In a study, researchers found that children who snore are more likely to become hyperactive than children who sleep quietly at night. Additionally, researchers noted that the snoring is most likely to come first, not the hyperactivity.
Easy Fixes for Snoring
In response to this discovery, one of the researchers who worked on this study noted that many adults and children suffer from sleeping problems, like snoring, that can have a major effect on their behavior, health and overall quality of life. If you, or one of your children, snores:
- Try changing your pillows—dust mites can accumulate in pillows and cause allergic reactions that often lead to snoring.
- Stay hydrated—when you’re dehydrated, the secretions in your soft palate and nose are stickier, causing snoring to become more likely.
- Change the position you sleep in—sleeping on your side, instead of your back, may prevent snoring because when you sleep on your back, your soft palate and your tongue collapses into the back of your throat.
- Open up your nasal passages—if you find that you become congested at night, try taking a hot shower before bed.
Additionally, practicing good sleep habits can also prevent snoring from becoming a prevalent issue. For example, if you work long hours and are extremely tired by the time you get to bed, your sleep becomes deeper and the muscles in your throat become floppier, resulting in a greater chance of snoring. If possible, keep your sleep schedule consistent and try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night.
When to See a Doctor
If these easy ways to stop snoring don’t work, you could be suffering from the effects of not getting enough sleep. You should seek medical care for your snoring problem if you find that you are more irritable than usual, experience the symptoms of depression, fall asleep even though you spent plenty of time sleeping the night before, or have a hard time concentrating at school or at work.
