打鼾≠睡得香！这可能是病，得治

在日常生活中，很多朋友都被打鼾问题困扰着，想甩掉它却一直找不到有效的方法。
要远离打鼾，我们要先知道鼾声从何而来。当人入睡后，颈部肌肉逐渐放松，导致上呼吸道变得狭窄，无法让足够的空气进入肺部。由于气体流通受阻，当人吸气和呼气时，上呼吸道周围的软组织就会产生振动，形成鼾声。气道越窄，振动幅度越大，鼾声就越大。另外，鼻中隔偏曲、鼻息肉、下颌短小，以及舌头或扁桃体肥大等，都会引发打鼾。
When you fall asleep, your throat muscles naturally relax, your tongue slips backward, and your throat narrows. If there is anything obstructing the free flow of air at the back of your mouth and nose—a sinus infection, a nasal polyp, tonsillitis—it can exacerbate the narrowing of your airway. That leads to vibrations in the loose throat muscles, causing the snoring sound.

▪ sinus /ˈsaɪnəs/ 窦；静脉窦
▪ polyp /ˈpɑːlɪp/ 息肉；珊瑚虫
▪ tonsillitis /ˌtɑːnsəˈlaɪtɪs/ 扁桃腺炎

看似寻常的打鼾“暗藏危机”

目前已经有医学研究表明，鼾症可能引发高血压、冠心病、脑梗、脑出血、糖尿病等疾病，尤其在后半夜猝死风险较高。
如果晚上表现出睡眠质量差、反复憋醒、多动不安、夜尿增多等情况，或者白天出现精神不振、嗜睡、乏力、注意力不集中等情况，就应该提高警惕，建议及时就医，进行相关监测，尽快明确诊断。

▌睡眠呼吸暂停综合征会影响全身各个系统
专家介绍，大约每4个打呼噜的人里就有1个患有睡眠呼吸暂停综合征。随着年龄或者体重的增加，剩下3个也可能进展为睡眠呼吸暂停综合征。睡眠呼吸暂停综合征会影响全身各个系统，常见的比如高血压，心脏缺血缺氧，冠心病、代谢紊乱，更严重的可能引起脑梗、认知功能障碍，甚至引发猝死。



北京大学睡眠研究中心主任韩芳表示，特别是有一些人脑袋大脖子粗，有的甚至有啤酒肚，这些都是睡眠呼吸暂停综合征的易患因素。如果打呼噜时，你出现间歇性呼吸，就要小心。再一个是白天容易犯困，一直打盹，甚至一上车就犯困，开会学习都难以集中注意力，这说明病情比较重了。
Sleep apnea is a condition that causes people to stop breathing periodically while they're asleep. It's characterized by loud snoring, and sometimes choking or gasping sounds. People with sleep apnea are typically very tired during the day.

▌儿童打呼噜，影响发育还可能“变丑”


北京同仁医院耳鼻咽喉科副主任医师王小轶表示，气流正常应该通畅地从鼻腔经过咽腔，进入喉腔呼吸道。如果鼻咽腺样体肥大占位，气流就受到限制，因而形成湍流，到软腭部位出现振动，形成鼾声。
儿童则表现为上课时注意力不集中，白天容易嗜睡，造成嘴唇上翻这种腺样体面容，甚至影响小孩全身生长发育。
对三岁以后的儿童，建议家长一定要密切观察儿童睡眠中的呼吸状况，尤其是儿童仰卧位睡眠状况。
Sleep affects a lot of different systems. When it comes to children, you have to consider its effects on physical health, especially for kids who have other health issues. You also need to consider how poor sleep can affect development.
 Ironically, children who don't sleep well may experience hyperactivity. They may also struggle to stay awake or concentrate at school, feel irritable, or have behavior problems.
肥胖是打鼾的常见诱因，减重是减轻打鼾症状的重要手段。
除此之外，养成良好的睡眠习惯，进行防打鼾练习，一部分人也是可以减轻打鼾症状，甚至停止打鼾。

养成良好的睡眠习惯

▌保证规律的入睡时间
睡前长时间工作或长时间睡眠不足，都会使身体极度疲劳。处于疲劳状态的人睡着后，喉咙后部的肌肉要松弛很多，打鼾的可能性更大。
Working long hours without enough sleep, for example, means when you finally hit the sack you're overtired. You sleep hard and deep, and the muscles become floppier, which creates snoring.
为了避免这种情况，大家每晚应在同一时间入睡，尽量不在非常疲劳的状态下入睡。虽然每个人的睡眠需求不同，但仍建议成年人每晚睡7-9小时。
Go to bed at the same time every night, and get plenty of sleep.



