Can Snoring be Caused by Stress?

There are different factors that can lead to snoring but what about stress? Stress also affects us in various ways so it’s natural to wonder if both can be related. Let me answer your curiosity.

So, can snoring be caused by stress? Yes, stress can possibly cause snoring or contribute to the factors that can worsen it. Stress can affect us even during sleep which may lead to snoring.

When we are stressed, or go to sleep while under stress, we may experience muscle tension.

People who are heavily stressed may grind their teeth or tighten their jaws at night which may lead to misalignment of the teeth and cause muscle tension.

Gritting the teeth can also force the tongue to fall back into the throat and block the airways during sleep.

When there is an obstruction in the airways, the surrounding tissues inside the throat will vibrate as the person will begin to breathe through their open mouths, the vibration sound is what we know as “snoring”.

So, the more stressed you are, the more you are prone to snoring.

If you haven’t been under stress before but you already snore and now experience stress, it can simply worsen your snoring.

The harder it is to breathe, the louder a person may snore.

As long as there is an obstruction in the airways, a person will continue to snore.

However, for some cases, emotional or mental stress can also affect brain activity. If the brain is under too much stress, it may not function very well and fail to command your body to breathe.

In other words, having too much stress can make your brain “forget how to breathe” for a second and may last up to minutes.

This is why we may end up unconsciously taking a deep breath when under stress and this can lead on during sleep.

The brain can continue to feel stressed and affect your breathing which may lead to snoring.

When this event happens, your condition is already referred to as “sleep apnea”.

If it’s physical stress that causes an obstruction in the airways, it is referred to as “obstructive sleep apnea”.

If it’s mental stress that’s causing you to snore because the brain is affected, it is referred as “central sleep apnea”.

In case you are experiencing both types of stress that leads to snoring, your condition is called “complex sleep apnea”, which is a combination of both and any type of sleep apnea needs immediate treatment.

Sleep apnea that causes snoring and gets worsened by stress should be stopped immediately before it starts hurting your overall health. So how can you stop it? I’ll tell you how to avoid it and why you should.

How to avoid snoring caused by stress

The main idea is to manage your stress, but of course, life isn’t that easy. Stress happens to everyone of us one way or another and there are times when it just won’t go away.

Positive thinking isn’t always sufficient if there are things that continuously causes us to feel stressed. Whether it’s physical or mental stress, both can definitely cause a person to snore during sleep.

So how can you avoid snoring caused by stress? If managing your stress is not easy, then just manage the snoring alone. There are plenty of ways that can stop it and probably make your sleep better.

Better sleeps can possibly lessen your stress.

24 Ways How to Stop Snoring:
1. Nasal Strips
  - Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
    
    Nowadays, there are newly developed nasal strips that you can try.
2. Oral Appliance
  - Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea and snoring, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea and snoring.
3. CPAP Treatment
  - The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for sleep apnea patients and stopping snoring.
4. Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
  - Certain sedatives can cause sleep apnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
5. Treat chronic allergies
  - Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea and cause you to snore.
6. Try to avoid overworking yourself.
  - Sometimes, simply going to sleep while totally exhausted can make our muscles relax too much to the point that it can lead to sleep apnea and snoring.
7. Avoid drinking liquor before bed.
  - Excessive liquor can also relax the muscles that will lead to sleep apnea and snoring. Limit alcohol consumption or avoid drinking too much before going to sleep.
8. Sleep with your head elevated.
  - When the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
    
    You can also use an anti-snore pillow which will keep your head in proper place that can help stop sleep apnea. Sleeping in a chair or a recliner chair is also an option.
9. Try to sleep on your sides.
  - Sleeping flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause sleep apnea.
    
    You can read about: “How to prevent sleeping on my back” to learn how you can keep sleeping on your sides.
10. Get plenty of exercises.
  - Lack of physical activity can cause our body’s functionality to drop.
    
    This means that we need the right amount of exercise to keep our body “awake” and functioning even as we sleep.
11. Stop or limit smoking.
  - If your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and causing you to snore.
    
    Those who are also exposed to secondhand smoke can be prone to sleep apnea, so avoid getting near smoke as much as possible.
12. Drink enough water.
  - When we are dehydrated, the throat becomes dry which makes the vibrating tissues sound louder and produces snoring or sleep apnea.
13. Eat a healthy diet.
  - Our diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your muscles may not work as it should.
14. Sleep on time.
  - Not getting the right amount of sleep and not sleeping early can cause the body to become dysfunctional and have sleep apnea.
15. Lose weight.
  - Being overweight or obesity will cause difficulty in breathing.
    
    The excess fat will get in the way of the air passages, causing tissues to vibrate and cause sleep apnea.
16. Vocal exercise
  - Pronouncing words loud and clearly can help strengthen your throat. Try to repeat the vowels (A, E, I, O and, U) and say it out loud for three minutes a few times a day.
17. Tongue exercise
  - Position the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth then slide your tongue backwards for three minutes each day.
18. Mouth exercise
  - Close your mouth and purse your lips, like zipping your mouth. Hold on to that position for at least 30 seconds and repeat a few times a day.
19. Jaw exercise
  - Open your mouth then move your jaw to the right and hold for a few seconds, 30 seconds at least. After 30 seconds, move to the left side the same way you did to the right. Repeat a few times.
20. Throat exercise
  - Open your mouth and tighten the muscle at the back of your throat, do this in front of the mirror to see your uvula (or the hanging ball) moving up and down to see that it works.
21. Singing exercise
  - Singing casually can increase your muscle control in the throat and soft palate, reducing snoring caused by muscles that are relaxed.
22. Rapid Maxillary Expansion
  - For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
23. Jaw Advancement Surgery
  - For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
24. Surgical Airway Advancement
  - Similar to the other example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.

As you can see, some of these in the list include surgical operations. This is if you have sleep apnea that causes snoring.

Now, using medical equipment and simple lifestyle changes can possibly help you stop snoring and give you better sleeps at night.

Why you should stop snoring caused by stress

Not only is it hard to feel stressed, it is also threatening for your health if you are constantly snoring. Once again, snoring is a sign of sleep apnea.

If you do have sleep apnea, there are a lot of risks that may put you under more stress if it’s left untreated.

Snoring & sleep apnea causes:
1. Death
  - Sleep apnea interrupts breathing that can affect the heart and the brain which can lead to sudden death during sleep.
2. Difficult breathing
  - Sleep apnea can occur when there is an obstruction in the airway or the brain is unable to function well that helps the body breathe, causing difficult breathing.
3. Discomfort to your bed partner
  - Since you will continue to snore, you will continue to make sleeping harder for your bed partner. This will eventually affect your overall relationship with people.
4. Worsens other illnesses
  - Being unable to breathe well during sleep disrupts your entire body’s functionality and eventually attacking the other diseases a patient may already have.
5. Heart problems
  - With sleep apnea, you are more prone to heart problems such as heart failure or heart attacks. This is due to the lack of blood oxygen levels.
6. Irregular heartbeat
  - Due to the low blood oxygen levels or the air is unable to reach your heart, it can lead to an abnormal heartbeat or pauses in breathing during sleep.
7. Stroke
  - Similar to heart problems
8. Depression
  - Being unable to breathe well during sleep and get the proper rest can mess up your emotions or eventually lead to depression.
9. Weight gain or loss
  - Sleep apnea messes up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster due to sleep apnea.
10. Diabetes
  - Having sleep apnea disables the body’s ability to control the sugar level which can lead to diabetes.
11. High Blood Pressure
  - Sleep apnea can potentially cause or worsen hypertension in people.
12. Increases ADHD
  - Being sleep deprived decreases the person’s ability to focus, worsening conditions such as ADHD.
13. Headaches
  - The lack of air that enters the brain can lead to other brain problems, but usually results in morning headaches.
14. Daytime sleepiness
  - Difficulty breathing at night can lead to restless sleeps, making you feel the need to stay asleep even during the day because your body couldn’t rest well at night.
15. Insomnia
  - Difficulty in breathing can lead to insomnia. Instead of waking up randomly at night, you will end up being unable to sleep.
16. Seizures
  - Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
17. Irritability
  - When you are sleep deprived, you will unconsciously lose control of your emotional stability. You can become irritable or easily frustrated with sleep apnea.
18. Poor memory
  - Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation which may lower your brain’s performance as it affects the brain activity, causing poor memory in patients.
19. Respiratory diseases
  - Sleep apnea is a respiratory disease that may cause other diseases or worsen them.
20. Driving accidents
  - The lack of concentration and daytime sleepiness can lead to driving accidents when you have sleep apnea.

If you suspect that you might have sleep apnea, consult your doctor immediately. Proper diagnosis is important, don’t rely on self diagnosis. There are certain things only a real physical examination can determine.

How to avoid snoring caused by stress

Why you should stop snoring caused by stress

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