By: John Lenaghan
One of the relatively easy things you can change to help improve a snoring problem is your diet.
If you're overweight, cutting back your calories and starting an exercise program to lose some of the weight can definitely help. Men only need to be about 20% overweight for it to cause snoring.
If you're not overweight, there are still other diet changes that can help. Certain types of foods are known to increase the chances of snoring while other types can lessen the chances.
One of the foods that can lead to snoring is milk and milk products. This is especially true if you have them shortly before going to bed.
Milk increases the mucous production, which can restrict your throat's airflow. Even cheese can have a similar effect.
To find out if this is the reason you're snoring at night, stop eating dairy products within 4 hours of going to sleep. If you do this for a couple of weeks and notice a decrease in your snoring, this is likely one of the triggers.
In that case, you've got a couple of alternatives. You can either start using dairy alternatives like soy milk or just restrict your dairy intake in the evenings. This may not completely get rid of your snoring but it should make a marked improvement.
Allergic reactions to certain foods can also lead to snoring problems. If you've noticed (or have been told) that your snoring is worse when you've eaten certain foods that day, keep a log for 2-4 weeks and see if you see any correlation between foods and snoring.
If you do find any similarities try cutting those foods out for 2-4 weeks and see if the problem disappears.
Another more general rule to help decrease snoring is not to have a big meal or eat fatty foods late in the evening.
Before making any major dietary changes, you should always consult a health care professional to get their informed opinion.
