| How to Stop Snoring Posted: 24 Jul 2018 01:00 AM PDT Snoring can frustrate the people who share your home, and it likely leaves you feeling tired in the morning. If you want to stop snoring, you can make easy lifestyle changes to reduce your snoring risk, and you can take steps to keep your airways open. It's also a good idea to talk to your doctor about your snoring, as medical treatments may be necessary. EditMaking Lifestyle Changes - Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight can worsen snoring. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising can help you relieve your snoring symptoms.[1]
- Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
- People who are a healthy weight can still have a snoring problem, especially if there are underlying health risks like sleep apnea.
- Don't drink alcohol right before you go to bed. Alcohol relaxes your body, which actually increases your risk of snoring. This is because your throat muscles will also relax, making them collapse a little. This will cause you to snore more. If snoring is a concern, you should not drink close to bedtime.[2]
- If you enjoy a drink, limit how much your drink to 2 servings or less, and allow enough time before bed for the effects of the alcohol to wear off.
- Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back causes the tissues in the back of your throat to droop down, making your airways narrow. Turning onto either side alleviates this problem, reducing your risk of snoring.
- Prop yourself up by at least 4 inches if you must sleep on your back. You can use an inclining pillow or lift the head of the bed to raise your sleeping position. This reduces constriction in the back of your throat, making you less likely to snore.[3]
- Use a special pillow meant to stop snoring. Some patients report sleeping better with an anti-snoring pillow.[4] There are several designs to choose from, such as wedges, cervical support pillows, contour pillows, memory foam pillows, and pillows made for use with sleep apnea. Look for pillows labeled to reduce snoring.[5]
- Anti-snoring pillows may not work for everyone.
- Quit smoking. Smoking increases your risk of snoring. It also makes snoring worse. Overall, giving up cigarettes can help you breathe better, so give it a try.[6]
- If you're struggling to quit, talk to your doctor about quitting aides, like gum, patches, and prescription medication.
- Limit your use of sedatives. Sedatives relax your central nervous system, which includes your throat muscles. This can increase the risk of snoring. Avoiding them can help reduce your snoring risk.[7]
- If you have trouble sleeping, it might help to get on a sleep schedule.
- Talk to your doctor before quitting any prescription medications.
- Sing for 20 minutes a day to help tighten your throat muscles. Since slack throat muscles can be the cause of snoring, tightening them can help eliminate your symptoms. When performed daily for at least 20 minutes, singing can help tighten your muscles.[8]
- Alternatively, you could play a wind instrument, such as the oboe or french horn.[9]
EditKeeping Your Airways Open While Sleeping - Apply nasal strips or a nasal dilator to keep your airways open. Over-the-counter nasal strips are an easy, inexpensive way to keep your airways open. They work by attaching to the outside of your nostrils and pulling open your nose. Similarly, a nasal dilator is a re-usuble nasal strip that you wear over your nose to help keep your airways open.[10]
- You can find both nasal strips and nasal dilators at local drugstores or online.
- These items do not work for everyone, especially if you have an underlying condition like sleep apnea.
- Take decongestants or rinse your nasal passages if you have sinus congestion. Sinus congestion blocks your airways and can cause snoring. Over-the-counter decongestants can help relieve sinus congestion. Another great option is to rinse your sinuses with saline solution before bed.[11]
- Only rinse your sinuses with a sterile saline solution, which you can buy over-the-counter or make at home. When making your own, use distilled or bottled water.
- It's also a good idea to take antihistamines if you have allergies, which can lead to sinus congestion.
- Use a humidifier to keep your airways moist. Dryness in your airways sometimes causes snoring, but keeping the airways moist can alleviate this problem. A humidifier is an easy way to avoid dryness. Place the humidifier in your bedroom while you're sleeping.[12]
EditSeeking Medical Treatment - Talk to your doctor to rule out underlying medical conditions. It's best to talk to your doctor if you suspect you're snoring. Some underlying health conditions can cause snoring, such as sleep apnea, which is a serious condition linked to other health complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression. If you notice the following symptoms, make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor.[13]
- Excessive sleepiness.
- Headaches after waking.
- Difficulty concentrating during the day.
- Sore throat in the morning.
- Restlessness.
- Waking up at night due to gasping or choking.
- High blood pressure readings.
- Chest pain at night.
- Being told you snore.
