Compiled by Milwaukee Courier Staff
Most of us are familiar with the concept of sleep hygiene: creating the right conditions and habits to promote better sleep. Now there’s also snore hygiene: good habits and practices to manage snoring and its effects on the snorer and the snorer’s partner. An estimated 45 percent of adults snore at least occasionally and 25 percent is habitual snorers. Alternative health expert Bryce Wylde has examined today’s most popular anti-snoring options and is ready to reveal what’s out and what’s in for better snore hygiene.
“Snoring isn’t just an annoyance. Snorers triple their risk of adverse health issues compared with non-snorers. Heavy snorers have five times greater risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. So, if you or your partner snore, it’s important to take action,” says Wylde. In addition to addressing any of the three primary causes of snoring–smoking, alcohol consumption and being overweight–there are other lifestyle changes you can make.
Today’s trends: What’s out and what’s in to manage snoring
• Out: Tennis balls sewn into the back of your pajama shirt to prevent you from rolling on your back.
• In: A device inserted into your pillow that silently inflates and deflates when it detects snoring. It helps you to resume a more normal breathing pattern.
• Out: Nasal strips worn on the outside of your nose.
• In: An individually adjustable nasal dilator called Mute which fits comfortably inside the nose to gently open the nasal airways. Available over the counter, it increases the volume of air traveling through the nose making nasal breathing easier to achieve.
• Out: White noise machines to mask the snoring noise.
• In: Soft headbands that contain headphones, so a snorer’s partner can listen to anything that might induce better sleep, from music to audiobooks and talk radio.
• Out: Neti pots to cleanse allergens from nasal passages.
• In: In-room high-powered HEPA filtration systems that clean allergens out of the air.
• Out: Drinking chamomile tea before bedtime.
• In: Avoiding foods that your immune system may not like. If you have a food sensitivity, it may contribute to inflammation, as well as water retention and weight gain. These are all factors that contribute to snoring.
Creative ways to use essential oils for better snore hygiene
If you snore, Wylde says you may also want to experiment with some of your favorite essential oils. “At least one study has found that diffusing or spraying thyme, lavender, lemon or peppermint can really help. Using Mute with essential oils can open the snorer’s nose and provide soothing relief for both the snorer and partner.”
Bryce Wylde BSc (hons), DHMHS is a leading health expert specializing in integrative and functional medicine, homeopathy, clinical nutrition, and supplementation. As associate medical director at P3 Health in Toronto, and director of My Health Report, he blends the latest in science and technology with traditional and ancient remedies.
Wylde is the author of three national best-selling books, previous host of CTV’s Wylde on Health, and regular guest health expert and medical advisor on “The Doctor Oz” show.
