Help with Snoring - Olathe,KS

I'd start with using a saline solution before bed, adding another pillow so you are not laying down so flat and using a Breathe Right strip.

My SO has sleep apnea and was originally prescribed the CPAP machine. He didn't like it either and couldn't get use to it. So, the doctor referred him to a dentist to have a mouth guard made. He's had that for a few years now and has had no problems and his snoring has stopped.

You need to see a doctor. It could be allergies, it could be weight, it could be other things - you need to figure out why. Don't assume a CPAP. But honestly, if you need it, then you need it. If you need a CPAP machine, it's because you're not getting enough oxygen (I think).

My husband snored REALLY badly, but he's been working out and eating right for about a year, lost 60 lbs, and his snoring improved drastically. It's not all the way gone, but I can sleep in the same room with him if I fall asleep first.

Try an allergy med in the evening and saline nasal spray before bed.
Forget the OTC snore remedies.
It's not about actual allergies, it's about keeping your sinuses clear and moist.
Don't discount the seriousness of sleep apnea.
It's not just about snoring.
It can cause high blood pressure, heart damage, damage to other organs, has been linked to dementia, etc.
It's about enough oxygen getting to your body.
Most sleep apnea is revealed due to a complaining spouse.
A sleep study could save your life--and make a significant improvement in your life as well.

A do toe needs to Rx a sleep study.
CPAP therapy isn't cheap or easy--but it works, and IF you have sleep apnea? It's essential, be it pleasant or unpleasant.
Good luck!

ETA:
BTW, you do not have to be "obese" for sleep apnea. Certainly not the case with my husband. Losing weight can help snoring, but not sleep apnea. My husband stopped breathing almost 100 times in his 6 hour study!
Talk to your doc. See what s/he says & recommends.

Hi M.. I'm going to give you the number one reason for snoring and sleep apnea, according to what I know as an EMT/Medic and medical case manager.

Obesity.

I see back in your post history that you were asking about a product to lose weight, so I can logically conclude that you're working on it. Keep at it. Talk with your doctor about what you can do to lose. You'll find that as you get to a healthy weight, your snoring and sleep apnea will likely resolve.

Losing some weight helps make the snoring go away.
In the mean time you can try those Breathe Right strips that hold your nose open over night.

My MIL gave us a bottle of an essential oil blend called Le Breezey. You can purchase it at Butterfly Expressions, I will provide the link for you. Anyway, you just put a few drops under your pillow. It really helps open the airways. I notice a considerable difference when we use it. My MIL swears by this essential oil. I also really liked to mix it into moisturizer and spread on my chest if I had a cold or sinus infection, to open up my airways.

http://www.butterflyexpressions.org/Blends/Breezey.html

BTW my dad has a CPAP machine, after years of horrendous snoring, and it has been such a great thing for them. It doesn't bother him at all, he says.

I would maybe consider having a sleep study done. It could be your tonsils and it could be your adenoids. Allergies would def play a roll in your sleeping and so could weight and many other issues. My DH was a horrible snorer too and after he dropped 60+ lbs in about 6 months he no longer snores, so I strongly feel weight is a huge factor. Have you tried sleeping a little more propped up? Like don't sleep completely flat but more like a sitting up position? I def think a sleep study would help. They check your vitals during sleep, they check your heart rate, how much O2 you are getting during sleep, they check blood pressure, they check what stages of sleep you are going through, BP... you might be able to find some good answers with that. Good luck!

Go to an ENT and get a sleep study, before worrying. And if you need one, CPAP's aren't that bad. Once you start feeling like you are living again and not exhausted everyday, you grow to love your little machine. Losing weight is also much easier when you have energy to be motivated to eat right and exercise. Sometimes you can get rid of the CPAP if you lose the weight. For others it is not weight related and caused by large tonsils or other things.

Well, I am also a snorer.... it was getting so bad that I was chasing my dear hubby out of the bedroom because my snoring was so loud!

My solution? (You're not going to like this, sorry....)

When hubby said it sounded like maybe I was stopping breathing, I immediately thought of sleep apnea.... he recorded it one time, and frankly, it was scary!