- Allow your doctor to conduct an imaging test. An X-ray, CT-scan, or MRI will let your doctor check your sinus passages and airways for issues, such as narrowness or a deviated septum. This allows the doctor to eliminate possible causes so that they can recommend the right treatment options.[14]
- These tests are noninvasive and painless. However, you may experience some discomfort from staying still for a period of time.
- Undergo a sleep study if your symptoms continue after other treatments. Most patients will get better after making lifestyle changes and visiting their doctor. However, sometimes the underlying issue is more complicated. For example, you may have sleep apnea a condition where you stop breathing for a short period of time before naturally recovering. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study to find out what is causing your snoring.[15]
- A sleep study is very easy for the patient. Your doctor will schedule an appointment at a sleep study clinic, where you'll sleep normally in an office that resembles a hotel room. You'll be hooked up to a machine that causes no pain and minimal discomfort. An expert in another room will then monitor your sleeping to produce a report for your doctor.[16]
- You may be able to do an at-home sleep study. Your doctor will give you a device to wear while you sleep, which will record your sleep information for later analysis.
- Use a CPAP machine if you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that requires medical treatment for a good outcome. This not only disrupts sleep, it's also associated with other life-threatening conditions. Your doctor will likely prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help you breathe better at night.[17]
- It's important to use your CPAP machine every night and to follow all of your doctor's instructions.
- Clean your CPAP machine properly. Clean your mask daily, and your tubing and water chamber once a week.[18]
- Using your CPAP machine can help you breathe easier, snore less, and sleep better as you work on controlling and ultimately eliminating your sleep apnea. In many cases, you will not need a CPAP for life. Talk to a respiratory therapist for more information regarding starting and stopping CPAP use.
- Get fitted for a dental mouthpiece to relieve snoring. A dentist can fit you for a mouthpiece that pulls your jaw and tongue forward slightly so that your airways remain open. While they can be effective, they are also costly. They can carry a price tag as high as $1,000 USD.[19]
- You can find inexpensive over-the-counter mouthpieces that may work, though they won't be as well-fitted as one shaped by a dentist.
- Consider surgery if no other treatment options work. In rare cases, surgery is necessary to treat the causes of snoring. Your doctor will discuss this option if they think it's best for you.
- The doctor may perform a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy to remove the obstruction causing your snoring, such as inflamed tonsils or adenoids.
- If you have sleep apnea, the doctor might tighten or reduce your soft palate or uvula.
- A doctor may also tighten the fremen of your tongue or reduce the size of it to help your air flow more freely through your airways if they find that your tongue contributes to airflow obstruction.[20]
- While lifestyle changes can be very helpful, it's best to talk to your doctor if you are snoring.
- Remember that snoring is a physical problem. Don't feel bad if you have a snoring problem, as it's not your fault.
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| How to Stop Holding Grudges Posted: 23 Jul 2018 05:00 PM PDT Once you let go of a grudge, you will feel a weight lifted off your shoulders. Your mind will no longer be clouded by resentment, anger, or sadness. To stop holding onto a grudge, come to terms with the situation, reach a state of forgiveness, and move on. Take a deep breath, and let go of the past! EditComing to Terms with the Situation - Practice empathy. See the situation from the offender's perspective. Why would they behave that way? Maybe they had a really tough day at work. Maybe you would have reacted in a similar way if you were in their shoes. You can practice empathy by actively listening to others, opening up to others, withholding judgment, and volunteering. [1]
- Reflect on times where you hurt others. Remember when your brother forgave you for calling him mean names? Think of when others have forgiven you, and extend similar compassion to those who you think wronged you. [2]
- Write your thoughts and feelings in a journal. Write down your account of the situation. What happened, why were you upset, and who wronged you? This will help you recognize that the distress you feel is from hurt feelings you still have. Letting everything out onto the page helps you understand your feelings. [3]
- Writing everything down will empty your mind of any baggage associated with the grudge. Getting out all of those thoughts will offer you more room to fill the space with positive thoughts and help you let go. [4]
- Share how you feel about the situation with a loved one. Talk about your grudge and the feelings associated with a trusted family member or friend. They can offer perspective to consider, like that it is time to talk to the person who upset you or that it is time to let go of a past breakup. Sharing with others will also help you understand exactly how you feel.
EditReaching a State of Forgiveness - Identify what needs healing. Get to the root of the issue. Consider if the situation was a result of miscommunication or misunderstanding. Who is at fault, and who needs to be forgiven? Figure out how to solve the issue and who to forgive by first understanding the cause to begin with.[5]
- Think about the effects the grudge has had on you.
