If you snore, you make a raspy, rattling, snorting sound while you breathe during sleep. Snoring is a fairly common affliction, affecting 40 percent of men and 25 percent of women. Older people are particularly prone to snoring: About one-third of people aged 55 to 84 snore.

Despite its frequency, however, snoring is a sleep disorder that can have serious medical and social consequences. The home remedies that follow may help you -- and your sleep partner -- sleep more peacefully. Pleasant dreams!

©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Prop up your upper body with pillows and sleep on your side to get a better night's sleep.

Sleep on your side. You're more likely to snore if you're lying on your back, and sleeping on your stomach is stressful on your neck.

Use tennis balls. Not to shove in your mouth, but to keep you from rolling onto your back during sleep. Sew a long, tight pocket onto the back of your pajama top, and put two or three tennis balls into it. (Don't sew? Put the tennis balls in a sock and then use a baby pin to both close the sock and attach it to the back of your pajama top.)

Avoid alcohol and tranquilizers. Both alcohol and sleeping pills can depress your central nervous system and relax the muscles of your throat and jaw, making snoring more likely. These substances are also known to contribute to sleep apnea, a dangerous condition that has been linked with cardiovascular disease. And they should never, ever be used together. If you have difficulty sleeping without sleeping pills (or if you use alcohol to help yourself fall asleep), discuss it with your doctor.

Lose weight. Excess body weight, especially around the neck, puts pressure on the airway, causing it to partially collapse.

©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Losing weight can greatly decrease snoring.

Get your allergies treated. Chronic respiratory allergies may cause snoring by forcing sufferers to breathe through their mouths while they sleep. Taking an antihistamine just before bedtime may help. If your nose is stuffed up, try using an over-the-counter saline spray or a humidifier.

Buy a mouth guard. Your dentist or doctor may be able to prescribe an antisnoring mouth guard that holds the teeth together and keeps the lower jaw muscles from becoming too lax.

Stop smoking. Smoke damages the respiratory system.

Keep a regular shuteye schedule. Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day.

See a doctor if you are pregnant and snoring. Sometimes, women who are pregnant will begin to snore. The snoring may begin because of the increased body weight and because the hormonal changes of pregnancy cause muscles to relax. Whatever the cause, snoring during pregnancy may rob your baby of oxygen. Talk with your doctor about it.

Elevate your head. Sleeping with your head raised may take some of the pressure off of the airway, making breathing easier. Raise the head of the bed by putting blocks under the bed posts, or prop up your upper body (not just your head, which can actually inhibit breathing) with pillows.

When to See a Doctor About Snoring Snoring is a nuisance -- it can keep your bed partner awake, and it can prevent you from getting the restful sleep you need for good physical and emotional health. It may also indicate that you have sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder. The National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org) recommends that you see your doctor if: You wake up during the night choking and gasping for breath You have been told that your snoring is disturbing to others You don't feel refreshed when you wake up You are extremely tired during the day You wake with a headache You are gaining weight You have trouble concentrating, remembering, or paying attention Your bed partner notices that your breathing pauses during sleep It's important to have sleep apnea treated, not only because it interferes with your daily functioning, but because it boosts your risk of vascular disease. Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle modification, surgery, oral mouth guards, or a CPAP machine, which blows air into the back of your throat while you sleep.

For more information about snoring and how to avoid it, try the following links:

• To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
• If you are having trouble sleeping, check out our Home Remedies for Insomnia.
• To understand what happens after you lay your head on the pillow, go to How Sleep Works.
• To learn more about the science of dreaming, read How Dreams Work.
• If you are unable to relax your legs while laying in bed, check out Home Remedies for Restless Legs Syndrome.
  

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Timothy Gower is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in many publications, including Reader's Digest, Prevention, Men's Health, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. The author of four books, Gower is also a contributing editor for Health magazine.

Alice Lesch Kelly is a health writer based in Boston. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Eating Well, and Health. She is the co-author of three books on women's health.

Linnea Lundgren has more than 12 years experience researching, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of four books, including Living Well With Allergies.

Michele Price Mann is a freelance writer who has written for such publications as Weight Watchers and Southern Living magazines. Formerly assistant health and fitness editor at Cooking Light magazine, her professional passion is learning and writing about health.

ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS:

Ivan Oransky, M.D., is the deputy editor of The Scientist. He is author or co-author of four books, including The Common Symptom Answer Guide, and has written for publications including the Boston Globe, The Lancet, and USA Today. He holds appointments as a clinical assistant professor of medicine and as adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.

David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.