Snoring problems? Try this simple folk remedy
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I couldn’t believe it myself when someone approached my booth several years ago and told me about a simple folk remedy for snoring: thyme essential oil on the soles of the feet at bedtime.
I decided to try it on my husband that night. His snoring was deafening, sometimes waking him up, but also making it difficult for me to sleep. He was on the verge of getting another CPAP machine. He had used one years before after a sleep study showed that he had mild apnea. He found the machine made it more difficult to sleep because he was forced to lie in the same position all night or get tangled in the tubes.
Unbelievably, it worked! I combed my herbal literature and the internet to understand why it worked. I found no explanation, so I came up with my own: thyme is a stimulant, so I believe it stimulates the throat structures enough so they don’t relax and obstruct the throat opening.
Why put it on the soles of the feet?
The soles of the feet have larger pores, allowing compounds to be absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream where they will circulate through the body in about 20 minutes.
Does it work for everyone? Since my discovery, I have been eager to share this secret with everyone I know. While traveling with a family member I gave my salve to them to try and discovered that while it didn’t eliminate their snoring, it lowered the volume to an acceptable level. My theory is that they have a snore caused by sinus congestion rather than collapsing throat structures. Thyme clears their airways somewhat, but does not completely alleviate snoring.
I make Snore Stop with a 5% dilution of thyme essential oil, which is a little higher than normal because the skin on the feet is less sensitive than on other parts of our bodies.
Give it a try—it’s a lot less expensive than a CPAP machine!
