12 things you can do to stop snoring
Preface: Some cases of snoring require a doctor’s care.
However, there are cases of snoring caused by benign factors — like sleep position — that can often be treated with simple home remedies.
Here are 12 remedies commonly used to treat snoring:
Lose weight
Sleep on your side
Raise the head of your bed
Use nasal strips
Treat chronic allergies
Correct your nose structure
Don't drink before bed
Avoid sedatives
Stop smoking
Get more sleep
Use a mouthguard
Use a CPAP machine
1. Lose weight (if you are overweight)
Losing weight will help reduce the amount of tissue in the throat that might be causing your snoring.
You can lose weight by
reducing your overall caloric intake by eating smaller portions and more healthy foods
getting regular exercise daily
seeing your doctor or a nutritionist for help
2. Sleep on your side
Sleeping on your back sometimes causes the tongue to move to the back of the throat, which partly blocks airflow through your throat.
Sleeping on your side may be all you need to do to allow air to flow easily and reduce or stop your snoring.
3. Raise the head of your bed.
Elevating the head of your bed by four inches may help reduce your snoring by keeping your airways open.
You can always use an ergonomic pillow to help elevate your head too!
4. Use nasal strips
Stick-on nasal strips can be placed on the nose bridge to help increase the space in the nasal passage.
This can make your breathing more effective and reduce or eliminate your snoring.
You could also try a nasal dilator, a stiffened adhesive strip applied on top of the nose across the nostrils.
This can decrease airflow resistance, making it easier to breathe.
Try nasal strips to help reduce snoring.
5. Treat chronic allergies
Allergies can reduce airflow through your nose, which forces you to breathe through your mouth. This increases the likelihood that you’ll snore.
Talk to your doctor about what kind of over-the-counter or prescription allergy medications may improve your condition.
6. Correct structural problems in your nose.
Some people are born with or experience an injury that gives them a deviated septum.
This is the misalignment of the wall that separates both sides of the nose, which restricts airflow.
It may cause mouth breathing during sleep, causing snoring. It may be necessary to get surgery to correct this condition. Talk to your doctor.
7. Limit or avoid alcohol before bed.
Try not to consume alcohol for at least two hours leading up to your bedtime.
Alcohol can relax the throat muscles, causing snoring.
8. Avoid taking sedatives before bed.
If you snore and take sedatives, talk to your doctor to see what your options are.
Stopping sedative use before bed may ease your snoring.
9. Stop smoking.
Smoking is an unhealthy habit that can worsen your snoring.
Talk to your doctor about therapies — such as gum or patches — that can help you quit.
10. Get enough sleep.
Make sure you get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep you need each night.
11. Use an oral appliance.
Dental mouthpieces called “oral appliances” can help keep your air passages open, making it easier for you to breathe.
This prevents snoring.
It would help if you saw your dentist get one of these devices made.
12. Use a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine.
If medically appropriate, wearing a pressurized air mask over your nose when you sleep can help keep your airway open.
This treatment is often recommended to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Coping with snoring
Snoring can disrupt your sleep and that of your partner.
But besides being annoying, it may indicate a serious health condition.
Seeing your doctor and trying one or more of the above treatment options can help you get your sleep under control.