First, find out WHY you snore. Not all snores are alike. Your sleeping position can tell you a lot about what type of snorer you are. When you know why you snore, you can find the best solution.

If you are a closed-mouth snorer, your tongue probably causes that ear splitting sound. Targetted exercises and simple lifestyle changes can help eliminate the problem.

If you are an open-mouthed snorer, your problem is probably caused by sinus trouble or by your sleeping posture. Sleeping posture is easy to adjust, with immediate effect, but it'll take time to develop the right habit.

Snoring when you sleep on your back is usually easy to deal with. In some cases, lifestyle changes may be necessary. Snoring when sleeping in any position might mean you suffer from sleep apnoea [see box]. Diagnosing and treating sleep apnoea needs specialist intervention and is critical to your overall health and safety.

10 WAYS TO STOP SNORING

1. 1. Keep your body weight as close to normal as possible. Even being a little bit overweight could aggravate snoring by increasing the amount of fatty tissue at the back of your throat.
2. 2. Exercise regularly. We should all be doing this anyway. Exercising for overall tone helps to tone the throat muscles which can help to reduce snoring.
3. 3. Don't smoke. Smokers are more likely to snore because smoking irritates the lining of your nose and throat, causing your breathing airway to become blocked. [See our article on quitting smoking].
4. 4. Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It relaxes your throat muscles making you more likely to snore. Ditto for caffeine drinks and heavy meals.
5. 5. Talk to your doctor about your regular medication. Some types of medicine induce deep sleep which can make snoring worse. Sleeping pills and sedatives are prime culprits.
6. 6. Set regular sleep patterns. Nighttime rituals and routines can help prime you for sleep so that you sleep better and are less likely to snore. Involve your partner in sharing a routine so that you can both go to bed feeling relaxed and ready to sleep through the night.
7. 7. Clear your nose before going to bed. Keeping your nasal passages open and clear can help reduce snoring. Nasal strips can help you breathe properly. Washing out your nose and sinuses with light saline can help even more.
8. 8. Make sure the air in your bedroom doesn't get too dry. Dryness irritates your nose and throat making you more likely to snore. If you use an air conditioner, keep a damp cloth by your bedside so that the air around you doesn't dry out too much.
9. 9. Choose the right pillow. To reduce snoring, you need one that positions your head so that your tongue and jaw move forward and makes sure that your neck muscles aren't strained.
10. 10. Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back makes your tongue drop to the back of your throat which can obstruct your breathing and make you snore. Attach an object to the back of your pajama top or put an object behind you when you settle in so that you don't turn onto your back.

OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA

In obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), your throat relaxes and narrows during sleep, which interrupts normal breathing. During an apnoea episode, when breathing is interrupted, your brain detects a lack of oxygen and pulls you out of deep sleep. This might mean anything from going into lighter sleep mode or waking up altogether. The process helps your airway to reopen so that you can breathe normally and get the oxygen you need.

Several episodes of apnoea can occur throughout the night, sometimes as often as every 1-2 minutes, resulting in poor quality sleep. Sufferers usually feel very tired the following day but do not remember waking up at night. The resulting tiredness can cause a person to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly, which can be dangerous, e.g. when driving.

People with obstructive sleep apnoea usually snore very loudly and noisily. During an OSA episode, the person gasps and snorts but is unaware of the occurrence unless another person notices it