I immediately made an appointment with my PCP, who referred me to an ENT, who scheduled me for a sleep study...

Yep, I have sleep apnea.......

It took a while, but less than a month later, I got my CPAP machine, and I really had absolutely NO problems getting used to it... by the second night, I was using it for the entire night!

I ABSOLUTELY love my CPAP......... and... I get a MUCH better night's rest! I've been using it since 2004.......

Really.... if you do have sleep apnea, it can affect MANY health areas.....

Please rethink your attitude toward using a CPAP machine..... it can be a life-saver!

First of all, you need to have a sleep study to see if it is sleep apnea. If it is, your only options are surgery (major) or use a CPAP machine. It is not a big deal and it will improve your life big time. Drop the idea that you don't want to use one, it is not helping this situation.

Hi M.,

Valerian Root. It is impossible to snore when you are in deep sleep, known as REM sleep.Valerian root relaxes you enough to get restful sleep. You don't wake up groggy but refreshed. If you're snoring, you aren't getting ANY rest! I tried it on my husband. It works. My resources say it takes a couple of weeks to get in your system good but my husband reacted immediately!

Hope this helps.
M.

Hello M., I had same prob with my hubby. There are many causes for snoring like age, alcohol, smoking, overweight & sleeping position. You can solve this problem by finding solutions to these.

You need a sleep study. If you are diagnosed with OSA and a Cpap/Bipap is what's ordered, you should be compliant and wear it. I know they are uncomfortable, unsexy, loud...but it will save you years on your life. Untreated OSA tears up your heart and effects your other organs because you are continually depriving your body of oxygen at night. If they determine it's being caused by a nasal abnormality, then you might be a cannidate for ENT. Don't wait. You family needs you to live a long life.

I began snoring in my 50's, but never had the $3000+ required locally for a sleep study, and doubted my ability to adjust to a CPAP machine anyway, so I experimented for several weeks with pillow placement. I learned that raising my head higher, on a second small pillow, has done the trick for me. A travel pillow is extremely adjustable so I can get my head propped just right to prevent the collapse of my throat as I relax into sleep. It's been working well for years.

I actually discovered this approach out of desperation during a bad cold that made breathing difficult anyway. It does tend to make my ear a little sore, but it's easy to rub a little hollow into the pillow where my ear will rest.

well, the CPAPs are cumbersome and annoying, but if your problem is actually sleep apnea, it could prolong your life. that's worth some inconvenience.
but i do think they're over-proscribed. like you, i'd prefer to try other options first. to start with, are you making sure your nasal tissues are moisturized? a couple of sprays of saline solution before you go to bed, and a breathe-right strip, in addition to a humidifier, might just be all you need. perhaps a swipe of vapor-rub inside your nostrils.
good luck!
khairete
S.

Have you had a sleep study? Have you seen an ENT? You might just need a nasal spray. If you have had a sleep study and need the CPAP you best get on it. Is it sexy and comfortable, no. But it's better than ruining your heart of falling asleep at the wheel.

As for "A CPAP machine is not the glorious thing people make it out to be. I know people who use them and still do not sleep any different." - unless you have a sleep issue and use one you have no idea! They save lives. And people who can't adjust to them are lazy because it takes time and effort to get used to the machine and the trial of various masks but in the long run, it can save and prolong your life.

Have you seen a doctor and/or done a sleep study to determine the cause of your snoring? You mention a CPAP but that isn't something people just start using without a medical reason. The first step is getting medical attention.

If you already have seen doctors and CPAP was suggested, then try using one. If you just can't bring yourself to do it then you will need to have alternate sleeping arrangements. Sleeping in another room will not degrade the quality of your marriage, but forcing him to listen to constant snoring sure can.

A CPAP machine is not the glorious thing people make it out to be. I know people who use them and still do not sleep any different.

As other posters have mentioned, several things can cause snoring.

If your husband is unable to ignore your snoring then the polite thing for you to do is sleep elsewhere. You may or may not be able to control the snoring, but you can control where you sleep. Also, if you do have sleep apnea (which your husband could probably tell you just by watching you sleep) it could be causing him distress because he's worrying about you and unable to sleep.