Snoring ranges widely in the seriousness of its implications as a disorder. It can be merely something that disturbs your spouse’s sleep – or it might be a real threat to your health and continued wellbeing.
It can also serve as a clue that some other, underlying problem has reached the point at which it really needs to be dealt with. That’s the case with drinking and smoking, two common causes of obstructive sleeps apnea. It’s most certainly the case if you’re overweight.
Weight gain has become a true epidemic in many Western countries. The massive infiltration of fast food emporiums into modern society is one big part of the problem. Such foods require no effort on the consumer’s part when it comes to preparation, are cheap, taste delicious and ultimately put you at risk of a smorgasbord of disorders, including heart disease, stroke and Type-II diabetes.
That said, the products you’ll find touted as nutritional sources in most supermarket aisles are often just as hazardous. Processed foods are, for many people, their main sources of nutrition, and are as frequently depleted of all wholesome nutrients as they are rife with additives that lead to hardened arteries and weight gain.
Weight gain affects snoring by the creation of fat deposits around the throat and chest. While sleeping, especially on one’s back, this fat can press down on one’s throat, obstructing airways and leading to the air turbulence and contact between tissues that results in the sonorous vibration of a snore. Since fat deposits also place pressure on the belly and chest, it also becomes harder for overweight individuals to expand their lungs, reducing the force they can exert to draw air in.
By first addressing your diet, you can bring about weight loss and reduce your level of snoring, along with diminishing your risk of numerous other diseases. Eat fresh vegetables, and grill meats instead of frying them. Add plentiful servings of green salad and steamed vegetables to your diet, and you’ll soon see results. For a comprehensive approach to healthy eating and weight loss, see the works of Patrick Holford (patrickholford.com), whose Low GL eating system is among the most effective at reducing cravings and improving mood.
A dual-functional way of addressing snoring and weight gain is to stick to a good diet while participating in healthful exercise. Authorities recommend that you engage in 30 minutes of cardiovascular training four times a week for optimal health, though you might want to do more if you’re trying for serious weight loss.
Exercise isn’t only a good way to burn calories – cardiovascular exercise can actually improve the capacity of your lungs, along with their power to take in and utilize the oxygen in air (a capability you can have measured at your local gym, via the VO2 max test). It can also help strengthen the muscles of your throat and the muscles that expand your chest and rib cage during breathing.
Note that yoga might be more helpful when it comes to strengthening the airways – but that, while this might help to reduce snoring, it is less efficient than aerobic exercise at bringing about comprehensive weight loss. Weight gain may well have been the root cause of your disorder. By training your throat muscles, you may only be treating the symptom, not the disease.
If your snoring problem needs more immediate attention, and you don’t have the energy to engage in exercise for weight loss, you should probably visit a sleep clinic. In the past few years, sleep disorders have finally been recognized as serious illnesses, and specialist should be able to advise you on the best treatment for your problem. Depending on their diagnosis, they might advise you to undergo surgery for snoring, purchase a CPAP machine, wear a snoring chin strap or sleep with an anti-snoring pillow.