Otolaryngologist

Snoring is typically caused by an excess of tissue at the back of the throat, which blocks the upper airway. People who are overweight have more tissue in their necks, so for many, the best solution for snoring is to lose weight. If you’re not heavy, see a physician to find out if a surgical treatment is right for you and to check for a more significant problem like a tumor. It’s important to make sure the problem isn’t sleep apnea, which involves loud snoring interrupted by periods of obstructed breathing. Sleep apnea can lead to pulmonary hypertension and heart disease; it also causes excessive daytime sleepiness.
–Michael Seidman, M.D., medical director for Integrative Medicine at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit

Naturopath
Snoring is sometimes the result of inflamed or swollen sinus passages, usually because of allergies or an upper respiratory infection like a cold or chronic sinusitis. In the natural world we have some phenomenal remedies that act as antihistamines but don’t cause any adverse effects. Nettle-leaf tea contains bioflavonoids that open up the sinuses and stabilize the white blood cells that make histamine–I’d recommend a cup of the tea one to three times a day. (The only problem with nettle leaf is that it’s a diuretic, so you might have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.) Bioflavonoids are also found in the supplements hespiridin and quercetin–take two capsules, 250 to 500 milligrams each, three times a day while you’re experiencing allergy or cold symptoms. Using either supplement over a long period can interfere with the immune system.
Drinking can also lead to snoring in some cases, so avoid alcohol. According to a simplified Western interpretation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, alcohol challenges spleen qi and causes mucus to collect and close down the sinuses.
–Keith F. Zeitlin, N.D., Wallingford, Conn.-based naturopathic physician

Neurologist
Sleeping on your side or stomach can help stop snoring. You might flip over in the middle of the night without realizing it, so one way to stay off your back is to sew three tennis balls into the back and across the shoulders of a pajama top. In general, snoring sprays and nose strips are only anecdotally effective. In fact, use of the sprays even poses a risk of oil-induced pneumonia. But Breathe Right strips do work for some–it’s a cheap, noninvasive method to test out.
In some people, snoring results from a mispositioning of the jaw that blocks the airway. If you’re one of them, your dentist can make you a mouthpiece that advances your jaw forward into a different position while you sleep.
–Sarah Nath Zallek, M.D., medical director of the OSF Saint Francis Sleep Disorders Center in Peoria, Ill.

How can I stop snoring?

Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and envision the space where you feel the greatest sense of joy and calm. Is it a spare, expansive beach? A lush garden? A tranquil forest? More than likely, that’s your ideal bedroom.

“If the place you feel the most peaceful is in the mountains, then include things like a photograph of mountains, essential oils of fir or juniper in a diffuser, or a bowl of pine needles,” says feng shui teacher Denise Linn, author of Sacred Space. “You won’t be able to re-create the exact environment, but there are aspects you can incorporate.”

Reinventing your bedroom as a place of beauty and serenity sets up a lasting source of renewal and replenishment, both spiritual and physical. “The bedroom is the most important place in your home for enhancing your sense of well-being,” says Linn.

No need for an expensive, time-draining makeover. Here are 10 simple ways to create a dream bedroom that nurtures your health and refreshes your spirit.

1. Soften the Colors
Bedrooms are meant to be “yin rooms,” which facilitate passive, feminine spirit rather than generate active, masculine yang energy. “Yin rooms should be calm, so you can walk into them and relax,” says Susan Levitt, author of Taoist Feng Shui. She suggests painting walls in pastels such as lavender, beige, or off-white, or in muted flesh tones like cream, taupe, and rose.

Whatever hue you choose, make it nontoxic. Many paints contain volatile organic compounds, which produce hazardous fumes when wet and may continue to release those fumes for years after drying. Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Home Safe Home, recommends buying a water-based paint that’s low in VOCs. “Brand-name paint stores such as Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore carry their own nontoxic paints,” says Dadd, who also suggests sleeping elsewhere for three or four days after painting a bedroom.

Another option is using Anna Sova Luxury Organics wall finish, manufactured with up to 99 percent food-grade ingredients (from $49 a gallon; annasova.com). To enhance the soothing effects of your new colors, add a bottle of Anna Sova’s Organic Aromatherapy formula ($12). Stirred into the wall finish before painting, these essential-oil-based blends scent your room with lemon, vanilla, orange and clove, or sandalwood.

2. Clear the Clutter
You needn’t sleep in a Zen den, but a clean, open space allows you to rest better at night. Throw out—or put away—items you haven’t read, worn, or looked at in a few years. “If you don’t love it and you haven’t used it in several years, get rid of it,” says Linn. “Reducing clutter is modern-day alchemy. Anything you don’t love only drags you down.”

And don’t try to hide the clutter under your bed—even if your frame has built-in drawers, store only bedding and pillows there, Levitt advises.

Bookworms may want to keep beloved novels at hand, but too many tomes can be overwhelming. Instead of having piles everywhere, keep one or two books out in your bedroom and store the rest on a book shelf, says Levitt. Don’t pack them too tightly; leaving a little free space gives you room to grow and symbolizes the acceptance of new things in your life.