- Do you find yourself not trusting other people?
- Do you find yourself acting irritable and angry more often?
- Are you experiencing physical issues like stomach pains or headaches?
- Have you changed your routines as a result of the offense?
- After you consider the grudge's effects on you, ask yourself who it is helping for you to be experiencing all of that.
- Does it tell the offender anything?
- Is the offender bothered by it?
- Are you expecting to "get back" at the person somehow?
- How effective is the grudge? Is it just hurting you?
- Acknowledge what took place and how you feel. Recognize your emotions and the reality of the situation. Telling the truth about your feelings to yourself will help you to acknowledge the hurt you feel. Don't deny the event, and go over the facts of what occurred. Was the situation really a big deal? If not, try to let go of it. If so, you should talk about it with the offender.
- When you evaluate the situation, step back and consider if this grudge is worth your time to pursue or to continue dwelling on. Sometimes you can let go of the grudge without discussing the situation with the offender.
- Ask yourself if holding the grudge is about you or them.
- Extend compassion to whatever caused the wound, and let it go. After you understand exactly what took place and how you feel, find commonalities as to why your offender may have acted the way they did. Once you realize that you got in a fight with your friend because she just lost her job, it will be easier to let go of your hard feelings. [6]
- Remember that forgiveness is a process. Sometimes it takes multiple conversations to come to an understanding. Even small wounds may need to be looked over and forgiven again. Be patient with yourself and try to always think positively. [7]
EditMoving on and Letting Go - Seek reconciliation with the person, if you desire. Speak to the person who offended you. Ask them to talk about what happened, and share your feelings with your offender. Tell them exactly why their words or actions upset you.
- When your offender apologizes, you can either accept it or explain that you are not over the situation yet.
- You can say something like, "Hey, Joe, remember last week when you told me the blue dress I wore was ugly? That really hurt my feelings, and I've been upset about it since."
- Confront issues as they occur to prevent this from happening again. When someone does something that upsets you, talk about it right away. If you don't talk about the issue, you will hold in anger and anxiety, and this will further fuel your grudge. You must let out your emotions in order to move on.
- Don't wait for someone else to apologize to you. That creates a sense of entitlement, and they may have no idea you are upset with them. [8]
- Accept the apology and forgive the person or situation. When forgiving, you are looking to find peace about the situation and find understanding with both parties. This does not mean that you are condoning their actions, but rather it means that you are deciding to move on by releasing the offense and the effect it has on you.
- Forgiving others also urges them to change their behavior in order to prevent future conflicts.[9]
- Don't dwell on what happened. Let go your grudge so you will feel better. Don't dwell on the situation, and resist any temptation to dwell when it surfaces.
- If it comes to mind, immediately think about something else or distract yourself with an activity like watching a movie or reading a book.[10]
- Release the toxic emotions associated with the situation. By revisiting the grudge and feelings of resentment, you are traumatizing yourself over and over each time you bring it to mind. Avoid this by letting go of the grudge out of love and respect to yourself, because you deserve to be happy.
- Remind yourself that you only have control over your response to a situation, so you can't do anything about how the other person feels. Reinforce these boundaries in your mind so that you don't feel responsible for someone else's feelings.
- To give up your grudge, you have to commit to forgiving the other person, starting with letting go of the negative emotions you attached to the situation.
- You will feel lighter and happier after getting this off your chest.[11]
- Don't put expectations on people or situations. If you have an expectation, you are setting yourself up for disappointment unless your intended outcome becomes reality. Give up expecting things from others and from your life, and instead focus on being healthy and happy.
- When you do have expectations for a situation, tell the other person what they are so that they know what they need to do to satisfy those expectations. People who fail to tell the other person what they want are setting themselves up for disappointment because the other person cannot read their mind.
- When you don't have expectations, you are less likely to get upset if someone doesn't meet them, and therefore you are less likely to hold a grudge.[12]
- Care for your emotions and do what's right for you. After you acknowledge your feelings and talk it out, you will likely feel emotionally vulnerable or exhausted. Give yourself some self-care by doing something fun or find support from a loved one. Respect yourself in the decisions you make regarding the apology by recognizing what you need.
- If you can't date someone after they cheated on you, break up with them out of respect for yourself.
