No one wants to lie down in bed at night next to somebody who snores. But how do you make it stop? Our wellness expert, Peggy Hall, has some tips that could have you both sleeping well -and maybe save your marriage!
"I'm embarrassed to admit that my hubby says I have been snoring up a storm lately," says Peggy. "No wonder I've been waking up with a headache in the morning! That's the number one sign that you've either been snoring or that you have sleep apnea."
Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more at night. That leads to oxygen deprivation, which leads to headaches and a whole host of other ills.
"Look at your pillow," Peggy advises. "It turns out I was sleeping on a very thin pillow. This provided no support for my head and neck. In fact, my chin was pushed down into my chest, which meant I could not get any air through my throat. So I found a really cool wedge pillow."
A wedge pillow supports your upper back, your chest, your head and your neck, so all of the airways are open.
Peggy says you also want to make sure that you're not sleeping with your chin way up towards the ceiling or way down toward your chest. That passageway should be nice and clear.
"The other thing I do is I use nose strips, like Band-Aids," says Peggy. "You simply place one right across your nose and that keeps the airway open."
For an easy home remedy, Peggy suggests taking half a teaspoon each of olive oil and honey right before you go to bed. The mixture coats your throat so that it won't be dry. Otherwise, you end up gasping for air throughout the night.
The easiest thing of all is to simply sleep on your side. That can reduce your snoring by at least 50 percent.
"Trust me," adds Peggy. "Your spouse is going to thank you!"
Copyright 2012 America Now. All rights reserved.
