If you are here, you are indeed looking for a solution to the snoring problem that either you or your partner has. Snoring is not pleasant at all, especially if you have had a very tiresome day and all you need is to catch some sleep, but you can’t due to the loud noises coming from your partner’s end. I will share with you some of my findings on my journey of gathering Intel on whether a humidifier helps with snoring.
Yes, a humidifier can help with snoring as long as the snoring results from inhaling dry air. Place the humidifier about 3 feet away from your bed and let it run for about an hour before you go to bed. A humidifier introduces moisture into the air, which loosens and drains the dry mucus blocking your nasal passages, making breathing easier—hence reducing snoring.
Apart from a reduction in snoring, a humidifier can also deal with or reduce other symptoms like throat irritation and other allergy symptoms. However, it is always advisable to seek medical consultation as not all respiratory illnesses can be resolved using a humidifier.
This article provides my experience searching for an answer on whether a humidifier helps with snoring. Among my findings are how a humidifier helps with snoring, the causes of snoring, how humidity levels affect snoring among other related results. I conclude the article by answering frequently asked questions about reducing snoring with a humidifier.
How do Humidifiers Help You Stop Snoring?
Table of Contents
Since it was now clear to me that a humidifier can relieve snoring, especially if it is brought about by inhaling dry air, I had to figure out how exactly the relief happens.
With a humidifier in your bedroom, humidity is brought back into the air to reduce the dry effect the air may have on your nasal passage and throat.
When you inhale dry air, the air passage becomes dry, and since there is no moisture, it becomes irritated. The throat may become too sore or swollen, making the airways too small for air passage. It is the restrictions brought by the sore throat that causes difficulty in breathing hence the snoring.
Also, your body needs to produce enough mucus to protect your nasal and throat passage from drying up. Without humidity in the air, the production of mucus becomes impossible. The already available mucus in your nasal passage dries up and blocks the air passage making it hard for you to breathe, another reason you begin to snore.
Suppose you notice that the availability of a humidifier in your bedroom does not help with the snoring, consider seeking a medical opinion. Also, remember that a humidifier is not a cure; there are times you might need to reach a diagnosis to get the appropriate treatment for your snoring.
Causes of snoring
Apart from inhaling dry air, I also realized other causes of snoring. Some of them are listed below
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Weight gain
Weight gain comes with the development of neck fat that flattens the upper airway each time you lie down. The flattening of the upper airway causes you to snow due to insufficient airflow.
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Wrong sleeping position
Usually, sleeping on your back with your mouth open affects the gravity of your neck, head, and face. Sleeping in this position causes the fat around your neck to press against the airways, causing you to snow.
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Allergies and respiratory infections
Allergies cause your nasal passage and throat to swell, obstructing airflow. Such obstruction leads to snoring since the air must force its way through the swelling to reach its destination.
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Alcohol consumption before going to bed
Alcohol relaxes all the muscles in your body, including those around your throat. The relaxed muscles block the airways, making it difficult to breathe normally without snoring.
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sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a snoring medical condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated for one to stop snoring. When you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, the availability of a humidifier will not be of much help for you.
How humidity levels affect snoring
While researching whether a humidifier helps with snoring, I also learned that humidity levels affect snoring. For instance:
Low humidity levels in the air only mean the air you are inhaling is too dry. Dry air contains bacteria that can be harmful to your respiratory system. Also, dry air will irritate your nasal passage and throat. The irritation will lead to the swelling of the soft tissues of the inner tissues, causing them to burst. The busted nasal passage makes it hard for you to breathe; therefore, forcing you to snore
At high humidity levels, you are no longer inhaling dry air with bacteria that can be harmful to your health. The atmosphere is moisturized enough to ensure your nasal passages are moist, and the breathing processing is now easier.
Factors to consider when buying a humidifier for snoring
With enough evidence that a humidifier is one among many solutions to snoring, I also had to gather important information on selecting the perfect humidifier features to help with snoring problems. The following are the factors to consider
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Size and Capacity of the Humidifier
Since I just wanted a humidifier that would only work in my bedroom, I had to go for the small size with smaller water carrying capacity. I wouldn’t want to buy a big one that will produce too much humidity in my bedroom, causing mould formation and breaking the wall paint.
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Easy Maintenance
A humidifier that can be easily installed with easy-to-understand features is better to own. I had to ensure that my humidifier has features that are not complicated for me to understand .it should be easy to refill and frequently wash without complications.
