For a long time, the population was told that milk was beneficial and necessary for optimal health. An increasing amount of people are finding that this may not be true at all. Now, you might be saying that you are not lactose intolerant and have no difficulty digesting milk.
This may be valid, but what you might not know is that dairy could be adding to your things to help with snoring, even if you are not sensitive to it. So, that three-cheese pizza you have for dinner or the big bowl of ice-cream you eat right before going to bed might be the reason why you always feel tired, even though you went to sleep early.
The Effect of Dairy Products and Mucus
For a long while, there was a theory that dairy increases mucus production. Well, the argument was close, but not entirely correct. Several studies have been executed to prove this imprecision.
However, although dairy does not make your body to create mucus, it is proven to harden secretions in your throat. This naturally feels like you have much extra mucus there.
So, can this thicker mucus contribute to snoring? Absolutely yes! The muscles in your body loosen up when you sleep. Thus they are allowed to vibrate against each other in your throat every time air passes through. If you have thicker mucus stuck in your throat, the passageway is even narrower than it is typical.
Therefore, reducing dairy, especially close to bedtime, could help relieve your symptoms. It does not mean you will immediately stop snoring. If your soft tissues are already naturally dropping close together when you sleep, then you may still require the help of a snoring mouthpiece, but decreasing the secretions in your throat could help.
Decrease or Entirely Eliminate Dairy?
Only you can judge if you need to reduce or eliminate dairy from your diet. You may need to go through a trial-and-error process. Keep in mind that dairy goes well past the milk you spill in your bowl of cereal or cheese you add to your lunch. If you are sensitive, you may find that you need to reduce soups, dressings, desserts, and other dishes that carry dairy, as well.
In case you are not ready to say goodbye to dairy completely, begin by avoiding it for some hours before bed. The thickening impact dairy has on mucus is high for a few hours and then progressively wears off. You may find that as long as you do not consume any past dinner, you are good. Then again, you may notice that you do better when you just don’t have any at all.
Obtaining Sufficient Calcium
If you grew up on the “Milk: It Does a Body Good!” publicity campaigns, then you may be under the idea that this is the only source of calcium that can keep your bones healthy. That is not the case.
Studies have revealed that dairy can help strengthen bones initially, but long-term effects prove it to disintegrate bone-producing cells. There are lots of healthy foods that are jammed full of calcium but do not have the antibiotics, artificial proteins, and growth hormones present usually found in dairy. A few of the most plentiful sources of calcium include chia seeds, oranges, sesame seeds, quinoa, dark leafy greens, broccoli, beans, blackstrap molasses, and nuts.
Looking for Options
Avoiding dairy is easier today than it has even been in the past. You can visit a grocery store and find many almonds, coconut, cashew, hemp, rice, and soy milk options. There are lots of cheese, ice-cream, butter, and yogurt alternatives, too, mainly if you shop at a health food store. These are tasty alternatives that do not have the same mucus-thickening result as milk. Just try making small changes to start. If you cannot live without your nightly bowl of ice-cream, work a version made from coconut or almond milk. There are even dairy free chocolate bits you can blend for your beloved chocolate topping.
Change can be scary, but if it decreases your snoring symptoms, you will quickly see that the advantages that come along with better sleep quality more than surpass any passing feelings of deprivation you may experience from making dietary adjustments.
Watch a video about Snoring and Milk Products