Before my father was retired he had to wake up at 3 a.m. for work. After retirement, his early morning habit proved hard to break. Subsequently, the afternoons would inevitably find him snoozing on his recliner. Without fail, as soon as he'd hit a deep sleep he'd let out a massive snort, wake himself up, and grumble at my mom and I for "waking him up."
My dad's afternoon snoring puts him in the company of many others. How about you? Do you snore, too? Revolution Health offers some tips on snoring. Snoring is caused by a narrowing of the throat due to congestion, enlarged tonsils, or other issues. Conditions like asthma and obesity can also cause or exacerbate snoring. Contrary to what some might believe, snoring doesn't necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. But if you feel your snoring is excessive, it's a good idea to check with your doctor.

You can minimize your snoring by changing up some of your sleep routines. Try sleeping on your side and avoiding alcohol and smoking before bedtime. Also, if you have some weight to lose, dropping excess pounds will likely help your snoring. You can also see your doctor for other possible solutions such as a mouthpiece designed to minimize snoring.

Want to learn more? Chris tells us how excessive snoring may signal a health risk.

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If you're being treated for sleep apnea, chance are you wear a C-PAP machine at night, wear a dental appliance, or have had surgery. Because treatments for sleep apnea are often uncomfortable, many people go untreated. Sleep apnea can cause a range of health problems, including heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, and cause daytime drowsiness as well.

A new, less cumbersome device to treat sleep apnea is currently being studied, and is showing promising results. When 11 people with mild to moderate problems wore a nasal cannula (a thin tube with prongs, typically used to deliver oxygen) that sent warm, moist air into their upper airways, breathing pauses and night awakenings were cut dramatically. Further studies are underway to find out if this more comfortable method may be useful in treating the condition.

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Suffering from sleep apnea? I would venture to guess that you discovered it from waking yourself up at night or by your spouse or partner waking you up based on noise. What to do? Visit your doctor and see what the cause could be.

Don't let sleep apnea slip under your health radar -- and to further that point, new research states that the condition can lead to a higher risk of diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy. Females, pay attention to this.

With obesity being a main cause of sleep apnea these days, this is yet another good reason to find a way to reduce your weight while maintaining a lifestyle to keep those extra pounds off.

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