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My Bedroom’s Humidity Levels
Why buy a humidifier to relieve you of your snoring if your room’s humidity levels are acceptable? Before purchasing a humidifier, I had to ensure the humidity level in my room is why snoring is a problem I am experiencing.
- Safety Measures
Safety measures of a humidifier should also be a priority. I went for a humidifier that can sense the humidity levels of my bedroom first and decide whether the room needs more humidity or not. The humidifier should also be able to shut off in case no more water is left.
Best Snoring Humidifiers
After knowing the exact features to consider when searching for the kind of humidifier I needed to solve my snoring problems, my next research was on the best humidifier to go for. The following are two types of humidifiers to choose from.
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Warm Mist Humidifiers
Warm mist humidifiers boil water to release warm mist into the air. They are perfect since they can hardly be infected with molds due to the boiling of water. They are perfect when you are sleeping since they produce no buzzing noises. You could also add some medicated aromas that can help with your snoring. However, ensure you do not knock it over in the middle of the night on your way to the bathroom; it could cause your skin severe burns.
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Cool Mist Humidifiers
Cool mist humidifiers do not add moisture to the air with hot water; cool water will do. I prefer distilled water since it contains no minerals. Hard water may contain minerals with some bacteria that can be evaporated and released into the air, causing respiratory health issues.
What Snoring Issues can be Cleared by a Humidifier
Since a humidifier can only clear some of the issues that cause one to snore, it was vital for me to know what issues can cause one to snore and can be dealt with using a humidifier. Suppose the following triggers your snoring, then a humidifier will do you great help.
- Pregnancy
- A dry environment
- allergies
- Poor sleeping positions
- Air condition dry air
- Too cold environment
- Flue
Faqs On Does a humidifier help with snoring
1. Is it good to sleep with a humidifier?
Yes, it is good to sleep with a humidifier as long as it is 3 feet away from your bed. I should not be too close to the walls and corners of your bedroom. The humidifier will release moisture into the air around you, enabling you to breathe easier by removing dry air bacteria that cause allergies.
2. Does humidity worsen snoring?
Humidity only worsens your snoring when very little of it is in the air. Less humidity levels in the air dry the air up. Dry air causes your nasal and other air passages to become too irritated and may eventually cause swelling that will worsen snoring.
3. Can Vicks vapor rub help with snoring?
Yes, ensure to smear some Vicks VapoRub on your chest a few minutes before going to bed. Also, ensure the humidifier is on about an hour before bed. Vicks VapoRub is a perfect remedy to ease your breathing.
4. How can I permanently stop snoring naturally?
Natural ways to permanently stop snoring include changing your usual sleeping position, losing some weight, avoiding excessive intake of alcohol, considering changing your pillow, and taking in a lot of fluids to remain hydrated.
5. How long should you run a humidifier in a bedroom?
There isn’t a specified rule on how long you should run a humidifier in a bedroom. However, you can always turn it on an hour before you retire to bed. As long as the tank is full, it can run through the night.
6. Where should a humidifier be placed in a bedroom?
A humidifier should be placed on a nightstand or a table, and It should be at least 3 feet away from your face. The humidifier should also not be placed in the corners of your bedroom or close to the walls.
7. How close should a humidifier be to your bed?
A humidifier should be at least 3 feet away from your face; it shouldn’t expose you to so much moisture. At the same time, other humidifiers, like warm mist humidifier, uses hot water. If you knock it over while sleeping, it can cause burns.
8. What to drink before bed to stop snoring?
To stop or ease snoring, you can drink hot tea, turmeric, or soy milk when going to bed.
9. What causes snoring in females?
Common causes of allergies in females are allergies, consumption of alcohol, weight gain, cold weather, inability to sleep deeply, and the anatomy of their mouth and sinuses.
10. How can a woman stop snoring at night?
A woman can stop snoring at night by trying to lose some weight, avoiding alcohol, sleeping on their side, getting enough sleep, quitting smoking, raising the heads of their pillows, and drinking some hot tea before going to bed
Final Thoughts
It is correct to say that a humidifier can help with snoring. However, it can only come in handy if the snoring is brought about by dry air. As you place a humidifier in your bedroom, ensure it is elevated and about 3 feet away from your bed. The humidifier should also not be placed near the bedroom corners or the walls. For better results, ensure the humidifier is on at least an hour before you go to bed.