We all hate to go see our doctors, at least most of us are, especially to deal with something that seems so trivial as a snoring treatment.
Well, let me tell you how trivial snoring is...
NOT! It can be an outright risk to your health.
Not to mention a real pain in the butt for your spouse or partner, or perhaps more appropriate, a pain in the ears.
If your snoring includes disruption in your breathing or you are constantly tired during the day, then go to your physician pronto before buying an over the counter remedy.
Now with that said and you are confident your snoring is more of the annoying type, then carry on.
When considering a non-prescribed snoring treatment, keep in mind that there are literally hundreds if not thousands on the market that vary widely in method and cost so I am going to hand you my top five list of inexpensive snoring treatments.
Which leads us to our first inexpensive option.
Now keep in mind, some or all of these products may not work for your particular case.
But giving them a try may save some dough in the long run and a trip to the dreaded doctors office.
1.
Sleep Pillows That Reduce Snoring I looked at a lot, and I mean a lot of pillows claiming reduction in snoring and sifted through hundreds of reviews of customers that purchased these pillows.
I must say that quite a few people have snoring problems, or their bed partners do and uniquely designed pillows are proving to help some of them.
Many of the more effective pillows (at least by their reviews) are made from memory foam.
One issue many people had with snoring pillows were the hardness and the heat that the pillow generated.
2.
Anti-Snoring Sprays These seem to be a very popular purchase for people suffering from the effects of constant snoring.
The way sprays work are to lubricate the tissues in your throat from drying out, which is said to reduce or eliminate the sound.
I have found two sprays on the market that show considerable results based on the number of reviews by customers using the product.
However, before using any over the counter medication, you may wish to consult with your doctor as with some users, the spray made their conditions worse after continued usage.
3.
The Neti Pot You may be wondering what in the heck is a neti pot or if you know what one is, how the heck can it alleviate my or my bed partners snoring.
Well, a neti pot looks very much like an Aladdin's lamp and has been around in India for thousands of years.
It is used primarily for relief of allergies and sinus related problems but since some people snore because of allergy and sinus problems, this may also reduce or stop your snoring.
It's very much a nasal flusher with salt water and to use it, you merely place a quarter to half teaspoon of iodized table salt and add it to about a cup of warm water and put it into the neti-pot.
You then insert the spout into one nostril and allow the salt water to drain out the other.
I know it does not sound glamorous but boy, has it helped clear a lot of passageways and may just be what could work for you and it does not come much more cheaply than this.
4.
Mouth Guards Yes, bring back those old sporting days with the boil and bite molded mouth piece.
Well, it is a close match actually and these anti snore guards work very similar to the mouth protectors worn by athletes.
With this particular snoring treatment, the mouth piece is molded so it brings your jaw forward and keeps it in place during sleep to prevent your throat tissues from collapsing.
Many customers have had success with mouth guards but you may experience teeth pain while getting used to the device.
There are many brands and shapes of these mouth guards on the market but I have located two stand outs based on customer review of effectiveness and comfort.
Again, this is a very inexpensive snoring treatment and could be worth the initial discomfort to solve your problem.
5.
Lifestyle! Ha! You thought I would not even mention the dreaded, shape up or keep snoring ultimatum, did you? Well, it really does have to be said.
If you are in excellent shape and not a bit overweight, then go ahead and skip to the section below regarding sleep position, but if not, you may want to pay careful attention to what could save you more than money in the long term.
* Overweight and Out of Shape By being overweight, this can put stress on your breathing even while you are awake.
What can occur are fat deposits that accumulate around your upper airway causing sleep apnea.
Yes, of course skinny people snore as well, but just consider the other benefits of getting into shape and cleaning up your diet.
* Use of Alcohol and Sedatives (sleeping pills) No, I am not saying you are an alcoholic or drug abuser and need to quit cold turkey.
What is a problem is drinking alcohol right before bedtime, usually up to 3 hours and/or taking a sedative relaxes the muscles in your throat, thereby causing snoring.
So perhaps it might be a simple snoring solution to move your nightcaps up a few hours and to lay off taking any sleeping pills before you hit your new anti-snore pillow.
* Smoking Does anyone actually smoke anymore? What with the horrific commercials graphically showing amputated fingers, toes, hands and legs, would that not be more of a deterrent than the problem of snoring? According to the Mayo Clinic, smokers are three times as likely to have obstructive sleep apnea.
The causes, inflammation and retention of fluid in your upper airway.
* Sleep Position Sleep on your side! I know what you are saying, you are asleep without any awareness and keep rolling onto your back.
Well guess what, some of the pillows I researched actually force you to sleep on your side.
In fact, I found that one pillow developed in Japan can detect when you begin to snore and will shift your position by movement of the pillow.
Super! Or you could just have your spouse continue to roll you over forcefully.
Okay, so now that all the fun has been taken out of your life just in the quest for quietness in the bedroom, you are now armed with choices that are inexpensive and in some cases will save you money.
Again, snoring is not a matter to be taken lightly.
I can not recommend enough that you should see your physician to be sure there are no other medical issues that may be going on and could worsen.
You could be fortunate and just be suffering from primary snoring or you could be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, which is much worse and needs to be treated sooner rather than later.
If all is well, then you can discuss the best inexpensive options for your most effective snoring treatment.