Dairy Products and Snoring

Yes, dairy products and snoring are connected. It’s a little controversial, and there’s some room for debate, but there is a connection. So how could dairy play a role in snoring? I’m glad you asked!

The Connection

You probably already know how these two things are connected, you just didn’t realize it. Something happens when you drink milk from a cow. It happens whether you are lactose intolerant or not. You may have never even noticed it, but I’ll tell you exactly what happens.

When you consume dairy products, your body makes more mucus and that mucus can also be thicker than normal. Okay, so what’s the big deal? If you’re awake it’s nothing to worry about. However, this effect lasts for at least a few hours.

That means if you have a little milk or cheese before bed you will experience this while you sleep. Aha! That’s the connection. Too much mucus can make you snore. Mucus that is too thick can do the same thing. That takes us to my next point.

What You Can Do

Even if you really love milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream there are ways to get around this. Don’t believe me? Check out the refrigerated section the next time you’re at the grocery store. You’ll see soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and maybe some others.

All of these are possible alternatives for you. The only exception would be lactose free milk since it still comes from a cow. There is also goat milk. Many people around the world enjoy milk from goats, so you might too.

If you eat a lot of cheese, butter, and other dairy foods you still have other options. Goat milk can be used to make all of these products as well. Goat cheese can be very tasty and is even something of a secret ingredient in some countries known for their great cooking.

If you mainly use butter as something to cook with, consider using olive oil instead. Using olive oil has plenty of its own benefits especially in the health department.

If you’re a picky eater and none of the options above sound good to you, there is one more thing you can do. You can time when you eat these foods. Instead of having a glass of milk before bed, have one when you get up.

Do you love cheese? Work it into your breakfast or lunch instead of eating it in the afternoon or at night. Sacrifice isn’t always necessary; sometimes you just have to put a little thought into it.

Size of the Problem

No one is really sure to be completely honest. We know that mucus can play a role in snoring. How much of a role it plays varies from person to person. That would depend on things like how much dairy you consume, what kinds, when, how much water you drink throughout the day, etc.

Even if your main cause of snoring is mucus there may still be other factors. A prime example would be an overweight man with a sinus problem. Is it the mucus, or is it the extra body weight? You won’t know until you try to fix one of them. Sometimes the best thing to do is to simply start eliminating all other possible causes.

If I was the overweight man with the sinus problem I would change when I eat dairy products and begin drinking more water to see if things improved. If they didn’t I would assume my weight was the issue.

Conclusion

Dairy could be contributing to your snoring problem. There are several things you can do, and eliminating milk products completely may not be required. None of the alternatives available are bad.

This is just one of the times you will have to try something I mentioned and see how it does for you. Even if mucus isn’t the main reason you snore, you may find some relief from changing your diet in this area.

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