Snoring is the act of breathing noisily during sleep, however it's the cause of snoring that makes this particular sleep disorder interesting. That's because snoring is more than just a noise. Snoring is a actually a form of sleep apnea - a brief period during sleep where breathing completely stops due to temporary moments of air passage blockage.

CAUSES OF SNORING

Snoring is the result of the back of the tongue hitting the uvula (the small pendant fleshy lobe at the back of the soft palate) and vibrating during sleep. More prone to exist in people who sleep on their backs, the position of the head greatly influences the occurrence and volume of the snore. When the head is laid back and positioned parallel to the bed for example, snoring will be more prevalent and loud. Some natural sleeping tablets like "Melatrol" can be used to assist with a more comfortable sleep

WAYS TO CURE OR STOP SNORING

Curing snoring may involve a few steps with the first step assessing the severity of the problem. Generally, the louder the snore, the more severe the apnea. Severe apnea cannot be controlled with simple procedures and it needs to be addressed by a physician. In most cases, severe snoring will be treated with a prescribed CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Appliance) and/or medication (or surgery in the worst of cases). Minor snoring can be treated rather simply with easy behavioral changes such as changing the sleeping position from laying on the back to laying on the side with the assistance of what's called, "snore pillows". Since weight can contribute to snoring, dietary changes can alleviate snoring as well. The idea behind curing snoring is to remove the blockage that causes snoring in the first place. In almost every case of snoring, the victim's lifestyle (or genes) contributed some factor that causes the blockage (manifested as sound of the tongue hitting the uvula and vibrating during sleep).

SNORING IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE SNORER AND THOSE AROUND THEM

One of the most important things to know about snoring is that it isn't always a minor issue. A lot of people approach snoring as if it were just a fact of life when snoring can be a life-threatening issue. Alarming statistics dictate that thirty percent of severe apnea patients die within four to five years of being diagnosed, so it's imperative that this sleeping disorder be addressed with the same seriousness as any other illness.

Another important snoring issue to acknowledge is how it affects others. Although the disorder seems to belong to the snorer, it's also disrupting to those who sleep with the snorer as well. Everyone in a household needs to get a full night's rest - but it's increasingly difficult to do so when snoring continuously wakes others throughout the night. It is therefore imperative to take care of a snoring problem not only for the snorer's sake - but also for the circadian rhythms and melatonin of everyone else around the snorer too.