我们为什么打鼾(以及如何解决这个问题)

我们为什么打鼾(以及如何解决这个问题)

Snoring is not an illness, but it can be a symptom of something more problematic.

打鼾不是一种疾病，但它可能是一些更有问题的症状。

When you fall into a deep sleep, the muscles in your body relax, including the muscles in your mouth. Sometimes they relax so much that they can partially block the airway, causing vibrations — and that’s snoring. In some cases, snoring is caused by your mouth anatomy — a low, thick palate or an unusually long uvula, for example. Sometimes, it’s due to nasal problems (like chronic congestion), sleep apnea or even alcohol.

当你进入深度睡眠时，你身体的肌肉放松，包括你嘴里的肌肉。有时候它们太放松了，会部分阻塞呼吸道，引起震动——这就是打鼾。在某些情况下，打鼾是由你的口腔结构引起的——例如，一个低，厚的上颚或一个异常长的小舌。有时，这是由于鼻腔问题(如慢性充血)，睡眠呼吸暂停，甚至酒精。

The narrower your airway gets, the more forceful the airflow becomes, causing vibrations in the tissues in your throat. The greater the vibrations, the louder the snore.

你的气道越窄，气流就越强，导致喉咙组织振动。震动越大，鼾声就越大。

You might not know you snore, but your significant other certainly does — and would like you to fix it. (Photo: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock)

Though snoring can happen in otherwise healthy people, there are several causes for snoring, ranging from the benign to the more serious.

虽然打鼾可能发生在健康的人身上，但打鼾有几种原因，从良性打鼾到较严重的打鼾。

Sleep apnea

睡眠呼吸暂停

Sleep apnea is the most serious underlying cause of snoring. People who have sleep apnea stop breathing over and over again while they’re sleeping. It’s characterized by episodes of especially loud snoring, followed by brief periods of silence when breathing momentarily stops. At that point, a person with sleep apnea will usually wake up gasping for air.

睡眠呼吸暂停是打鼾最严重的潜在原因。患有睡眠呼吸暂停症的人在睡觉的时候会一次又一次地停止呼吸。它的特征是偶尔会有特别响亮的鼾声，然后是短暂的沉默，此时呼吸暂停。在那个时候，患有睡眠呼吸暂停症的人通常会气喘吁吁地醒来。

Treatment for sleep apnea usually involves the use of a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine, which is worn while you sleep. It’s a mask connected to a tube that blows air into your nose or your nose and mouth to keep your airway open during sleep.

治疗睡眠呼吸暂停通常需要使用CPAP(连续正压式气压机)，这是在你睡觉时佩戴的。这是一种连接在管子上的口罩，它可以把空气吹进你的鼻子或者你的鼻子和嘴巴，让你在睡觉时保持呼吸道畅通。

Other snoring causes (and how to treat them)

其他打鼾原因(以及如何治疗)

Nasal congestion

鼻塞

A stuffy nose can trigger snoring. (Photo: Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock)

Deviated septum

鼻中隔移位

Alcohol

酒精

Aging

老年化

If your doctor has ruled out any serious medical issues, you may want to try some home remedies to prevent snoring. The Mayo Clinic suggests:

如果你的医生已经排除了任何严重的医疗问题，你可能想尝试一些家庭疗法来防止打鼾。梅奥诊所建议:

Sleep on your side

侧睡

Raise the head of your bed

床头加高

Lose weight

减肥

Quit smoking

戒烟

Get enough sleep

保证足够睡眠

As long as it’s not caused by sleep apnea, snoring is not a worrisome problem (although your partner may adamantly disagree). If you’re experiencing other symptoms, such as daytime drowsiness or morning headaches, be sure to see your doctor to get to the underlying issues.

只要不是由睡眠呼吸暂停引起的，打鼾就不是一个令人担忧的问题(尽管你的伴侣可能坚决不同意)。如果你有其他症状，如白天嗜睡或早晨头痛，一定要去看医生，找出潜在的问题。

It's harder to snore when sleeping on your side. (Photo: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock)