My second project at Toastmasters

I had completed my CTM 2 (2nd speech project at Hyderabad Toastmasters club) today. Find below the speech content
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It was the Year 1995, Month July. I never imagined what was in store for me that day. I was traveling in a bus back home during a school break. It must have been about 9 PM, when suddenly, there was a big noise. For someone who would not wake up even with an elephant trumpeting next to him, this sound however did wake me up. I heard the sound again. I kept on hearing it again and again. Not that it was as loud as an elephant but yes, it was one of the most unpleasant and irritating sounds to hear. It took me some time to realize that it was the sound of a person snoring. No one snores in my family. That was the first time of about a thousand times since, that I have had to hear this most unpleasant of noises which we human beings are capable to produce. The only prior memories of snoring I have had are from the tele –serial Ramayana where people try to wake up a snoring Khumbakarn.

We know so many people losing sleep over their personal worries be it family, money or work. Not to mention the ever increasing number of people loosing sleep over their girlfriends and better halves. Others lose sleep because of jobs and promotions. In fact, even the prospect of a Toastmasters speech the next day does not make me lose sleep as someone snoring next to me. Come to think of it, ever since that unfortunate incident in the bus, my senses have now been tuned to understand and identify these snoring noises and I have become a helpless victim going through a trauma when someone snores. Most often my hearing senses experience these noises when I travel by train or bus at nights. There is not a single journey when I have not lost sleep in spite of plugging my ears on several occasions. I just keep wishing for the train or bus to never stop. Whenever the train/bus stops, the snoring becomes even louder. Many a times the “traveling snorer” or “snoring traveler” would wake up intermittently when there is a jerk or a small stop, and he would wake up …adjust himself after knowing that all is well, and continue to snore away to glory…like waiting for prize to be delivered on finishing a great marathon competing against the best in the world!

There was a friend of mine who had to share my room during my college winter days. I didn’t know that the snoring of my friend was so loud that people 3 rooms away could also hear it. Maybe my room was 4th room from his. I agreed to share my room. My struggle with sleep started then with every night being a nightmare. I tried all kind of tricks to wake him up. Hitting him, putting on music to wake him up, and switching off the fan. I used to try all these hoping that my friend gets up and before he gets to snore, I can try catching a nap. Unfortunately, nothing worked out. I had to sleep in the mornings/noons to compensate sleepless nights. It so happened once that another friend of mine had come to my room for combined study for a next day morning test. I had then no idea of what would pass on to me that night. He slept in my room eventually. It was just a matter of 10 minutes before I was listening to the jugalbandhi. I always found that there is no sync between 2 people who snore. One snores heavily and only after that person stops, the other one starts. All I could do in that situation was to just appreciate the harmony in which both my friends were snoring. And next day I had to face the music and have tough time keeping myself awake.

Snoring is not just a botheration for the people around. Snoring is not something which can be ignored as the problem of people around you. It is a sleeping disorder and can lead to some serious problems. Due to the obstruction in the air passage there is insufficient oxygen supply to the lungs. The lungs try to suck in more air. In turn the heart pumps faster to cope and this might sometime lead to choking. And sometimes due to this choking, the patient might start moving legs/hands violently to catch gasp of breath. Not only does this physically harm the person sleeping next to him but if not awoken from this state, he/she can suffer serious brain damage and even death.

Although snoring can afflict adults at any age, it is most common in overweight, middle-age men. Snoring is more common in men more than in women as the nasal passage in men is narrower than in women. Snoring is not something that can be taken lightly. It needs to be taken care and consultation can be sought in this case

So what does one do? Should one just grin and bear it, or is there some solution to the problem>? It turns out a lot can actually be done even at home. I call this MeDiCleFitS. The acronym can be expanded to Medication Diet Clean habits Fitness and Sleeping posture.

1. Medication – Try nasal decongestants
2. Diet - Avoid high fatty dairy milk products and also eating food just before going to bed
3. Clean habits – Avoid smoking and alcohol
4. Fitness – Lose weight and exercise regularly
5. Sleeping posture – Sleep on your side without a pillow with elevated head of the bed


Snoring is a common problem. But the next time you are told that it is uncomfortable to sleep next to you, it is time for a visit to the doctor.

Remember “Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.”