How to Stop Snoring: Anti-Snoring Devices, Snoring Remedies, and More
Finding out how to stop snoring is usually something that partners of chronic snorers want to find. Snoring can cause sleepless nights and misery for others, especially as the person snoring may be oblivious to their problem. The good news is that there are many snoring remedies that help to cure snoring so that everyone can get a good night’s sleep.
In some cases, the best snoring solutions are connected to lifestyle changes. Very often, you can reduce snoring by losing weight, avoiding alcohol before bedtime, or investing in a good pillow. Even just changing your sleeping position can stop snoring immediately.
There are also effective anti-snoring devices that have helped many people to stop snoring. For example, you could prevent or even stop snoring by using snoring aids such as nasal strips, anti-snoring mouthpieces, or snoring devices to prevent sleeping on your back.
In this article, I will look at some of the best natural snoring remedies that can help to reduce snoring or stop it for good. You will also find out practical ways to prevent snoring to help give relief to others in the family.
Why Do People Snore?
People snore because of an obstruction in their breathing while they sleep. Snoring can sound like anything from a soft nasal-like scratching noise to a tractor driving through the bedroom.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine report that the reasons why people snore are generally due to bulky tissue at the back of the throat or poor muscle tone. Nasal congestion caused by allergies or a cold can also cause temporary snoring in some people. (1)
Another cause of snoring could be due to a condition called sleep apnea. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says that sleep apnea is caused by repeated obstructions in the upper airways during sleep. That causes breathing to stop and start and can result in chronic loud snoring that resembles loud snorts or gasps. (1,2)
Researchers also report that many women have to put with a snoring husband. Some estimates say that at least half of all men aged 50 and over snore. In some cases, “obstructive snoring” can become serious and result in loud and irregular snoring noises. (3)
How to Stop Snoring
Knowing the causes of snoring can sometimes help identify ways to get relief from snoring. Because snoring can be caused by certain lifestyle factors, addressing these can be good snoring solutions.
In some cases, you may need to look for anti-snoring devices to reduce the loud disruption to you and your loved one’s sleep. For example, some snoring remedies help to keep the nasal passages open to prevent loud snoring due to congestion. Other snoring aids are “snoring mouthpieces” to help position the jaw so that airways are kept open during the night.
Other natural remedies for snoring can include devices to help sleep in a better position. For example, specially-designed pillows can help reduce the severity of snoring. Also, sleep position trainers can help prevent snoring by not allowing you to sleep on your back.
If sleep apnea is causing your snoring, doctors may recommend snoring devices that pump pressurized air through your airways. These sleep apnea devices, called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), prevent airway obstructions that can cause you to snore loudly or awaken with loud gasps.
Remedies to Help You Stop Snoring
Let’s look in more detail as some of the best snoring solutions to help you get a better night’s sleep. You may find that using these natural remedies for snoring will give you more energy during the day and also prevent tension between you and your partner.
Change Your Sleeping Position to Stop Snoring Immediately
One of the first ways to try and prevent snoring is to ensure that you sleep on your side, not on your back.
Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that a common cause of snoring is sleeping on your back. If you are asleep on your back, your tongue may obstruct your airways which results in snoring. Very often, you and your partner can get snore relief if you practice sleeping on your side. (4)
Research published in 2018 found that snoring solutions or devices designed to alter sleep position can help people stop snoring. The study showed that when using sleep position trainers, snorers and their partners reported decreased levels and frequency of snoring in a 6-week period. (5)
At the end of the article, you can find out about one of the best anti-snoring devices to help you sleep on your side.
However, you could try making your own snoring remedy by sewing a tennis ball in the back of your pajamas. This will make it virtually impossible to sleep on your back and may help you to reduce snoring.
In many cases, just changing your sleeping position from back to side can immediately stop snoring while sleeping.
Further reading: The Best and Worst Sleeping Positions for Your Health.
Losing Weight Helps Reduce Snoring
Although it may not stop snoring instantly, weight loss may help to gradually reduce snoring intensity over time.
Research on obesity has revealed that people who are overweight are more likely to be snorers than people with a healthy weight. Researchers found that overweight people with a high BMI tended to snore more, especially if they had a large neck circumference. However, researchers found that weight loss didn’t help all chronic snorers. (6)
One study showed that a combination of snoring remedies including weight loss was effective in getting rid of snoring. Losing weight together with sleeping on the side and keeping airways free while sleeping is effective for reducing snoring. (7)
Find out about some simple tweaks that can help you lose weight, including proven ways to lose belly fat based on science.
Don’t Drink Alcohol Before Going to Bed to Prevent Snoring
Drinking beer, wine, or liquor before going to sleep can cause your snoring to get worse, especially if you have sleep apnea.
