Snoring may interrupt your sleep, or even worse, your partner’s sleep. Finding a remedy that stops the snoring can make all the difference in your quality of sleep (and life).
The most common cause of snoring is sleeping with an open mouth. After learning that, you’re probably wondering, “What’s the first step in learning how to keep your mouth closed at night?”
The best place to start is opening up your nasal passages to alleviate any congestion that may be causing you to breathe through your mouth.
For most people, snoring starts within the nose.
Our noses were designed for breathing, while our mouths were designed for eating. When the nasal passages become obstructed, mouth breathing offers a secondary, backup method for breathing.
If we don’tunblock our noses, though, we’ll default to this backup method 24/7, which is detrimental to our health. Aside from snoring, chronic mouth breathing can cause tooth decay, high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, sleep apnea, and more short and long-term health issues.
Keeping the nasal passages open and decongested is key to ensuring that the nostrils remain dilated and available for breathing.
If you’re suffering from severe congestion, a neti pot may help to rinse out the nostrils with the help of a saltwater solution. Beyond that, certain breathing techniques may assist in decongesting naturally, such as Buteyko breathing.
You may also benefit from nasal strips, which work by externally dilating nasal passages to keep the nostrils from collapsing.
Internal nasal dilators are yet another option, which work by keeping nostrils dilated from the inside of the nose.
Replacing your pillows often is another tactic that can help you reduce snoring and mouth breathing at night.
Think about the last time you replaced your pillows. It’s probably been a while, hasn’t it? When you don’t replace your pillows regularly, they can accumulate with allergens and dust that cause snoring.
Wash your pillows every few weeks and replace them completely every six months to keep allergens from accumulating in your bedroom.
The position you frequently sleep in can affect the way you breathe at night, too. Sleeping on your back leads to an increased risk for snoring since the airway is more likely to collapse in that position.
When you lay on your back, gravity pushes the tissues in the throat backward, blocking airflow. Chronic, repeated occurrences of this blockage may lead to sleep apnea, which consists of pauses in breathing throughout the night.
Sleeping on your side, however, allows the airway to remain unobstructed, reducing the intensity of your snoring and mouth breathing.
@somnifix What is your fav #sleep position? Tell us in the comments! 😴 #biohacking #sleephealth #sleeptips #energy #healthyhabit via AskDoctorJo on #youtube
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Beyond your sleeping position and pillow choices, certain lifestyle choices may help promote nasal breathing over mouth breathing.
On your journey of learning how to keep your mouth closed at night, you may find that losing some weight can make all the difference.
Most snorers and mouth breathers tend to be overweight, which promotes the collapse of the airway due to excess fat around the neck area.
Losing as little as a few pounds can help to decrease or eliminate mouth breathing and snoring at night.
You should also avoid alcoholic beverages before sleeping, as they cause the airway muscles to relax and slacken, leading to snoring.
Alcohol is dehydrating, which is yet another culprit of snoring and mouth breathing. That’s why it’s important to stay hydrated.
You’ve heard it all before. Drinking water is good for your overall health. But how can it keep your mouth closed at night? How does hydration relate to snoring?
Dehydration leads to dry mouth and congestion, along with other uncomfortable side effects such as fatigue and muscle cramps.
If you’re dehydrated, the mucus within your nose and mouth becomes thicker and encourages blockages within the throat. Proper hydration, on the other hand, clears this mucus and reduces the chances of airway blockages and vibration.
When you’re hydrated (and therefore less congested), you’re less likely to breathe through your mouth. Beyond the prevention of mouth breathing, proper hydration can also:
In conclusion? Reaching for another glass of water is one of the easiest ways to feel at your best while learning how to sleep with your mouth closed at night.
Just be sure not to drink water too close to bedtime, as the frequent need for urination may keep you up throughout the night. Instead, drink several glasses throughout the day and stop drinking water an hour or two before you plan to turn in for the night.
Finally, the simplest way to sleep with your mouth closed? Tape it shut. Yes, we’re serious!
Figuring out how to sleep with your mouth closed at night may seem like it requires more effort than you can put in. Thankfully, mouth taping doesn’t require any added effort or thought.
Similar to nasal strips, mouth tape strips work to promote nasal breathing and prevent snoring at night. When your mouth is physically taped shut, mouth breathing becomes near impossible.
Better yet? If you have sleep apnea, you can use mouth tape in combination with your CPAP machine to reduce leaks and improve the compliance and quality of your therapy.
So, which tape is best?
Snoring can wreak havoc on your health and your relationship. The most common cause is mouth breathing at night, which can be avoided with mouth tape.
But don’t just trust any tape to provide the assistance you need. Most tape is created with irritating chemicals that lead to rashes and irritation.
SomniFix, on the other hand, is gentle on sensitive skin thanks to hypoallergenic ingredients and a comfortable, gel-like adhesive.
Just pop a strip on before bed to keep your mouth closed all night long. You’ll wake up refreshed and relaxed and your partner will thank you for the quiet, disruption-free sleep our strips provide.
Tape your way to snoreless sleep tonight!
If you don't LOVE your sleep in 7 nights, we'll give your money back guaranteed! 🌟
