According to Dr. Marc Kayem, Medical Director of the Snoring and Apnea Center of California, one out of four people married to a snorer will be driven out of the bedroom at some point in the marriage. "I see a lot of patients whose spouses can't just go to another room. They have to escape to a whole other area of the house," says Kayem.

A few things cause snoring, but the biggest culprit is a vibration of very relaxed muscles and tissues in the throat, which rattle against narrow breathing passages. Symptoms are worse when you are overweight, or still have your tonsils.

WebMD offers the following tips to help treat the problem:

• Lose weight and improve your eating habits.
• Avoid tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines before you go to bed.
• Avoid alcohol, heavy meals, or snacks at least four hours before you sleep.
• Establish regular sleeping patterns. For example, try to go to bed at the same time every night.
• Sleep on your side rather than on your back.
• Tilt the head of your bed up four inches.

If none of the above mentioned behavioral changes help snoring, talk to your doctor.

For people seeking other remedies, Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports that many patients experience drastic improvement when prescribed nighttime breathing masks. And he says that a relatively new, minimally invasive solution called the pillar procedure may fix the problem permanently with the aid of three to five implants inserted into the soft palate. In addition, mouth guards customized by a dentist can be effective. They reposition your jaw forward, which allows more room in your throat.

As for over the counter remedies, opinions are mixed. Nasal strips, which adhere to the bridge of the nose and widen airways, are popular, but have limited results. Kayem recommends them but only for people whose snoring is due to sinus blockage. Sprays can help by coating the soft palate, but if you use a spray, reapply it after you drink any liquid.

While a new mattress won't solve your snoring problems, the Pocketed Coil^® springs in the Beautyrest^® mattress can help solve another disturbance in the bedroom - motion transfer between you and your partner. The individually wrapped coils inside the Beautyrest^® mattress isolate motion to help you get an undisturbed night's sleep.

Sources:
The Snore Wars by Sanjay Gupta, M.D. Time.com
WebMD Sleep Disorders Health Center article: Sleep and Snoring.
Heavy Snoring can be a Danger Sign by Val Willingham, CNN Medical Producer.

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