Dear Help,

Snoring is noisy breathing through the open mouth during sleep. It is produced by vibrations of the soft palate. Snoring is usually caused by conditions that interfere with breathing through the nose, such as a common cold, allergies, or enlarged adenoids. It is more common while sleeping on your back, when the lower jaw tends to drop open. As long as your doctor determines that your snoring is not stemming from apnea (a disorder where the snorer stops breathing for seconds, or even minutes) or any other serious condition, here are some tips for alleviating your predicament:

• Sew an object (i.e., a tennis ball) into the pajama top near the small of your back in order to make it uncomfortable to sleep on your back.
• For at least two to three hours before bedtime, don't drink alcohol or take sleeping pills, antihistamines, or tranquilizers. They depress the central nervous system and make your tongue floppy and throat muscles loose.
• Add some humidity to your bedroom. A dry throat tends to vibrate more than one that's moist. Try putting a container of water near your radiator.
• Use extra pillows to raise your head and align your airway.
• Try not to eat dairy products before bedtime because some people notice a build-up of mucus that can interfere with breathing.
• Try taking honey (chew honeycomb or swallow a couple of spoonfuls of liquid) daily for a few weeks.
• Have someone you sleep with, or your roommate, roll you over onto your side when you start to snore.

For more information, read Dan Carlinsky's book, Stop Snoring Now.

Good night,

Alice

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