Losing weight ‘can stop snoring’

There are many benefits to losing weight, from greater body confidence to the ability to take part in more activities, but there is one perk which many people may not be aware of.

According to Marianne Davey, director of the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association, weight loss can have a direct impact on snoring and help people to get a better night’s sleep – as well as their partners.

She explained that truncal obesity – which is when waist size is larger than hip size – puts a strain on internal organs, especially the heart and lungs.

This leads to a 400 per cent rise in the risk of snoring and sleep apnoea, she explained, which makes it all the more important that people attempt to trim down.

“Losing weight with diet and exercise can make a considerable difference to snoring”, Mrs Davey explained, adding that it is a myth that an alcoholic night-cap before bed will help promote good sleep.

“It does quite the opposite. The sedating effects of alcohol will send you to sleep quite quickly but then a rebound effect will cause frequent awakenings and un-refreshing sleep,” she went on to note.

The best option is for people to follow a healthy regime of diet and exercise to help trim down and severely reduce the chance of snoring, thereby getting a good night’s sleep, the expert advised.