SLEEP TIGHT
I’m a doctor – here’s the 5 anti-snoring exercises you need for a better night’s sleep
THERE'S nothing worse than dozing off peacefully, only to be woken up by the piercing snore of your partner.
It's no fun for the snorer either - they'll often jolt themselves awake from the force of their huffing.
1
The annoying sleep habit it super common.
It's caused by your tongue, mouth, throat or airways in your nose vibrating as you breathe, according to .
As these parts of your body relax when you're asleep, they tend to narrow, leading you to snore, it explained.
According to - an NHS surgeon with a massive TikTok following - putting your snoring to bed and getting a better night's rest could be down to you exercising these very parts.
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He recommended you try , which will strengthen and tone your tongue and throat muscles.
- Stick out your tongue and hold it for five seconds
Dr Karan recommended you repeat this exercise three or four times.
"If you want a bit more resistance you can push your tongue against spoon," he said.
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Dr Karan demonstrated this by holding a spoon horizontally across his face and pushing against it with his tongue.
2. Move your tongue left and right
Next, the surgeon said you should try moving your tongue left and right in your mouth, pushing against your cheeks.
3. Place your fingers on your cheeks and push with your tongue
Try putting your fingers on the outside of your cheeks and pushing your tongue against them through your cheek, he said.
"You should be able to feel a gentle strain in the side opposite the cheek you're pushing against," Dr Karan explained, motioning towards his neck.
As with before, he said you should do this exercise three or four times for each side.
4. Push your tongue against your front teeth and try to swallow
To demonstrate, Dr Karan gritted his teeth and pushed his tongue into them.
"If you want even more stretch in your throat muscles look up while you do it," he advised.
Repeat three or four times, he said.
5. Drop you tongue downwards and hold for five seconds
Dr Karan said that if you do this last exercise in front of a mirror, you should be able to see your uvula - the dangly thing in the back of your throat - go up.
He said: ";This movement will strengthen the muscles in the back of your throat."
"The exercises are basically resistance training for your tongue and throat muscles, to tone them up so they don't flap around or collapse when you sleep."
Ultimately, having stronger throat and tongue muscles will help you wake up feeling fresher, Dr Karan said.
It'll also 'stop your partner giving you a sleep divorce'.
According to NHS guidance, you're probably more likely to snore if you:
- are overweight
- smoke
- drink too much alcohol
- sleep on your back
However, snoring is sometimes cause by a condition like , which is when your airways become temporarily blocked as you sleep.
While it's not usually caused by anything serious, experts have warned of eight signs that could mean something sinister is behind your snoring.
The NHS recommended you tape a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear so you sleep on your side, or use a special pillow or wedge.
Experts have also suggested that lifestyle changes - such as cutting down on alcohol - might help you snore less.
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If all else fails, you could ask your partner to wear earplugs, NHS guidance said.
But you should see a GP if lifestyle changes aren't helping, you feel sleepy during the day or you make gasping or choking noises when you sleep.
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