- Do something nice for yourself, like a relaxing bath or a walk in your favorite park. This will show yourself some love and rid your mind of lingering feelings regarding the grudge. [13]
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| How to Help Homeless Veterans Posted: 23 Jul 2018 09:00 AM PDT Helping homeless veterans is a great way to show your appreciation for their service. You can help homeless veterans whether you are an individual or an organization. If you are an individual, donate food, clothing, or your professional services to veterans. If you are an organization, partner with the VA to hire homeless veterans or provide them with affordable housing. EditDonating to Shelters - Find a homeless shelter near you. You can find local homeless shelters by visiting the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans' website at http://www.nchv.org, or the Department of Veterans Affairs website at https://www.va.gov. Enter your zip code in the search engine. A list of shelters located near you will appear.[1]
- You can also find shelters by calling 1-800-VET-HELP.
- Donate clothing and personal care items. Donate clean and intact shirts, pants, jackets, sweaters, scarves, and suits. Personal care items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, soap, and feminine hygiene products are always needed at homeless shelters as well.[2]
- Only donate new and unused personal care items, underwear, T-shirts, and socks.
- Because homeless veterans are in need of personal care items and clothing the most, these are great donations.
- Donate nonperishable food items. Nonperishable food items include canned goods and pre-packaged foods with a clear expiration date printed on them. Donate canned goods like vegetables, fruits, tuna, and soup. Donate pre-packaged foods like macaroni and cheese, ramen, and other boxed foods.[3]
- Because shelters need to restock their pantries on a daily basis, food donations are a great way to support your local homeless shelter.
- Donate money if you don't have food or clothes to give. Write a check or make a cash contribution to your local homeless shelter or charity. Money donations enable shelters and charities to provide homeless veterans with clothing, food, and personal items once they run out of these items.[4]
EditVolunteering Your Services - Offer a homeless shelter your services. Homeless shelters have a variety of volunteer positions. Help handout clothing, food, and personal items. You can also help prepare meals at shelters. Call a homeless shelter in your area and ask about their volunteer opportunities.[5]
- If you have a skill, like writing or drawing, see if you can offer activities or free instruction at the shelter.
- Promote your local homeless shelter. Help coordinate and raise funds for a drive by contacting schools, business groups, and churches for contributions. You can also help promote your local homeless shelter by creating and handing out fliers for their events.[6]
- Call and ask a shelter in your local area about ways that you can help promote them in your local community.
- Volunteer at Stand Down events. To find out about Stand Down events in your area, visit the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans' website. The website contains a list of Stand Downs that are currently operating in different states in the U.S. Call the contact person for that program to find out more information about an upcoming event.[7]
- Stand Down events are 2 to 3 day events that provide homeless veterans with food, clothing, healthcare services, personal hygiene services, housing and employment referrals, and benefits counseling.
- Become a mentor for homeless veterans. Many homeless veterans need help with learning basic social, life, and job skills. Contact a local homeless shelter or charity to see what kind of mentoring programs they have available.
- Provide mental health services if you are a counselor. If you are licensed mental health professional, you can offer homeless veterans your services. Volunteer at a local VA hospital or medical center. Visit the website of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans to find VA medical centers and hospitals near you.
- Offer legal services if you are a lawyer. Many homeless veterans need help applying for benefits, housing programs, and other programs they qualify for. Volunteer your legal services for free or at a low cost at a local homeless shelter or charity in your area.[8]
EditPartnering with the VA - Hire a veteran if you are an employer. In order to transition out of homelessness, veterans need jobs. If you are an employer, you can provide homeless veterans with job training. You can also work with the VA's Community Employment Coordinators (CEC) to enlist, interview, and hire veterans for entry and mid-level jobs.[9]
- Provide affordable housing if you are a landlord. As a landlord, you can develop or set aside a percentage of housing units for low-income veterans. You can also partner with the VA by agreeing to accept Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers as payment for rent.[10]
- Depending on your city or state, you may be able to receive tax benefits for providing homeless veterans with affordable housing.
- Conduct a company drive if you manage an organization. Contact a local homeless veterans shelter or charity. Let them know that your company would like to organize a drive to collect household goods, clothing, and food for homeless veterans. The shelter or charity will be able to provide you with resources such as contacts and promotional materials to facilitate the drive.[11]
- As an organization, hosting drives for homeless veterans is a great way to get positive media coverage as a socially responsible company.
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