Ah, Thanksgiving…
Although it is generally seen as the “warm-up” holiday before Christmas, Thanksgiving will always have a special place in the hearts of Americans who use it as an opportunity to reunite families and feast abundantly upon turkey and dressing and all the traditional fare that comes with this great holiday.
It wasn’t until recently that the connection between tryptophan and turkey was made by medical and biochemical science, but for more than a century, Americans have been taking part in the late afternoon slumber that almost inevitably hits after devouring huge portions of this delicious bird.
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Even though there is no formal nomenclature assigned to different kinds of snoring, those who have to endure nightly bouts of noise can attest to different decibel levels as the night progresses. This is because of the different sleep stages the body goes through during the course of an average evening.
The human body experiences four distinct stages of sleep that are further divided into two categories; REM and non-REM sleep. Conventional snoring generally occurs in the second and third stages and almost never takes place during REM sleep, whereas snoring that is associated with OAS or sleep apnea usually only occurs in the deepest of sleep and can take place during REM sleep as well.
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Keeping your loved ones guessing whether or not you may have turned into some obnoxiously loud creature of the night whenever you go to sleep is never the polite thing to do. However, before people start running for whatever stop snoring remedies they can find, certain habits should always be taken into consideration.
The 21st century lifestyle isn’t exactly the healthiest, generally speaking. People who find themselves habitually smoking, eating junk food, and indulging in alcohol are at higher risk of chronic medical conditions.
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With modern medical science progressing more and more everyday, we are seeing the long-term effect of chronic conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea. OSA has been passed off for centuries as everything from a personality defect to even demonic possession. However, its effects can now be measured due to the long-term effects of sleep deprivation on the human body. Sufferers of OSA essentially asphyxiate themselves throughout the course of the night, after all. And the result can be very loud snoring and several panicked awakenings throughout the night.
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The last 10 years, anti-snoring mouthpieces have become very popular editions to peoples’ nighttime routines. They have proven themselves to be quite effective in reducing and often times eliminating snoring altogether in certain people. However, with so many different choices of mouthpieces out there, it behooves the potential user of one to explore as many options as possible.
The choice of whether to go with them mouthpiece that is available over the counter, or having one custom-made by professional depends mostly on budgetary concerns.
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Everyone has had an encounter with somebody who snores all night, and it may even be ourselves who are the guilty party. When we have come to the point in our lives where we are sharing a bed with someone else, practicality has to give way to consideration for others and their right to a sound sleep. A lot of times, we don’t discover that we snore at all until we begin sharing a bed with another person. It’s not really our fault, but it’s a good idea to take steps to make sleepy time a pleasant experience for everybody.
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Even though he is one of the most beloved people in my life, I would often times regret having to visit the house of my grandfather because this is the place where I learned about sleep deprivation in my childhood. I remember laying awake in bed at night almost certain that I would hear this man die in his sleep. He was snore so loudly and for so long, that when he stopped, you thought there might have been something wrong with him.
And yet my grandmother could doze blissfully next to him the entire night without a single complaint or care. But I, all the way across the house, was kept awake by what sounded like an elephant seal locked in mortal combat with the engine of a Learjet.
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Experts in the field of paranormal research have documented a phenomenon called “the old hag” for many years. This phenomenon manifests itself as the inability of a sleeper to move after suddenly waking up for unknown reasons. Often, the sensation of having a weight pushed down on the chest has also been reported. Folklore explains this as some sort of female entity or ghost sitting on the chest of the sleeper, stealing their life force.
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When it comes to the animal kingdom, snoring is actually quite rare amongst the thousands of species that inhabit our planet. The reason for this is simple, most organisms are quite vulnerable while they are asleep, and a loud activity like snoring is probably one of the best ways to attract potential predators. However, snoring does exist amongst animals and its effects are just as irritating as they are in the world of humankind.
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During pregnancy, several hormonal changes in the expecting mother can result in all kinds of unique side effects such as craving strange foods, morning sickness, and even very heavy snoring.
Some women experience heavy snoring episodes due to the changes in the neck muscles as they become looser due to high levels of estrogen acting as a natural muscle relaxer. Although generally just an annoyance, heavy snoring that leads to sleep apnea could potentially be detrimental to a developing child.
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