Q: I need your advice on how I can sleep without snoring. It makes me not to have sound sleep. I will do anything you suggest as long as it will stop. Thanks for your care.

A: Snoring can be a problem as it can disturb sleep for you, your partner and perhaps even your neighbours 😀 The snoring sound is produced when breathing is partially blocked or obstructed as the aiways relax and then narrow while one sleeps.

It is possible to stop snoring through lifestyle modifications and they include:
• Losing weight. If one is overweight, the fatty tissues around the neck can squeeze the airway and this makes it difficult for air to flow freely.

• Sleeping on your back! I keep trying to get my daughter to do this and I’ve failed woefully so far 😀 But this may help as it helps keep your tongue out of your airway. It certainly helps my daughter when I can get her to stay in that position long enough to sleep 😀

• Stop smoking as this irritates your throat and can cause swelling. Again, this prevents the free flow of air.

• You know how you feel alcohol makes one relax? Well, they kinda do the same thing to the muscles of the throat 😀 This makes them collapse easily, reducing the airway. So, try and avoid this just before bedtime.

• Exercising often prevents you from being overweight and prevents those fatty tissues from squeezing your airways shut 😉

I hope these tips help. If the snoring persists, please see your doctor. He may suggest some anti-snoring devices or consider some other diagnosis like sleep apnea (in which one wakes up gasping for breath as the airways close up often during the night).

Have a good and snore-free night, y’all 😀