive step. Let me know if something works for you!
