About half of adults snore at one time or another. Snoring is not only annoying, it can also have health consequences. If you want to stop snoring here are a few tips to try at home:

• Stop sleeping on your back and sleep on your side instead. Sleeping on your back allows the soft tissues of your mouth and throat to collapse back into your throat which creates a vibration during sleep – thus creating snoring. A full length body pillow helps some folks stay on their side or you could try the old trick of sewing tennis balls into the back of a t-shirt that you wear to bed.
• Go on a diet. Losing weight helps lots of people stop snoring because they no longer have excess flesh around their neck. This doesn’t work for everyone – skinny people can snore too!
• Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills. Alcohol and other sedatives make the muscles in the back of your throat even floppier so it is more likely you will snore. Even people who don’t normally snore will do so after drinking alcohol.
• Try nasal strips. Opening the nasal passages can help some people as well. Try taking a hot shower before bed to steam open the nasal passages a little more.
• Destroy the dust mites. Allergens in your pillows and bedding may add to your snoring. When was the last time the ceiling fan in the bedroom was dusted? Keeping your sleeping environment as clean as possible helps everyone sleep better.
• Drink lots of water. If you are slightly dehydrated the secretions in your nose and throat will be thick and sticky which can cause snoring.

People who snore loudly and are heard gasping during sleep may have a medical condition called obstructive sleep apnea. This causes the sleeper to actually stop breathing during sleep and leaves them feeling exhausted. Untreated sleep apnea is linked to heart attack, stroke and many other serious health conditions. An oral appliance can effectively treat sleep apnea without the masks and hoses associated with CPAP machines.

Find out more about diagnosing and treating obstructive sleep apnea or how you can stop snoring by using an oral appliance by contacting Columbus sleep apnea dentist Dr. Mark Levy today at 614-476-6696.