4. Tame the Decor
Displaying photos of loved ones brings positive energy into a bedroom, as long as the wall decor is kept simple. “Don’t put up too many pictures,” says Levitt. “One per wall is plenty.” And avoid art with violent or chaotic imagery. “In feng shui, the first thing you see when you wake up is very important,” notes Linn. “If it’s a great piece of modern art, but the imagery is jagged, that’s not great for your energy.”

Some consultants advise against mirrors in the bedroom, but Levitt says they can open up the space. “Just make sure they’re not cracked, glazed, or tiled,” she adds. “Cracks show breakage and flaws; glaze doesn’t reflect clearly; and tiles break up your image, as though it’s hard to bring together different aspects of your personality.”

5. Dim the Lights
Street lamps and other outdoor lighting can wreak havoc on your sleep cycle because melatonin, the hormone that helps govern sleep, responds to light and darkness. For soundest snoozing, dim your bedroom at night with a thick, dark cotton canvas, and let in the morning sun when it’s time to wake; this will help you stay synchronized with your own body rhythms.

Lighting defines a room’s aesthetics as well. Overhead lights lack atmosphere, so install a dimmer switch or use small lamps. “Overhead lighting doesn’t belong in the bedroom,” says Dadd. “I prefer gentle lighting that puts you in an inward-looking frame of mind.”

6. Send In the Scents
Filling the air with a luscious yet subtle fragrance makes your bedroom nearly spa-like. Linn suggests adding a few drops of calming essential oil like neroli, rose, or jasmine to an aromatherapy diffuser (available from Aura Cacia for $15; frontiercoop.com), while Levitt recommends chamomile, lavender, or clary sage.

7. Clear the Air
Keeping your windows open works wonders toward purifying indoor air of dust, mold, pet dander, and chemicals from household cleaners. “Fresh outdoor air is essential for good health,” says Dadd.

Once winter rolls around, however, letting in that oh-so-cold fresh air may not seem as appealing. “But even if you crack open your window just an inch, it can help,” says building biologist Athena Thompson, author of Homes That Heal. “If you have one or two people sleeping in a closed room for eight hours, it depletes the air of oxygen and increases carbon dioxide, so you wake up feeling sluggish and headachy.” Add an extra blanket or two on chillier nights.

8. Power Down
Television picture tubes, wireless Internet connections, electrical wiring, and cellphones emit electromagnetic fields that may contribute to frequent waking, aches and pains, and muscle spasms, according to Lawrence Gust, a building biology consultant in San Marcos, Calif. To reduce your EMF load, remove electric cords and devices from the bedroom—or at least from within 8 to 10 feet of the bed—and disconnect Wi-Fi and multi-handset cordless phones.

“The time that you spend in your bedroom should allow for your body to be more connected with its own electromagnetic fields, rather than those coming from electronic devices,” says Dadd.

A typical foam mattress is made from petrochemical derivatives with fire retardants and other chemicals added, all of which can be absorbed through the skin. Thompson prefers mattresses made of organic cotton, pure grown wool, natural Latex or natural rubber. Try Stress O’ Pedic Organic Mattress with Organic Latex and Organic Cotton ($999.99 for queen-sized;) in Solana Beach, CA 92075 San Diego County (www.mattressplacestore .com) or Mattress Warehouse in Hawthorne CA, 90250 ($1,099 queen; www.mattresswarehouse.net ) If you’re not ready for such a major purchase, place a barrier cloth (available from both stores listed above; queen-sized mattress covers, $89.95, or water proof cover, $69.95) over your existing mattress. “It will give you a layer of natural fibers, which is more comfortable and helps you sleep better,” says Dadd.

10. Remake Your Bed
When shopping for new bedding, look for 100 percent natural fibers–ideally organic cotton or organic hemp—at retailers like Gaiam (gaiam.com), Coyuchi (coyuchi.com), and Rawganique.com. To avoid chemically treated linens, make sure your purchases aren’t labeled “permanent press,” advises Dadd. “If you shop at stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond, the kinds of sheets that are untreated will be the jersey and flannel sheets,” she adds. For colors, opt for soothing shades like sage green and powder blue, says Levitt.

Even the purest fabrics expose you to chemicals if you launder them in perfumed detergents. “Commercial ‘fragrances’ represent anywhere from 10 to a few hundred chemicals, many of which have never been tested on humans,” says Thompson. “If you’re washing your bedding with fragranced detergents and drying them with fragranced dryer sheets every week, you’re going to be sleeping on another layer of chemicals all night.”

Clean your linens “the old-fashioned way, with baking soda or vinegar,” suggests Thompson. Or select detergents that are fragrance-free or have natural ingredients like orange peel. Try Bi-O-Kleen Premium Plus Laundry Powder ($11.71 for 5 pounds at kokogm.com).