Jennifer Harper-Deacon
Star musicians and your favourite Times writers at the Albert Hall
My boyfriend snores dreadfully. Can you suggest any remedies that might help, as my sleep is suffering?
Name and address withheld
I recommend you invest in earplugs to improve your quality of sleep. Still, there are some things your boyfriend can try.
First, he should avoid alcohol: it is a relaxant that causes the soft palate (the fleshy back part of the roof of the mouth) to become limp and reverberate when we breathe, resulting in the sound we recognise as snoring.
Excessive consumption of dairy products by those susceptible to mucus build-up can raise the incidence or level of snoring, as it contributes to the restriction of the nasal airways. So it would be worth substituting dairy for alternatives such as rice, almond- or soya-milk products for a month to see if this has a noticeable effect. Pungent and spicy foods, including black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger, help to dry up excess mucus, according to eastern medicine, so include those in your boyfriend’s diet.
Helps Stop Snoring spray by Essential Health Products (£6.99 for 9ml; www.stopsnoring.co.uk) contains a blend of essential oils, including the antispasmodic fennel, eucalyptus to clear bronchial passages, lemon and pine to unblock the sinuses, and lemon balm, sage and thyme, which are generally helpful for respiratory problems. When sprayed onto the back of the throat, it can help to reduce reverberation of the soft palate.
Jennifer Harper-Deacon is a registered naturopathic physician; www.jenniferharper-deacon.com
If you have any questions, write to: What’s the Alternative?, Style, The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST. We can only provide replies to published letters
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The best, fastest, cheapest 'cure' for snoring i have ever seen or done --- and i have tried many things --- was to reduce my total sodium intake to 1,000mg a day.
The results have been absolutely amazing --- i have told many people about this & they have been amazed also --- some were also very angry that their doctors did not tell them about this very cheap 'cure' for their snoring.
A low sodium intake seems to work by reducing the swelling thru-out one's body, throat & nose --- it is well-worth the effort & if done without 'cheating' on your intake, then you can hear the results in less than a week.
This will work for the majority of snorers who really follow it --- give it a truly honest try before having expensive, painful, mutilating surgery --- this has also worked very well for folks i have known who have sleep apnea.
Reducing your sodium works --- plus you get to cuddle with your Sweetie again ---
caminante caminante, Monument, CO, USA
There are of course many reasons why people snore and even more so called cures but even surgery has failed many. Procedures to surgically correct deviated septums, trim turbinates and soft palate and even the partial removal of the uvular ( the dangly bit in the throat) have proved ineffective for a lot of patients.
There is some evidence to support the theory that singing or to be more precise, performing some of the exercises employed by singers, can relieve snoring. So, should people who snore badly sing several rousing choruses of "Silent Night" before going to bed and hope for the best? or rush out and hire a vocal coach? It seems that this method is not yet proven.
It's often underestimated how distressing it can be for sufferers.
Not only does the condition seem to worsen with age, it can lead to partners being unable to share the same room, depression and constant tiredness. Well worth a read is more blogs on google here
http://snoring-isthereacure.blogspot.com/
Tony, Nothampton, England
...(continued) to facilitate passage of air through her throat. It effectively stopped her 100dB snoring completely, and for the first time in years (or perhaps even for the first time) she and husband could sleep a whole night in the same room! I would suggest you try and find out a bit more about this mouthpiece, as it seems like a cheap, one-time-purchase solution and one that you could understand the workings of - rather than some airy-fairy magical spray with a "secret" formula!
John Worthingham, London,
I personally don't believe that this little spray could stop a severe case of snoring, firstly because I simply don't think the ingredients could have a powerful enough effect and secondly because if you spray it into your throat I would imagine it would get swallowed or otherwise carried away before it would have a chance to "re-tone" the soft palate. I also would not waste money on unproven, unscientific "remedies", especially when the manufacturers say the exact formula is a closely guarded secret (see their website)!
I saw a BBC program about sleep a few years ago, which featured a woman with a very extreme snoring problem. Her snoring was apparently louder than a pneumatic drill, and she was having complaints from the neighbours (her poor husband had to sleep downstairs on the sofa). She tried all sorts of strange cures, but the only one that worked (and worked extremely well) was a little mouthpiece, a bit like a rugby player's gumguard, which pushed her lower jaw forwards...
John Worthingham, London,
Get a new boyfriend.
Its just so neanderthal.
Joe, Manchester,