Since smokers who have been puffing on the "cancer sticks" for many years have difficulty going for a light jog or making it through an intense workout, it only makes sense that they might also have trouble breathing correctly while asleep. When you are asleep your muscles relax and can restrict airflow, which is not a good thing if you are already damaging your tissue and muscle with cigarette smoke.
Studies are now showing that there is a link between excessive snoring and habitual smoking. Over time cigarette smoke can negatively affect all tissues and muscles of the body, especially those in the throat, lungs, and mouth. It just so happens that these are the same areas where air becomes restricted and snoring is produced!
Anyone concerned about their snoring should make every effort to stay away from cigarette smoking whenever possible. This means both not smoking yourself and trying to stay away from others who are smoking. Second hand smoke is proving to be just as damaging over time as firsthand smoke, so don't assume that you are safe just because you aren't the one taking the puffs.
If you have been smoking for some time you can't expect to stop snoring immediately after you give up the cigarette habit. The damage took some time to occur and it will take some time to undo as well. In the meantime, you might consider using the Adkins Snoring Aid system to get instant relief from your snoring.
It is also always worth checking with a doctor to make sure that you that you don’t have sleep apnoea, which is a serious condition.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Monday, 6 December 2010
Are Your Medications Causing Snoring?
If you think you have tried everything to naturally cure yourself of a snoring condition, there may be one thing you haven't yet considered: your medications. Some medications cause increased relaxation in the muscles which can make a snoring problem worse or cause someone to snore when they typically do not snore.
One of the easiest ways to link a snoring condition to medication is to note an increase in snoring or the sudden appearance of snoring after a new medication is started. If you only occasionally snore and also only occasionally take a specific medication, then chances are there could be a link between the two occasional behaviours.
Some medications that you should be on the look for include:
The same thing happens with many illegal substances as well as alcohol use. Your muscles become far more relaxed than they would be without these drugs so you aren't in complete control of those muscles while sleeping.
Antihistamines are often found in allergy and cold medications which can affect the sinuses. This is the exact area of the body where airflow becomes restricted when snoring occurs. If snoring is a concern you should always look for products that do not contain antihistamines.
One of the easiest ways to link a snoring condition to medication is to note an increase in snoring or the sudden appearance of snoring after a new medication is started. If you only occasionally snore and also only occasionally take a specific medication, then chances are there could be a link between the two occasional behaviours.
Some medications that you should be on the look for include:
- Sleeping pills or other sedatives
- Antihistamines
- Illegal drugs
The same thing happens with many illegal substances as well as alcohol use. Your muscles become far more relaxed than they would be without these drugs so you aren't in complete control of those muscles while sleeping.
Antihistamines are often found in allergy and cold medications which can affect the sinuses. This is the exact area of the body where airflow becomes restricted when snoring occurs. If snoring is a concern you should always look for products that do not contain antihistamines.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Effects of Sleep Deprivation
If you or someone in your home snores, you probably know about sleep deprivation. When you have trouble sleeping just one night you are likely to feel fatigued and to have trouble focusing and concentrating the next day. When you are deprived of sleep for a longer period of time these symptoms become much worse and are joined by others that could be more dangerous.
Not getting enough sleep to sustain your brain over time will lead to a scattered thought process that can make it difficult to communicate with others. You will start forgetting things easily and your memory of recent events will not be very clear. Sleep deprivation can also interfere with your work or studying for school as concentrating and listening to others closely becomes more difficult.
You will also notice that you have less physical energy and your weight may fluctuate over time if the sleep deprivation continues. Your body is not getting the rest it needs to restore energy, repair muscle tissue and perform other basic body functions that occur primarily during sleeping hours.
In the case of extended sleep deprivation over time, there are some serious behaviour risks that can occur. The biggest danger is being unable to keep yourself awake after too many nights of sleep interruption. You may fall asleep at inappropriate times, even if you are sitting up in your chair or in an important meeting.
You could also fall asleep while driving or operating equipment at work which could lead to a tragic accident.
It's easy to shrug off these risks with the assumption that they won't happen to you, but they do happen every day and there is nothing stopping it from happening to you. This makes solving a problem with snoring more important than most people think.
Not getting enough sleep to sustain your brain over time will lead to a scattered thought process that can make it difficult to communicate with others. You will start forgetting things easily and your memory of recent events will not be very clear. Sleep deprivation can also interfere with your work or studying for school as concentrating and listening to others closely becomes more difficult.
