If you often drink alcohol before going to bed, a way to see if it could be related to your snoring is to not drink any for two or three nights. See if your snoring improves or goes away entirely.
Alcohol acts as a depressant which can lead to snoring. It relaxes the muscles in your throat and neck, more so than normal sleep, which can cause your air passages to be restricted.
If you find that your snoring is better when you don't drink before going to sleep, the obvious answer is to stop drinking. But if that isn't a viable option, you should make sure your last drink is at least 4 hours before you go to sleep.
Sleeping on Your Back
Many snorers only have a problem when they're sleeping on their back. The solution to this is to train your body to sleep on your side.
There are plenty of devices that help with this, but they're mostly variations of a home-grown remedy.
Put a tennis ball inside a sock, which you then pin to the back of your pajamas. While you're sleeping, if you roll onto your back the discomfort from the tennis ball will cause you to roll back onto your side.
Are You Overweight?
Being overweight is another thing that can lead to a snoring problem. If you're overweight, fat tissue can build up in your neck and throat area, which puts a strain on your breathing by blocking your airways. The obvious solution here is to lose some of the extra weight.
Do You Use Antihistamines and/or Sleeping Pills?
These products can have a similar effect to alcohol. They relax your throat muscles more than normal sleep would and this can lead to snoring problems.
Do You Have Allergies?
Nasal congestion is one of the common symptoms of allergies, which can force your body to struggle to get the oxygen it needs.
The problem with treating allergies is that many medications include antihistamines, which just serve to compound the snoring problem. It's better to use a decongestant when you're dealing with allergies.
Whether any of these causes of snoring hit home for you or not, you should speak with a doctor or another health care professional and get their informed opinion about your particular situation.