The reason why you may snore after you have been drinking is that alcohol relaxes the throat muscles. Researchers have found that excessive amounts of alcohol in the evening time disrupts sleep quality due to snoring. The loud snoring can be a reason for awakening the snorer or sleeping partner during the night. (8)
One study involving 20 men found that alcohol exacerbates snoring frequency and loudness in people who already have a problem with snoring. (9)
To help sleep better and reduce the effect of alcohol causing snoring, find out how long alcohol stays in your system.
Avoid Sleep Medication to Help Prevent Snoring
One of the recommended snoring remedies to help reduce snoring is to avoid taking sleeping pills to fall asleep.
The reasons why sleeping pills can cause snoring are similar to the effects that alcohol has on the throat and jaw muscles. Sleep medication tends to relax the muscles at the back of your mouth which can lead to loud snoring.
The German medical journal Sleep & Breath recommends avoiding sleeping pills to help treat snoring naturally. The researchers say that some snoring aids may help individuals to reduce nasal obstruction, or muscle training could also be effective anti-snore remedies. (10)
If you have trouble falling asleep, try some of these foods that help you feel sleepy and may help you fall asleep faster. You could also find that using certain essential oils can help treat symptoms of insomnia.
Keep Nasal Passages Open While You Sleep
Because nasal congestion is a common cause of loud snoring that wakes other people up, keeping your airways free can help reduce snoring.
One study over a 5-year period involving nearly 5,000 adults found that chronic nasal congestion increased instances of snoring. It was found that blocked airways can lead to habitual snoring that interferes with sleep quality and general well-being. (11)
Research published on the effects of allergies and asthma found that congested nasal passages can increase the symptoms of sleep apnea including loud snoring. (12)
The journal Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology reported that allergies to dust mites can cause respiratory conditions that affect sleep patterns. It was found that allergic reactions can cause snoring in over 40% of cases involving adults and children. Persistent symptoms of allergies can cause significant disruption to sleep quality. (13)
One device that you can use as a natural remedy for snoring if you have nasal congestion is a neti pot. You can find out here how to use a neti pot to rinse your sinuses and ease nasal congestion and snoring.
You could also try aromatherapy to help clear congestion and reduce snoring due to allergies. Some good essential oils to help you sleep better and clear your airways are lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint oil.
Find out here how to create a wonderful essential oil blend for your diffuser.
Quit Smoking
One of the many incentives to stop smoking is to prevent loud snoring from disrupting your sleep or your partner’s sleep.
One survey involving over 2,000 adults found that smoking increases obstruction in the airways and leads to chronic snoring. Researchers also found a direct link between the number of cigarettes a person smoked and the intensity of snoring. Drinking alcohol before bed also increased snoring frequency. (13)
Giving up smoking doesn’t result in stopping snoring immediately. Over time, the number of snoring episodes gradually decreases. In the survey, most ex-smokers stopped snoring within 4 years after quitting smoking. (13)
Find out how to quit smoking naturally to improve your general health and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases.
Mouth Exercises to Help Reduce Snoring Over Time
One way you can get a better night’s sleep because you snore less is to regularly exercise your mouth and jaw muscles to strengthen them.
A small study published in the journal Chest found that exercising the mouth and jaw muscles helped to reduce the loudness and frequency of snoring. Mouth exercises also helped as a snoring aid for people who suffer from mild sleep apnea. (14)
A meta-analysis of studies involving over 200 people found that exercising mouth muscles and the tongue helped to reduce snoring by as much as 50% in some cases. (15)
Singing exercises can also help to stop snoring in people who aren’t overweight. A small pilot study involving 20 chronic snorers found that singing exercises for 20 minutes a day helped to remedy snoring effectively in middle-aged individuals. (16)
At the end of this article, you can find some easy exercises to help strengthen your mouth and jaw muscles to help stop snoring for good.
Anti-Snoring Devices
If you continue to snore even after making many lifestyles changes, then you may need to use devices that have a proven effect as snoring remedies.
Nasal Strips (Breathe Right Strips) are Good Snoring Aids
One of the most popular snoring solutions involves using small nasal strips to help keep your nasal passages open while you sleep.
One of the most popular natural anti-snoring remedies is Breathe Right Strips for snore relief. There is also scientific research backing up the claims that these nasal strips are effective snoring aids.
Researchers found that applying Breathe Right Strips helped to reduce symptoms of snoring in chronic snorers. These nose strips for snoring reduced the intensity and severity of snoring resulting in better sleep quality. The nasal strips were effective in nearly 60% of patients who used them to stop snoring. (17)
You can get breathe right strips in this place in Amazon.
Nasal Vents (Dilator)
Another type of snoring aid to help keep your airways clear to stop keeping everyone awake at night with your snoring are nasal vents.
Nasal vents help to dilate your nasal passages to prevent obstructions that could be causing you to snore. Nasal vents or valves are placed in the nostrils and help promote easy breathing while you sleep.