You will also notice that you have less physical energy and your weight may fluctuate over time if the sleep deprivation continues. Your body is not getting the rest it needs to restore energy, repair muscle tissue and perform other basic body functions that occur primarily during sleeping hours.
In the case of extended sleep deprivation over time, there are some serious behaviour risks that can occur. The biggest danger is being unable to keep yourself awake after too many nights of sleep interruption. You may fall asleep at inappropriate times, even if you are sitting up in your chair or in an important meeting.
You could also fall asleep while driving or operating equipment at work which could lead to a tragic accident.
It's easy to shrug off these risks with the assumption that they won't happen to you, but they do happen every day and there is nothing stopping it from happening to you. This makes solving a problem with snoring more important than most people think.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Is Your Drinking Making You Snore?
Alcohol is a normal part of life for many adults, but there is a chance that your snoring is being worsened or even caused by your drinking habits.
There is now evidence that going to bed under the influence of alcohol can lead to snoring patterns similar to those of people with sleep apnoea. This is a sleep condition in which you stop breathing for a moment or two while sleeping.
Those with sleep apnoea run the risk of passing away in their sleep due to the lack of oxygen going to the brain and air passing through the lungs. If you are mimicking these sleep patterns because you are "passed out" or under the influence of alcohol, then there is a possibility you could run the same risk.
Even when it is not that serious, alcohol can increase your snoring or make you snore when you otherwise would not, which can cause problems with anyone who shares the room with you. The snoring is due to the extra relaxed state that your muscles enter when you are asleep and under the influence of alcohol.
Your muscles in the back of the throat and neck naturally become slack when you sleep, which can cause restrictions through the airway that lead to noisy vibrations in the muscle, tonsils, and adenoids. When you are under the influence of alcohol you have even less control over your muscles and they will relax even more.
If you do not snore normally but do while you are intoxicated you should consider cutting back on your drinks or at the very least try to stay away from the booze during the few hours before bedtime.
There is now evidence that going to bed under the influence of alcohol can lead to snoring patterns similar to those of people with sleep apnoea. This is a sleep condition in which you stop breathing for a moment or two while sleeping.
Those with sleep apnoea run the risk of passing away in their sleep due to the lack of oxygen going to the brain and air passing through the lungs. If you are mimicking these sleep patterns because you are "passed out" or under the influence of alcohol, then there is a possibility you could run the same risk.
Even when it is not that serious, alcohol can increase your snoring or make you snore when you otherwise would not, which can cause problems with anyone who shares the room with you. The snoring is due to the extra relaxed state that your muscles enter when you are asleep and under the influence of alcohol.
Your muscles in the back of the throat and neck naturally become slack when you sleep, which can cause restrictions through the airway that lead to noisy vibrations in the muscle, tonsils, and adenoids. When you are under the influence of alcohol you have even less control over your muscles and they will relax even more.
If you do not snore normally but do while you are intoxicated you should consider cutting back on your drinks or at the very least try to stay away from the booze during the few hours before bedtime.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Snoring & Diabetes - The Relationship Every Snorer Must be Aware Of
According to a recent post at the Daily Mail, people who snore have a drastically higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes. This finding was revealed from a study conducted at Yale University which dealt with patients who had sleep apnoea.
The study found that the louder someone snores the higher their risk may be of developing type 2 diabetes, as well of suffering from a variety of other health conditions, including high blood pressure. It is not known exactly what the connection may be between sleep apnoea and these health conditions, but the link appears to be legitimate.
It must be noted that the study spoken about dealt with patients who had sleep apnoea, which not all snorers will have. However, it's best to be aware of the potential risk and seek treatment for snoring, even if it isn’t as serious as true sleep apnoea. Anyone who snores or who notices a sudden increase in the volume of their snores would be advised to find out what the cause is and whether they are at risk.
The study found that the louder someone snores the higher their risk may be of developing type 2 diabetes, as well of suffering from a variety of other health conditions, including high blood pressure. It is not known exactly what the connection may be between sleep apnoea and these health conditions, but the link appears to be legitimate.
It must be noted that the study spoken about dealt with patients who had sleep apnoea, which not all snorers will have. However, it's best to be aware of the potential risk and seek treatment for snoring, even if it isn’t as serious as true sleep apnoea. Anyone who snores or who notices a sudden increase in the volume of their snores would be advised to find out what the cause is and whether they are at risk.