每天晚上用热水泡脚，能促进全身血液循环、放松精神、提高睡眠质量，从而帮助降低打鼾的发生风险。
Soaking your feet in hot water every night can promote blood circulation, relax the body, and improve sleep quality, which in turn helps reduce the risk of snoring.

▌睡前避免各种刺激
睡前尽量不要在床上看电视或看手机。眼睛对电子屏幕发出的蓝光很敏感。关闭所有电子设备，并调暗手机和电脑的灯光，有利于睡眠。
中午之后要避免喝咖啡或茶。咖啡因的作用可在体内保持5-10小时，会影响夜间睡眠。
保持适宜的房间温度和湿度。如咽喉部因整夜呼吸干燥的空气受到刺激，也会加重打鼾。如果空气干燥，可尝试在睡觉时使用加湿器。
Switch all devices off and set phones and computers to night mode to help improve sleep quality.
Refrain from drinking coffee or tea after midday.
Maintain a comfortable room temperature and humidity level.

▌避免在卧室放置刺激物
灰尘、花粉、动物皮屑和其他空气中的颗粒物，被人吸入呼吸道后，会刺激喉咙和软腭，导致咽喉黏膜肿胀、气道变窄，人就更容易打鼾。
养成定期清洗床单和枕套、定期更换枕头的习惯。对房间进行吸尘处理，并让宠物远离卧室及床榻。有过敏问题的人（如过敏性鼻炎患者）要严格避免接触尘螨、花粉、动物皮屑等刺激物。
Dust mites accumulate in pillows and can cause allergic reactions that can lead to snoring. Allowing pets to sleep on the bed causes you to breathe in animal dander, another common irritant.
Replace your pillows every six months to keep dust mites and allergens to a minimum. And keep pets out of the bedroom.

▌侧卧睡眠
当人仰卧时，软腭更容易塌陷到舌头和上喉咙处，引起打鼾。侧卧有利于减轻气道受阻，减轻打鼾。使用抱枕有助于维持夜间侧卧姿势。



如果尝试侧卧没能减轻打鼾，就可以购买一个舒适的枕头，睡眠时将头部支撑起来，调整舌头和下巴的位置，打开呼吸道，减少打鼾的可能性。使用较低的枕头有助于减轻打鼾症状。
If you know that you’re snoring at night and you generally sleep on your back, try to fall asleep on your side instead. If you have trouble retraining your sleep position habits, consider strategically using pillows to provide comfort and keep your body and head in a side position.

▌睡前清理鼻腔
如果入睡时鼻腔堵塞，在睡觉时完全依赖口呼吸，人将更加容易打鼾。建议睡前清理鼻腔，毛巾热敷法、热水蒸气熏鼻子或者洗个热水澡可让鼻腔血流更通畅，增强鼻子的通气效果。也可使用鼻扩张器，保持鼻腔通畅，这样能减轻打鼾。
If you are a nose breather, then it's likely the snoring begins in your nose. If your nose is narrowed or clogged related to a blockage, such as from a cold, this causes your air to flow faster and makes you more likely to snore. 
避免摄入辛辣、油腻食物。过度辛辣的食物，常常会引发口腔和咽喉部的黏膜充血。而鼻腔及气道分泌物增多，会加重打鼾症状。
Capsaicin, the active compound in chili peppers, triggers nerve endings in your nose and sinuses, leading to increased mucus production. The extra mucus can sometimes exacerbate congestion, which can worsen snoring symptoms.

做一做防打鼾练习

1、尝试伸展舌头
将舌头从门牙后面向后移向喉咙后部，然后尽可能伸展，同时反复做鼓腮动作。每天多次练习，每次持续3分钟，可以增强口腔和喉咙相关肌肉的力量。
Mouth exercises involve repeatedly moving your tongue and parts of your mouth in ways that strengthen muscles in the tongue, soft palate, and throat. In one study, three months of mouth exercises led to a 59 percent reduction in snoring.

2、锻炼喉咙肌肉
最好的喉咙肌肉练习就是唱歌。研究表明，经常唱歌不仅可以降低打鼾频率，还能提高睡眠质量。这是因为唱歌可以增强喉咙和软腭的肌肉控制力，从而防止它们在睡眠时塌陷。
The best way to strengthen throat muscles and reduce snoring is through singing. Research shows that regularly singing not only reduces snoring frequency but also improves sleep quality.