Are you (or a loved one) keeping the whole house up at night with your snoring? You may feel like you’re sleeping peacefully, but your noisy respirations often interrupt your natural sleep patterns … not to mention the sleep patterns of your housemates.

According to WebMD, about 45% of adults snore (at least occasionally). And of these snorers, 75% have obstructive sleep apnea to blame for their deafening breaths. So, what’s the difference between normal snoring and obstructive sleep apnea?

Snoring – A sound, during sleep, created when the tissues in your throat relax just enough to partially block your airway. The intensity of the sound can depend on your body weight, your favorite sleeping position, alcohol consumption, or illness (such as a cold).

Obstructive sleep apnea – A disorder in which breathing stops and starts throughout the night. These interruptions can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes and can occur more than 30 times in an hour! As you can probably imagine, these air-deprived pauses directly disrupt the sleep cycle – moving you out of a deep sleep and into a light sleep. When your breathing restarts, it does so with a loud and abrupt clicking or choking sound that is often mistaken for normal snoring.

Try some of these tips to get a more restful night of sleep. Not a snorer? Share these ideas with the noisiest sleeper in your household.

1. Lose weight! A large majority (but not all) of people who snore are at least moderately overweight. The increased pressure on the throat can make it more likely to collapse during sleep, which causes snoring.

2. Avoid alcohol before bed. Alcohol (and other sedatives) can relax the muscles in the back of your throat, making snoring more common. Try to avoid drinking alcohol 4-5 hours before bedtime!

3. Keep your bedroom tidy and clean your pillows often. Allergens and dust may cause your nasal passages to become blocked, decreasing the size of the airway. Put your pillows in the air-fluff cycle every few weeks to keep dust mites and allergens at bay.

4. Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back makes your tongue and soft palate collapse towards your throat, causing a vibrating sound when you breathe. Sleep on your side (or even your stomach) to decrease this cause of annoying inhalation.

Try (or share) these tips and sleep more soundly tonight!

For more information, please contact Kim Miles, County Extension Agent – Family & Consumer Sciences at 325-646-0386 or kamiles@ag.tamu.edu.