Do you snore? What about others in your household? If you or a loved one snores, it may be more than a minor annoyance. Let’s look at the facts behind snoring.

The basic mechanism of snoring is a partial obstruction of the airway by soft tissue at the back of the throat. When the person falls asleep, soft tissue at the back of the throat falls over the trachea. The snoring noise you hear is the rattle of the soft tissue.

A person who suffers from sleep apnea will actually stop breathing for a short time until they are startled awake by the lack of oxygen. If you ever hear your partner make gasping noises followed by a loud snort sound, this is probably what’s occurred.

In some cases, this is a structural issue having to do with the position of the jaw. A dentist can fit a person with a custom mouth device designed to gently pull the jaw forward. There are also CPAP machines designed to help people with sleep apnea, though many patients feel the mask is uncomfortable.

For others who snore, the cause may be excessive weight. Excessive abdominal weight can place pressure on the upper airway causing obstruction and snoring when the person lies down. When my husband lost weight, his snoring stopped. Alcohol can also increase snoring.

Whatever the reason, it’s important for you and your loved ones to find the cause of snoring and take measures to remedy the situation. People who suffer from sleep apnea can wake hundreds of times during the night due to total blockage of the trachea. They rarely remember the incidences, but they suffer from sleep deprivation nonetheless!

And the rest of the family suffers as well. Sleep deprivation can cause or exacerbate a number of health conditions in both adults and children. Visit your healthcare provider (physician or dentist) if you feel the snoring isn’t caused by excessive weight. Begin an exercise and diet program if you do feel the snoring may be due to weight. Limit alcohol consumption as well.

There are a number of sleep and snoring earplugs for men, women and children. Mack’s SafeSound Earplugs fit most ear canals comfortably. Mack’s also makes SafeSound Earplugs for women and Junior SafeSound Earplugs for children.

You need to find a permanent solution to snoring and sleep problems, but in the meantime, at least get some sleep by blocking out the disturbing noise!