We all know how annoying snoring can be, both for the snorer
and the partner. The effects and seriousness of snoring are
becoming more apparent with snoring being linked to conditions
like high blood pressure and coronary disease. The different
types of snoring, range from a simple puff to a full on roar and
there isn't one school of thought on the reasons behind snoring.
Snoring, I believe, is a signal that the body s systems are out
of balance. Finding which system is the difficult part. But
correcting the balance may not take a huge change, take the
example of Andy.
Andy was in his late 30s and had snored for several years. He s
not quite sure when it started but of late the snoring had being
a more regular event. He probably still wouldn't be aware of it,
except it drove his wife crazy. Andy had always being active,
not a football star but he liked to throw a ball around. If you
asked a passerby, they wouldn't describe Andy as overweight but
Andy freely admits putting on a pound a year over the past 10
years and plans to start shedding some of it sometime soon.
Every year Andy and the family, his wife and two sons go
camping. They always go to the same camping ground every year
and always get the same site, or there about, near the water and
away from the highway. Andy doesn't believe a holiday should be
hard work and the family doesn't lack for comfort with
inflatable mattresses, electric cooler, color TV (just for the
news) and a large three room tent. Now last year the shower
block at Andy's end of the camp ground was under going a major
renovation for the two weeks of Andy s holiday. It wasn't a
major problem; it just meant that Andy had his nightly shower at
the other shower block. But because Andy and his wife preferred
that the boys didn't have to walk in the dark they showered a
couple hours earlier than normal.
After a couple of days after arriving Andy's wife Karen noted
that Andy wasn't snoring nearly as badly as he normally did. On
past holidays even the boys would mention how annoying dad's
snoring was. They too had noticed a more quiet night.
Andy was
pleased as he too had noticed that he awoke more refreshed in
the morning and his mouth didn't feel like someone had left
sandpaper in it. He didn't know what change he had made that
brought this unexpected and pleasant result, but he suspected it
had to do with his nightly routine, as this was the only thing
that had changed.
Over the next two weeks Andy experimented with his routine and
finally came to the conclusion that if he brushed his teeth
several hours before going to bed rather than just before
retiring he didn't snore so much, if at all, and he woke in the
morning without his mouth feeling all dry.
That simple change has made a big difference to Andy and Karen.
Andy deduced that when he brushed his teeth just before
retiring, the toothpaste was making him a little dehydrated. It
was enough to dry out the nasal passages and cause him to
breathe through his mouth making the snoring noise. By brushing
earlier he didn't suffer the same dehydration and was able to
breathe through his nose the whole night through. Now Andy also
realized that toothpaste alone shouldn't be able to have such a major effect.
It was that his body was very near the
balance point and the toothpaste was the final small push over the edge. Andy
decided he was too close to that fine balance point and began to look at his
whole diet and has made made some small adjustments. He has lost a little
weight, but that s a bonus and he only now snores if he over indulges and that s
usually when he catches up with college buddies twice a year. The chance of
eliminating your snoring by changing the time of day when you brush your teeth
is most likely less than one in a thousand or worse. Andy s problem probably
isn't your problem. The key is to find the system that is out of balance and
work to set it right. You never know, you may only need the smallest of change.
Is it worth the effort? You decide.
About the author:
Kevin Meates writes for
http://www.snoring-solutions-that-work.com
where you can find a set of strategies for overcoming all types of snoring
problems.