For as long as mankind has been roaming the earth, man has been looking for ways to stop snoring.
Solutions based in medicine are only a phenomenon of the late 21st century.
But for thousands of years, man has been using all kinds of natural, holistic solutions to cure snoring.
Of course, back in ancient times, people did not really understand what causes snoring, so history is riddled with its share of old-wives tales.
But one thing is certain.
Even though our society tends to portray snoring as comical, and that the person who snores is oftentimes the butt of jokes, the fact of the matter is that snoring is a serious problem - a breathing impairment that can lead to more serious problems like sleep apnea, which is the tendency to stop breathing during sleep.
Now that's no laughing matter.
Here are just a few of the ludicrous examples of some of the classic, age-old solutions that mankind has been practicing for generations, to try to quell the cacophony that is snoring: 1.
Using a wedge to keep you from lying flat on your back during sleep.
(It is a well-known fact that when you sleep on your back, gravity can tend to pull your tongue downward into the throat, causing the blockage that results in snoring.
) This may not be the most comfortable way to sleep, but it can help prevent you from snoring: You sew a tennis ball on to the back of your pajamas or other sleeping garments.
And you sleep on your side.
Since we human beings have a tendency to roll around in our sleep, this tennis ball, being wedged between where your back meets the bed, will literally prevent you from being able to roll over onto your back.
2.
As ridiculous as this may sound, one of the classic ways to combat snoring, and which is still being touted as a solution in this day and age, is the use of a pacifier.
Yes, just like the baby pacifier.
If you close your mouth and suck on the pacifier during your sleep, you are less likely to snore.
Try it! 3.
Electric shock therapy is an effective way to combat snoring.
There are devices available on the market that you can wear on your wrist to sleep.
When you snore, this device detects it and then sends a quick jolt up your arm, not enough to scare you out of bed, but just enough to give you a gentle "nudge", to get you to stop snoring..
..
This is somewhat analogous to having your partner shake you or kick you in your sleep while you're snoring.
Ask your partner...
Apparently this method seems to work, even though only for a few seconds or minutes at a time.
Quite frankly, you are trading off the quality of your sleep in exchange for not snoring if you use a wedge, a pacifier, or shock therapy.
Yes, the snoring will stop, but your sleep may not be the best.