How to stop your snoring

Snoring is no longer something to ignore. To sleep physicians, snoring is a sign that something’s up.

“When you are snoring, you’re spending too much energy to breathe”, says Dr. M. Safwan Badr, M.D., president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Snoring is like fever for a general internist — it tells you somethig is going on, but it doesn’t tell you what”.

“In principle, snoring is not normal”, he says. “I would make sure that the body isn’t telling us to look for sleep-disordered breathing or sleep apnoea”, he continued.

Nasal Strips

The verdict: these usually don’t work. A narrowing of nasal passages that’s severe enough to cause snoring happens deeper than can be fixed with a sticky strip. “They may or may not affect the acoustics”, he says, “but not the mechanics of the airway”. “The phenomenon will not go away”, he says.

Losing Weight

The verdict: Try it! Excess weight can add tissue to the neck that presses and restricts airways. “Left to their own devices, people who keep adding a few pounds every year may develop sleep apnoea, but if they gained the weight and then started snoring, losing the weight may help alleviate the snoring”.

Sleeping On Your Side

The verdict: Try it! Sew a tennis ball into the front pocket of an old T-shirt, then wear the shirt backwards to bed. Lying on your back will be pretty uncomfortable, so you won’t be tempted to drift that way in your slumber!

Sleep With A Humidifier

The verdict: Consider it asn an option. Sleeping with a humidifier might help, says Badr. However, he says, “there may be a kernel of truth in a lot of these home remedies, but they’re probably not the whole story”.

Fancy Pillows

The verdict: Don't need those. Eliminating snoring is usually not as simple as buying a new pillow and there hasn’t been any scientific evidence to support their use.

Nasal Valves

The verdict: Consider it. Nasal valves are approved for the treatment of sleep apnoea and they may be available over the counter for snoring, as well. But they are one-time use and not exactly cheap.

Oral Devices

The verdict: if no other options, try this. A type of mouthguard that moves the jaw can be helpful. These devices may also provide some benefit for people who snore, but without a sleep apnoea diagnosis to show your insurance company, expect a hefty price tag.

Surgery

The verdict: not something frequent. Surgery would only be considered in cases where other treatments didn’t prove effective.

Don’t ignore your snoring, especially if you have other health conditions or feel tired during the day. “People tend to explain away their symptoms and they could be missing something”.