Sleep is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy, balanced life, and disruptions to it can lead to little or no rest throughout the night. Snoring affects not only your quality of sleep but also your partners. Finding relief by treating your condition will increase your overall well being and can also improve relationships.
What Causes Snoring?
If you wake up during the night or frequently feel tired throughout the day, snoring may be affecting your quality of sleep. When a person snores, they create a series of loud breathing noises while they’re sleeping. The condition can wake them up during the night or cause their partner to wake up as well.
Snoring can be caused by:
- Sleep apnea — This is a condition that occurs when your airway is obstructed and causes you to wake up frequently during the night.
- Obesity — When a person is overweight, they develop extra tissues in the back of their throat that cause them to snore.
- Medical condition — Some people are born with or develop problems with their soft palette.
- Sleep habits — While there’s no right or wrong way to sleep, not getting enough sleep or sleeping in certain positions can cause snoring.
Treating Your Condition at Home
Mild snoring conditions can be easily treated on your own. Simply changing your lifestyle or correcting bad habits can be enough to eliminate your condition and leave you feeling healthier and well-rested.
If your condition is caused due to your weight, exercising and eating healthy is a great way to eliminate snoring. Sleeping on your side or elevating your head at night can also lead to a more restful night’s sleep.
Seeking Professional Treatments
Sometimes patients suffer from chronic snoring and need professional treatment to find relief. Dr. Lauk recommends coming in for a no-obligation consultation to have your sleep evaluated.
If you receive a sleep diagnosis from a certified sleep physician, Dr. Lauk may prescribe you a customized oral appliance. This sits inside your jaw while you sleep to treat your sleep apnea. These appliances are oftentimes used as an alternative to the sleep apnea treatment called CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure).
We recommend that patients contact their doctor if none of the above treatments work. Although it’s usually used as a last resort, surgery is sometimes needed to permanently cure your snoring.
Contact Dr. Lauk to Improve Your Sleep Quality
Are you ready to find relief from snoring and start sleep well again? Contact us at (817) 431-6764 to discover the reason for your snoring and have Dr. Lauk suggest the best treatment to fit your lifestyle.