If you take a look around the world wide web, you will see tons of different snoring solutions that promise to give you a quiet, restful night’s sleep.  But with all of the choices out there, how do you pick the one that’s right for you?

Before you start blindly trying snoring solutions, you have to figure out what’s actually causing your snoring.  Remember, snoring is a physical problem that has a physical cause.  Until you determine what’s behind your problem, you cannot solve it.

What does it sound like?

The sound of your snoring can go a long way towards helping you figure out what’s causing it.  If you’re not totally sure what sound you’re making in the middle of the night, ask your partner to re-create the noise for you.

If it sounds more like a whistle that a full-blown, deep snore, chances are that a partially clogged nasal passage is to blame.  If your nasal airways are not as open as they should be, the air trying to fight its way in can make a whistling noise.

Some people snore because their nasal passages collapse at night.  When your nostrils collapse, you tend to take sharper breaths.  As the air tries to travel rapidly through the collapsed passageways, it makes a snoring sound that’s deeper than a whistle.

If that’s the case, nasal dilators are the perfect snoring solution.  They can either go in your nose or on the outside of your nose (like a Breathe Right strip) to help keep your nasal passages open.

How do you feel in the morning?

The way you feel when you wake up can also help you determine what’s behind your snoring.  If you wake up with a stuffy nose or a dry mouth, it means that you’re breathing through your mouth during the middle of the night. 

If either is the case, you need to figure out why you’re so congested.  Could it be an allergy?  If it’s been ages since you got a new pillow, there could be dust mites in your old one – leaving you with an allergic reaction.  Or, you could be allergic to the filling in your pillow, or the detergent you use to wash your sheets.  By making a few changes to your sleeping area, you can alleviate the congestion – and stop breathing through your mouth.

Or, you may simply be sleeping in a room that’s too dry.  Dry air can cause mucus to form – leaving you with a stuffy nose.  Sleeping with a humidifier in the room can help unclog your nose.

But, a clogged nose isn’t the only reason that people snore.  A clogged throat could also be to blame.

Do you breathe through your nose or your mouth?

Some people are simply mouth breathers.  When they fall asleep, their mouths fall open, and they breathe through them.  It may not be a matter of congestion; just habit.

However, if your throat is clogged, breathing through your mouth can be a real chore.  If your throat is not as spacious as it should be, air has trouble getting through.  As the air fights its way into your throat, it can cause a snoring sound.

So, what makes your throat clog?

Smoking is a surefire way to do it.  That’s because smoke works as an inflammatory.  When you smoke, it causes the walls of your throat to swell up.  As a result, your throat does not have enough room for air to get through.

Being overweight can also clog your throat when you sleep – especially if you sleep on your back.  The heavier your neck is, the more it presses on your throat.  If your throat walls cannot sustain the weight, they can buckle and collapse while you sleep – leaving the air passing through with nowhere to go.

Or, your throat can clog if you’re a “tongue snorer”.  When tongue snorers fall asleep, their tongues slide back into their throats.  When air passes through, it makes their tongues vibrate up against the walls of their throats.  The result is that deep, loud snoring sound.

If your throat is clogged, there are several snoring solutions that can help.

-          There are special snoring mouth guards – that are similar to a mouth guard that athletes wear – that will keep your tongue from sliding back into your throat.  Plus, these mouth guards will also keep your lower jaw in place so that it doesn’t put pressure on your tongue and force it back into your throat.

-          There are also special jaw supporters that can help you stop snoring.  These devices are designed to make you breathe through your nose, instead of your mouth, so that your throat doesn’t play a role in your breathing.  Typically, people wear jaw supporters for a few months, until they can train themselves to sleep with their mouths closed.

-          Surgery can also be used when other snoring solutions don’t.  Reserved for the most severe of cases, a surgeon can remove tonsils that are too big – and that are blocking air from passing through your throat properly.  Or, a surgeon can remove excess tissue that has narrowed your throat and made it difficult for air to pass through.  Or, a surgeon can install implants that make your soft palate stronger – so that it doesn’t vibrate when air passes by it and make a snoring sound.

By getting to the root of your problem, you can eliminate snoring solutions that won’t work – and focus on a tool that will!  Go here for more info on how to stop storing.

Related:

• Remedies For Snoring
• Cures For Snoring
• Snore Guard