Picture this: you're all nice and relaxed, about to drift off to dreamland, when suddenly a snore rips through the silence. All your peace is disturbed, and you're suddenly fully awake again. Or maybe you're on the other end of this and find yourself being woken up by an irritated partner, or just that you've managed to wake yourself with a snore.
Snoring can be a nuisance for snorers and those living in the same home and bed. If you're wondering about the causes and effects of snoring, this is the post for you!
What causes snoring?
Snoring is pretty common and is generally caused by your mouth, tongue, throat, or airways in your nose vibrating as you breathe. Several factors, such as being overweight, alcohol, allergies, smoking, and sleeping position, can cause snoring. Reducing or eliminating these factors could result in you stopping snoring; however, this is not always the case.
Another cause of snoring is sleep apnoea, a medical condition. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnoea, which features symptoms including loud snoring, frequent waking, gasping or choking noises, and stopping and starting breathing. If you have any of these symptoms, we recommend talking to your GP for advice and their opinion!
Does your bed affect your snoring?
So, we know how snoring can occur and what factors are involved, but how much does your bed impact your sleeping? If we're being literal, then your actual bed frame is unlikely to be causing any snoring issues, but your mattress could potentially influence whether you snore or how much you snore.
If your mattress doesn't sufficiently support the curve of your neck and back, it could be that the lack of support is causing you to snore. Furthermore, if your mattress is too soft, the support you receive is likely inadequate, resulting in your head moving out of a supportive position and lowering your jaw, obstructing your airways and causing snoring.
Of course, this is all subjective and also depends on what position you like to sleep in. If you like to sleep on your side, a medium mattress will offer you the softness you need to shape your body without discomfort, which can help reduce the risk of snoring. Back or stomach sleepers will find that a medium-firm to firm mattress will be much better, keeping your spine and neck aligned.
Remember your pillow! Pillows are crucial for aligning your neck while sleeping; the wrong type could increase the risk of snoring. Sleeping on your back can worsen snoring, exacerbated by a pillow forcing your head forward. If you have too many pillows, you might find they push your head forward, but a pillow that will help to tilt your head back, or even just keep it at a neutral level, will help to reduce the risk of snoring.
What about adjustable beds?
No longer exclusive to hospitals, adjustable beds are a growing trend thanks to their adaptability. As the name suggests, adjustable beds offer various sleeping and sitting positions that help you find the perfect position to get your forty winks. With this being said, do adjustable beds help snoring?
A study found that sleeping in an inclined position saw a 7% reduction with a further 4% fewer awakenings and a 5% increase in time in deep sleep, which is the period of sleep when your body works to heal itself and also sort out your recent memories.