Friday, 6 August 2010
No Cure for Snoring Bedmates?
The Daily Mail’s Lucy Cavendish recently posted a very entertaining blog about her life with snoring bedmates. She has suffered through it all starting with a father who loved to snore from his chair while watching TV to her current husband whose snores run her from their bed into a spare room many nights.
It’s entitled Snore Wars and she proceeds to describe the little battles and skirmishes that she routinely gets into with her husband, e.g. she has to race to beat him to the bed so she can hopefully fall asleep before he does.
Sound familiar?
If you have been in a few snore wars yourself over the years you probably feel her pain. She presents a lively story of what living with someone who snores is like, but there is one point at which we have to disagree: there is a way to win the war of snoring with your bedmate!
With the Adkins Snoring Aid many people have been able to completely stop snoring by correcting the way they breathe during the night. This is an affordable, easy way to correct snoring and win the battle once and for all.
It's true that living with someone who snores loudly can be a nightmare. It can cause severe sleep deprivation which leads to amusing online blog rants like the one posted at the Daily Mail. The good news is there is at least one product that does actually work in the favou of a snorer's bedmate!
It’s entitled Snore Wars and she proceeds to describe the little battles and skirmishes that she routinely gets into with her husband, e.g. she has to race to beat him to the bed so she can hopefully fall asleep before he does.
Sound familiar?
If you have been in a few snore wars yourself over the years you probably feel her pain. She presents a lively story of what living with someone who snores is like, but there is one point at which we have to disagree: there is a way to win the war of snoring with your bedmate!
With the Adkins Snoring Aid many people have been able to completely stop snoring by correcting the way they breathe during the night. This is an affordable, easy way to correct snoring and win the battle once and for all.
It's true that living with someone who snores loudly can be a nightmare. It can cause severe sleep deprivation which leads to amusing online blog rants like the one posted at the Daily Mail. The good news is there is at least one product that does actually work in the favou of a snorer's bedmate!
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Quick Guide to Sleep Apnoea
Once you spend a night with someone, you should be able to tell the difference between whether they have sleep apnoea or whether they just have a bit of a snoring problem. Typical snoring is caused by the relaxation and vibration of muscles in the throat and mouth, but for someone who has sleep apnoea the noises made are a bit different.
For one, the noises made by someone who has sleep apnoea tend to be much louder than most people who snore but do not have this condition. There will also be brief pauses at the height of the snore where the person stops breathing momentarily. Gasps for air are typical as well.
Someone without sleep apnoea will not gasp for air or stop breathing completely during the night but someone with the condition will typically do it over and over. This is what makes the condition so serious as it can lead to sudden death during sleep.
The primary cause of sleep apnoea is excessive fat around the throat. When someone with the condition goes to sleep their muscles in the back of the mouth and neck relax and allow the fat to press around the airways that travel between the mouth, throat, and lungs. This means less air is able to pass through and complete breathing blocks occur over and over.
When a doctor believes a patient may have this condition they send them for an overnight sleep study to verify the diagnosis. The patient is then fitted with a CPAP machine that will keep the airways open so that the snoring stops and breathing is not interrupted.
The long term solution is for the sleep apnoea patient to lose weight since excessive fat and obesity is the leading cause of the condition.
For one, the noises made by someone who has sleep apnoea tend to be much louder than most people who snore but do not have this condition. There will also be brief pauses at the height of the snore where the person stops breathing momentarily. Gasps for air are typical as well.
Someone without sleep apnoea will not gasp for air or stop breathing completely during the night but someone with the condition will typically do it over and over. This is what makes the condition so serious as it can lead to sudden death during sleep.
The primary cause of sleep apnoea is excessive fat around the throat. When someone with the condition goes to sleep their muscles in the back of the mouth and neck relax and allow the fat to press around the airways that travel between the mouth, throat, and lungs. This means less air is able to pass through and complete breathing blocks occur over and over.
When a doctor believes a patient may have this condition they send them for an overnight sleep study to verify the diagnosis. The patient is then fitted with a CPAP machine that will keep the airways open so that the snoring stops and breathing is not interrupted.
The long term solution is for the sleep apnoea patient to lose weight since excessive fat and obesity is the leading cause of the condition.
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