One study found that nasal dilators helped to significantly reduce the loudness, intensity, and frequency of snoring. Nasal dilators also helped in treating snoring in people who have mild sleep apnea. (18)
Buying these snoring devices can help stop you from snoring so loud and, in some cases, stop snoring immediately.
You can get nasal vents in this place in Amazon.
Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) to Stop Snoring
One type of anti-snoring aid that can help you and your partner sleep better is a specially-designed mouthpiece called a mandibular advancement device (MAD).
The American Sleep Disorders Associations says that MAD snoring aids help to change the position of the tongue, jaw, and soft parts of the upper airways. These snoring devices have helped to cure habitual snoring in many people who suffer from simple snoring to moderate sleep apnea. (19)
Research has also shown that mouthpieces to stop snoring also help to improve the sleep quality of non-snorers whose wife or husband snores regularly. (19)
A 2018 review on the effectiveness of mandibular advancement devices for snoring have found that they are an effective treatment option to treat chronic snoring. Also, advancements in the design of MAD have made them a good treatment option for people who snore because of sleep apnea. (20)
You can get mandibular advancement device (MAD) in this page in Amazon.
Sleep Position Trainer
If sleeping on your back causes you to snore loudly, then the best “stop snoring” products are sleep position trainers.
The journal Sleep and Breath published in 2018 the results of a randomized controlled trial on how sleep position trainers help stop snoring. The trial involved nearly 100 chronic snorers and found that these anti-snore devices were effective in people who have mild to moderate sleep apnea. These snoring aids could also help cure long-term snoring, as patients were willing to continue their use after the trial period. (21)
Although you can improvise with making your own device to stop snoring using a tennis ball, many modern devices are more effective. For example, some allow you to fall asleep on your back and then signal you to roll over onto your side while you are sleeping.
Anti-Snore Pillow
Having the proper type of pillow can help prevent snoring and eliminate some of the reasons why people snore.
Researchers have found that custom-designed pillows for snoring help to keep the neck in a position that prevents snoring. In one trial, anti-snore pillows helped improve breathing while sleeping in people with severe obstructive sleep apnea. (22)
Another study found that by simply choosing the right pillow for your head position, you can quickly reduce the frequency and intensity of snoring. (23)
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Snoring Device
If sleep apnea is the cause of your loud, gasping snoring, then doctors may advise a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAC) device for snore relief.
Researchers into sleep disorders say that CPAP devices help to reduce snoring by forcing pressurized air into the airways. This prevents airflow blockages while sleeping that can awaken you by sudden snoring and gasping for breath. These snoring aids help to improve symptoms of sleep apnea and result in a better quality of sleep and well-being. (24)
Learn more about the risks associated with sleep apnea and how CPAP devices can help improve your sleep patterns.
Humidifier Can Help Remedy Snoring Naturally
Depending on the cause of your habitual, chronic snoring, a bedroom humidifier can help as a solution for your snoring.
A review of sleep device aids published in 2015 found that humidifiers can help improve the sleep quality of asthma sufferers and sleep apnea. (25)
While they are technically not sold as snoring solutions, a humidifier can help you stop snoring by keeping the air moist and making it easier to breathe. If you use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, you can also attach a humidifier to the device to help breathe easier and stop snoring. (26)
Anti-Snoring Exercises
Regularly exercising the muscles around your mouth is one way to stop snoring while sleeping. In fact, throat exercises can be viewed as a long-term strategy to help stop snoring for good. Mouth exercises are most effective for snoring relief when you do them regularly for at least a few weeks.
Here are some easy exercises you can try to help remedy your snoring issues.
- Say all the vowels a-e-i-o-u out loud for 3 minutes. Repeat this exercise a few times a day to help strengthen your mouth muscles. You could also try singing the vowels as some studies show that singing can help reduce snoring. (27)
- Press your tongue against your hard palate just behind your teeth. Keeping your tongue pressed, slide your tongue backward and forward for 3 minutes to strengthen your tongue and throat muscles.
- One exercise to help reduce snoring involves opening your mouth and moving your jaw to the right. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat on the left side. Repeat 3 or 4 times every day to help exercise your mouth.
- Open your mouth wide and contract the muscles at the back of your throat. If you look in a mirror, you should see the dangly bit in your throat (uvula) moving up and down.
Snoring Surgery (Somnoplasty)
In most cases, natural remedies for snoring helps to cure snoring to reduce the nightly distress and disturbance that it causes. In severe cases of chronic snoring, doctors may recommend various procedures to permanently solve the problem, such as somnoplasty to cure snoring for good.
Doctors say that snoring surgery involves stiffening or removing the uvula and soft tissues at the back of the mouth. This is a minimally-invasive procedure that may take around 30 minutes to perform. (27)
However, in all cases of snoring – from mild to severe snoring – doctors will attempt to remedy the snoring using a combination of lifestyle changes and snoring devices to see which one works best.
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