Chances are you’re completely oblivious to your own snoring, but we promise the person you share a bed with (or even the people you share a house or apartment with) know just how much you snore and how loud.
Those irritated shoves and frustrated midnight pleas to “STOP SNORING” might hurt your ego, but snoring can be a major indicator of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, so you shouldn’t just hide it under the bed. Although your snoring might seem harmless, the truth is it could be seriously affecting your health, and an “easy” solution might not be an option.
If you are pursuing snoring aids without professional advice, caution should always be taken.
Snoring is a sleep apnea symptom. If your snoring persists, try taking our sleep quiz to get to the bottom of things. All things considered, here are some interesting facts about what kind of snorer you might be:
While reading, remember in many cases over-the-counter snoring aids only mask the real problem or only provide temporary relief.
THE 5 TYPES OF SNORERS
If you’re a snorer trying to get to the bottom of things, you might be interested in taking a few tests to determine what kind of snorer you are and where the issue is coming from. In this case, don’t just stop at the first one that’s positive, because as you’ll soon discover, your snoring may be multifactorial (caused by more than one body part) or a sleep apnea symptom (requiring further medical advice).
No matter what you suspect, a chat with your doctor should point you in the most effective direction.
1. THE ‘NOSE SNORER’ TEST
If you’re a nose snorer, your nose is clearly the problem, meaning that you’ve got blocked nasal passages or collapsing nostrils. The best way to check if you’re a nose snorer is to stand in front of a mirror, press your finger over one nostril and press it securely closed. Make sure your nose is closed and breathe through the open nostril. If your nostril collapses (caves in), you’re a nose snorer. Another way to test for this type of snoring is to breathe through your nose with your mouth closed; if it’s not easy, you’re probably a nose snorer.
One reason it is extremely important to rule out sleep apnea before anything else, is that nose snorers build a lot of pressure in the nasal cavity sometimes leading to prolonged collapses. Here, a CPAP machine can aid with clearing up your blocked airway so that you can sleep peacefully at night without any obstruction.
2. THE ‘MOUTH SNORER’ TEST
If you’re a mouth snorer, you’re sleeping with your mouth gaping open and a completely relaxed jaw. Sound familiar? Ask your partner if they’re sick of your breath on their face all night..
You can test for this problem by opening your mouth and making a snoring noise. If you can make that same noise with your mouth closed, you’re very likely a mouth snorer. Like any, this type of snoring can be an indication of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and should not be taken lightly if the problem persists. CPAP therapy may be the solution that you need to solve this issue if obstructive sleep apnea is a factor.
3. THE ‘TONGUE SNORER’ TEST
If you’re a tongue snorer, your tongue is dropping to the back of your mouth during sleep and blocking your airway. You can test for this type of snoring by making a snoring noise and then sticking your tongue out as far as humanly possible and gripping it with your teeth before trying to make the noise again. If the sound is lessened, you’re a tongue snorer.
You guessed it – we suggest looking into this problem further if this sounds like what you are currently experiencing. Remember – an “easy” solution might not always be the option you should pursue, and in the case of tongue snorers, solutions aren’t always that easy.
4. THE ‘PALATE SNORER’ TEST
If you’re a palate snorer, you’ve got what’s called a palatal flutter: your soft palate (the soft part on the roof of your mouth near your throat) and your uvula (that’s the dangly bit at the back of your throat) vibrate, causing snoring. This one is super common in cartoons, because who doesn’t love an animated uvula.
You can’t really test yourself for this type of snoring, but if the other tests are all negative, you might have this type of snoring and it still might be a sleep apnea symptom – time to investigate a little bit further with our in-depth sleep quiz.
5. THE ‘MULTIFACTORIAL SNORER’ TEST
If you’re a multifactorial snorer, you’ve got multiple organs working against you: your snoring could be caused by a combination of your nose, mouth, tongue, and palate.
In all cases, there are multiple issues that need to be addressed to put a full stop to multifactorial snoring as it is not restricted to a single cause or solution. As there are multiple things working against you that all prevent proper oxygen flow throughout the night, you’re going to need a sophisticated solution best discussed with a medical professional you’re comfortable with.
It must be noted that although you might identify as a certain type of snorer, it does not definitively mean that other parts of your upper airway are not involved in the problem you are experiencing. Now that you’re equipped with a little bit of knowledge about what type of snorer you might be, you can get to the root of the real problem hovering below the (slightly loud, likely obnoxious) surface.
All types of snoring should be investigated with our exclusive sleep quiz, and lifestyle changes can be made like changing your sleep position, eating healthy and exercising, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol and sedative use, to get to the bottom of your snoring issues.
