Stop snoring exercises are just one way that can be effective in reducing or eliminating snoring by strengthening the muscles in the mouth and throat.
In order to understand how exercises to stop snoring may help, it is first important to understand what causes snoring. Snoring occurs when the upper airway in the throat becomes partially blocked during sleep. This can occur for any of the following reasons:
- the muscles relaxing in the throat during sleep
- a poorly positioned jaw, sometimes caused by a receding chin
- obstruction of the nasal passages
- tissues in the soft palate at the top of the throat softening and touching during sleep
- the tongue falling back during sleep and partially blocking the airways
There can of course be other causes of snoring including obstructive sleep apnea which is thought to affect up to 10% of the population and a snorer should always consult a doctor or sleep specialist to determine the cause of the snoring.
If, however, you are part of that large percentage of the population whose snoring is caused by the common condition of soft throat or tongue muscles then there are simple non-interventionist and all-natural solutions.
One of the best programs I’ve seen is ‘Exercises To Stop Snoring’:
This is a very helpful site that offers an easy way to stop snoring naturally and permanently. There is a sample of the recommended exercises at the site and heaps of testimonials from people whose snoring has been cured by these exercises.
Anyway, back to our discussion of snoring and its causes.
If you’re someone who snores or the person who’s trying to get a good night’s sleep next to someone that does snore, you may be feeling completely frustrated by your inability to achieve a restful night. Snoring may be portrayed in movies, TV, and cartoons as being a big joke – the windows rattle and the bed shakes across the floor as the woman wraps a pillow around her head, her incredibly loud husband obliviously snoring away next to her – but in reality, it is anything but a joke. Ask anyone who is woken night after night from their own snoring or from that of the person beside them, and you’ll probably get a set of rolling eyes as they agree that they are not laughing.
So here are a few brief tips and exercises to get you started on your way to a sound night’s sleep.
Tips And Exercises To Stop Snoring
1: Lose Weight
If you’ve recently put on some weight fat deposits may have settled in your throat. As you lose weight, the fat deposits will begin to diminish in size and your airways will expand.
2: Sing
Try singing for at least twenty minutes a day. Singing tones and exercises the muscles of the throat, so sing along to your favorite music … in the shower … in the car … or when you’re walking.
3: The Tongue Thrust
Pretend you’re a kid again and do what your mother always told you not to do: stick your tongue out as far as you can. Move it from side to side and up and down. Then gently return your tongue to its original position. I guarantee your face won’t freeze that way.
4: The Pencil
Take a pencil and place it between your teeth. Hold the pencil in this position for five minutes. Don’t clamp your jaws around it, hold it firmly but loosely. This exercise will help to tone the throat and jaws, but it should never be painful. If your muscles start to hurt, relax and try again later. Repeat this exercise several times a day.
5: The Yawn
Open your jaws wide as if you were yawning. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then close your mouth gently. Do four or five repetitions a couple of times per day.
These exercises are intended to help tone the muscles in your jaws and throat and are a brief introduction to the full set of exercises to stop snoring. (Click on the image at left to read more)
If you continue to snore loudly, or if your partner tells you that you stop breathing for periods of time while asleep, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible as you may need medical intervention rather than just stop snoring exercises.
