Snoring is extremely common. To some people, it might be or even sound amusing, but it is no joking matter. Snoring can have health implications besides disrupting the quality of your partner’s nighttime rest, or even an otherwise sounds sleep in the next room – a loud snore can travel well. Considering the causes and of snoring, there are multiple reasons someone would choose to mitigate it. Here’s a look at why snoring matters, and four supplements which could help reduce it.
Some Relevant Details about Snoring
Snoring is very common. More than 90 million American adults report snoring occasionally, and 37 million report snoring regularly. Similarly, it’s estimated that roughly 25% to 50% of adults snore regularly.
If you snore regularly, then it’s important to consider what snoring might indicate about the body. Snoring is more common among adults who are overweight. This fact alone speaks to the relationship between snoring and health. Snoring occurs when a vibration of tissues at the back of the throat during breathing produces noise, and excess tissue is more likely to do this at night.
Snoring itself is not likely to cause physical harm, except when it is associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Roughly half of people who snore loudly have OSA.
Sleep apnea is characterized by periods where breath ceases during sleep; This of course disrupts sleep, and can relegate someone to a light sleep pattern that leaves them experiencing fatigue and other troubles during the daytime. If you think you could have OSA, it is recommended that you seek medical treatment. In rare cases, untreated OSA can be fatal.
Snoring is notorious for its tendency to disrupt the sleep of the partner of someone who snores loudly. Therefore, it is often desirable to reduce it. Lifestyle changes can do this, and the first among them is to lose excess weight. It is also appropriate and helpful to reduce or cease alcohol consumption, which is linked to snoring. Reducing acid reflux could reduce airway inflammation and snoring, too. Other measures include treating nasal congestion, maintaining sufficient sleep, choosing a sleep position other than lying on your back, and the use of alternative remedies.
Supplements for Snoring
In the realm of alternative remedies, the ideal mitigating aid for snoring could be a nutrient or herb taken in oral supplement form. Here are four supplements which could reduce snoring and bolster sound sleep. Each of these works a little bit differently, so consider them all if you want to reduce disruptive snoring.
Vitamin D has been recommended for its ability to help people with sleep disorders such as OSA see a reduction in snoring. Pertinently, research shows that people with any kind of sleep disorder are at an increased likelihood of deficiency in this important vitamin. Vitamin D is a major contributor to the chemical actions that take place in the brain stem which facilitate sleep; that’s where it functions more like a hormone than a mere vitamin. The role of vitamin D in relation to sleep (and snoring) is sensible considering its primary route to the human body is sunlight. Snoring is commonly the byproduct of obstructive sleep apnea. If you snore due to sleep apnea, then there is a good chance you are vitamin D deficient, and would benefit from a vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin Bs: A vitamin B complex supplement containing vitamins B6, B12, and other B vitamins could help reduce snoring and promote sound sleep. Both vitamins B6 and B12 can help reduce snoring and promote sound sleep. Vitamin B6 contributes to production of serotonin and melatonin, which regulate sleep as well as mood, which can impact sleep. B12 is important for nervous system functioning. These two, along with other B vitamins, are recommended for reducing snoring and seeing better sleep.
Fenugreek is an herbal supplement that can help in two significant ways. First, taking fenugreek can reduce snoring in those who experience it due to acid reflux. When indigestion leads to acid reflux, it can cause snoring. Fenugreek can reduce the acid which is regurgitated during acid reflux and reduce this. Second, fenugreek could help prevent sleep apnea in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, as fenugreek can reduce the physiological complications of this condition.
Magnesium as a mineral supplement is recommended for snoring. Muscular tension can be a contributor to snoring. By helping to relax muscles in the airway, magnesium could reduce the bodily conditions during sleep which contribute to snoring. Magnesium is also simply helpful for insomnia and restless sleep.
If you, or your partner or child, experience disruptive snoring, or could have obstructive sleep apnea, then talk to your healthcare provider and consider these four supplements. It is always recommended that you bring a supplement up in discussion with your personal physician or sleep and apnea healthcare professional before trying out a new natural remedy.