How Can I Stop Snoring?
如何停止打鼾？
何雅蕙 供稿
Snoring happens when the muscles in the tongue, roof of your mouth and throat relax and constrict airflow. “You can’t get a full breath of air, so things start vibratingas they try to allow you to breathe — and the vibration is the snoring sound,” said Dr. Kent Smith, a sleep dentist in Dallas and former president of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy.
当人们舌头、口腔顶部和喉咙的肌肉松弛时，它们会阻塞气道，导致人们打鼾。来自达拉斯的睡眠牙医、美国睡眠和呼吸学会前主席肯特·史密斯博士说：“当你不能呼入足够的空气时，你的肌肉组织会开始振动，以让你正常呼吸。而这个振动的过程就是鼾声的来源。”
Men are about twice as likely to snore as women are, and it can be caused by a number of things, including allergies, aging, a cold or even just the distinctiveshape of your throat. Your weight may also play a role.
男性打鼾的可能性大约是女性的两倍。打鼾有很多诱因，包括过敏、衰老、感冒，甚至只是因为你的喉咙形状独特。同时，体重也有一定的影响。
Once you know you are a snorer, even a subtle one, it might be worthwhile to get a sleep test from a sleep clinic, Dr. Smith said. Most of the time, the first one can be done at home in one night and will tell you if your snoring is a symptom of a larger problem, like sleep apnea, based on how many times per hour it interrupts your sleep. Whether or not your occasional wood sawing is tied to wider problems, there are steps you can take to lower the night noise.
史密斯博士说，一旦你发现自己打鼾，即使不严重，也应该去睡眠科做一个睡眠测试。大多数情况下，第一次测试可以在家里用一晚上的时间完成。该测试会记录每小时打鼾干扰你睡眠的次数，然后可以诊断出打鼾是否表明你的身体其实有更严重的问题，比如睡眠呼吸暂停综合征。无论你那锯木头一样震耳欲聋的鼾声是否指示出身体有恙，以下这些缓解打鼾的招数都值得你参考。
Sleep on your side.
侧睡
About half of snorers with sleep apnea in one Israeli study were found to stop when they changed positions. There are pillows available to help you sleep on your side and shirts that make it uncomfortable to roll on your back. For the D.I.Y.-types, you can try sewing some tennis balls onto the back of your night shirt.
以色列的一项研究发现，约有一半患有睡眠呼吸暂停综合征的打鼾者在改变睡眠姿势后会停止打鼾。专门设计的枕头可以帮助你维持侧身睡眠，还有特制的睡衣可以使你仰面朝天睡觉的时候感到不舒服。让你自己尝试的话，可以试试看把几个网球缝在睡衣的背面，能达到相似的效果。
Strengthen your tongue.
锻炼你的舌头
One of the most common causes of snoring is when your tongue slides back in your throat. The simplest way to prevent this is with a daily set of tongue exercises. But doctors said it can take weeks to have an effect and most people are not diligent in keeping them up.
打鼾的一个最常见的原因是你的舌头滑向喉咙。预防这种情况的最简单方法是每天做一套舌头练习。但医生说，这可能需要几周时间才能见效，而且大多数人都做不到持之以恒。
Weight loss.
减肥
Another way for some people to decrease snoring is to lose weight. Body Mass Index (BMI) is reliably connected to snoring and sleep apnea, doctors said, though every throat is different. Losing weight will decrease the pressure on your windpipeand allow more air to pass.
还有一个缓解打鼾的方法便是减肥。医生表示，尽管每个人的喉咙都不尽相同，但身体质量指数与打鼾和睡眠呼吸暂停综合征有着密切的联系。减肥可以减少气管承受的压力，能让更多空气通过气管。
There are also a wide range of “anti-snoring” devices available to buy online, most totally worthless. Chin straps, nose clips and strips, nostril dilators — be wary of them, doctors said, they don’t work for everyone. A humidifier might help you sleep better by moisturizing your nose and throat, but it probably can’t stop you from snoring.
网上也可以买到各式各样的“防打鼾”器具，但大多数完全无效。防打鼾产品包括下巴带、鼻夹和鼻带、鼻孔扩张器等，但医生建议大家谨慎购买，因为它们并不是对每个人都有效。加湿器或许可以通过湿润鼻腔和咽喉改善睡眠，但它无法防止你打鼾。
【VOCABULARY】
1. snore v. 打鼾，打呼噜
2. vibrate v. 振动
3. distinctive adj. 独特的
4. sleep apnea 睡眠呼吸暂停综合征
5. sew v. 缝制，缝上
6. diligent adj. 勤奋的
7. windpipe n. 气管
8. humidifier n. 加湿器
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