Snoring is a nuisance during bedtime especially if it’s loud and constant, but what can it do to our body? Should we be concerned? Yes, let me tell you why snoring is not as simple or comedic as we thought it should be.
So, can snoring make you tired? Yes, snoring can make you tired. It occurs when a person is having difficulty in breathing during sleep and being unable to breathe properly as we sleep leads to restless nights.
Snoring constantly to the point that it makes you tired is actually a sign of a sleeping condition called obstructive sleep apnea.
And if you have this type of condition, it’s a lot easier to understand why you feel tired even after a full night’s sleep.
When we are unable to breathe properly, the blood oxygen levels inside our body will drop and throw the normal system of our body.
This means our body will end up becoming dysfunctional or just simply messed up.
Since our body couldn’t get the right rest it needs as we sleep, it’s expected to feel tired as soon as we wake up. Sometimes, it’s even paired with headache and decreased emotional stability.
Not only does snoring interrupt our rest, it drags on as we wake.
Our ability to focus on things will be lessened and we are a lot more prone to hypersomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness which can affect our daily productivity.
Due to this, there are plenty of ways that has been discovered and invented to help stop snoring and it usually depends on what causes it in the first place.
Once again, it usually happens when there is an obstruction in the body’s airways.
If the airways are blocked, let’s say for example, due to a nasal congestion or a stuffy nose, your body will be forced to breathe through your mouth since the upper airways around the nose are blocked.
When you breathe with your mouth during sleep, the surrounding tissues in your throat will vibrate and produce the sound of snoring.
So what can you do to stop this? Isn’t it a nuisance that you still feel tired even after sleeping? Put an end to snoring or sleep apnea, read to learn about the solutions that can work out for you.
How to stop snoring from making you tired
There are different ways to stop snoring from making you feel tired.
The following methods will involve surgical operations, using medical equipment and some simple lifestyle changes. Again, snoring have different causes and thus, different treatments exist.
- 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).
- Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- 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.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
- 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.
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
- 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.
- CPAP Treatment
- The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for sleep apnea patients and helping snoring.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Avoid drinking liquor before bed.
- Excessive liquor can also relax the muscles that will lead to sleep apnea. Limit alcohol consumption or avoid drinking too much before going to sleep.
- 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.
- When
the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and
block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drink enough water.
- When we are dehydrated, the throat becomes dry which makes the vibrating tissues sound louder and produces snoring or sleep apnea. Stay hydrated!
- 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.
Focus on eating healthy foods!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
To understand the best treatment for your snoring or sleep apnea, please consult your doctor for proper diagnosis.
Why you should stop snoring
If you feel like getting tired from snoring is tolerable, imagine what can happen if you’re snoring because of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is no simple condition and it can be very dangerous to your health.
- Snoring & sleep apnea causes:
- Death
- Sleep apnea interrupts breathing that can affect the heart and the brain which can lead to sudden death during sleep.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Stroke
- Similar to heart problems
- Depression
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep and get the proper rest can mess up your emotions or eventually lead to depression.
- Weight gain or loss
- Sleep apnea messes up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster due to sleep apnea.
- Diabetes
- Having sleep apnea disables the body’s ability to control the sugar level which can lead to diabetes.
- High Blood Pressure
- Sleep apnea can potentially cause or worsen hypertension in people.
- Increases ADHD
- Being sleep deprived decreases the person’s ability to focus, worsening conditions such as ADHD.
- Headaches
- The lack of air that enters the brain can lead to other brain problems, but usually results in morning headaches.
- 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.
- Insomnia
- Difficulty in breathing can lead to insomnia. Instead of waking up randomly at night, you will end up being unable to sleep.
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
- 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.
- 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.
- Respiratory diseases
- Sleep apnea is a respiratory disease that may cause other diseases or worsen them.
- Driving accidents
- The lack of concentration and daytime sleepiness can lead to driving accidents when you have sleep apnea.
- Death
It can be truly terrifying, so make sure you cure snoring immediately.
What causes snoring
To stop snoring, knowing what also causes it can help you out.
There are plenty of reasons why a person may snore but mainly, it’s when the person is experiencing difficulty in breathing.
When the body is unable to breathe properly, the surrounding tissues may vibrate which causes the sound called snoring.
This can happen because of chronic conditions or natural anatomy formation. It can be because of a narrow throat or such which can be fixed through surgeries.
If not, there are also other reasons why a person will snore. Check out this list to see if it may be applicable to your situation.
- Being overweight
- Body fat can get in the way of the body’s ability to stretch its airways open making it harder to breathe which will cause snoring.
- Airway obstruction
- Anything that can obstruct the airways will make breathing difficult and cause the tissues to vibrate and cause snoring.
- Sleeping position
- Sleeping on your back may cause the tongue to fall back and the muscles to relax which can block the airways.
- Drinking liquor
- Drinking excessive liquor especially before going to sleep will relax the muscles and create difficulty in breathing
- Smoking cigarettes
- Being exposed to smoke can cause the muscles to swell, slowly blocking the airways and also irritating the lungs making it harder to breathe, causing a person to snore.
- Taking medications
- Certain medications or sedatives such as sleeping pills will cause the muscles to relax and be unable to work as it should, making breathing difficult and cause snoring.
- Sleeping exhausted
- Sometimes, going to bed overworked or completely exhausted can cause snoring since the body is too tired to help your breathing stay normal.
- Anatomical build
- Your physical attributes can obstruct your airways and some of this can be hereditary.
- Age
- As we age, our throat will become narrower which is beyond our control. However, proper sleep routine and a healthy, balanced diet can prevent snoring or sleep apnea.
Some of these cannot be prevented, but it’s still important that you know of it.
What are the signs of snoring
But how can you actually tell if you are snoring and if it’s really bad that it makes you tired? Well, aside from recording yourself during sleep or learning from a bed partner, there are also signs that can help you out.
- Gasping for air during sleep
- The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air. You may or may not notice this, but it can be a sign of constant snoring.
- Insomnia
- Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice is a sign that you might be a snorer.
- Hypersomnia
- Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to conditions like sleep apnea is a sign that you may be a snorer.
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to uncontrolled weight gain or weight loss for some cases. It’s because of the uncontrollable hormones affected by sleep deprivation.
- Waking up with a headache
- Obstructive sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state.
Since you can’t sleep well, your body will use energy for means that can help you breathe which may lead to headaches.
So, if you usually wake up with a headache, there’s a chance that you have sleep apnea which also means you might be a snorer.
- Obstructive sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state.
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- With obstructive sleep apnea, the person tends to snore and keep their mouth open when gasping for air which leads to a dried up mouth once we awaken.
- Decreased ability to focus
- Obstructive sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything.
If you notice that you’re unable to focus normally, you might be snoring at night.
- Obstructive sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything.
- Feeling uncomfortable
- Your lack of energy due to obstructive sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge.
Having less control of your emotional stability can be a sign that you are a snorer.
- Your lack of energy due to obstructive sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge.
- Sudden pauses in breathing during sleep
- Your housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Obstructive sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds which is already risky.
Related Questions
What is the best position to sleep to avoid snoring?
Sleeping on your side or your head properly elevated are the two best sleeping positions to sleep in that can avoid snoring and conditions such as sleep apnea.
Sleeping on your back will only end up causing your body to snore even more since it will most likely block the airways, creating difficulty in breathing which may result in snoring.
Can snoring cause irritability?
Yes, snoring can cause irritability once you wake up. This is because you are not getting the proper sleep when you are snoring, making you feel extra tired in the morning and cause you to feel irritable.
