How to Stop Snoring

If someone in your bedroom snores, there’s no ignoring it.

Snoring can be irritating to loved ones trying to get some sleep. But it can also be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition that causes repeated pauses in breathing during the night.

“Snoring and apnea often go hand in hand,” says ear, nose and throat physician Tony Reisman, MD. He explains why it’s important to root out the cause of your snoring — and how to squash the problem so that everyone can get some rest.

What causes snoring?

Anyone — men, women, even children — can snore. “Snoring is actually quite common in kids,” Dr. Reisman says. But it tends to be more common in men and people who are overweight. And it often gets worse as you get older.

Snoring happens when breathing is blocked during sleep. As air tries to push through the soft tissues, they vibrate — causing the telltale honks and snorts that make your significant other threaten to banish you from the bedroom.

Some people are just natural-born snorers. But often, snoring is caused by an underlying condition, such as:

• Obesity.
• Structural problems in the nose, like a deviated septum.
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
• Chronic congestion and stuffiness.

Snoring and sleep apnea

Snoring by itself isn’t harmful. But it can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. This sleep disorder causes you to stop breathing for a few seconds at a time, over and over, night after night.

If you have sleep apnea, you likely wake up after a night’s sleep still feeling tired. You might be drowsy during the day and have trouble concentrating at work or school. Some people nod off during the day, increasing the risk of car crashes or work-related accidents.

For people with sleep apnea, treating snoring is a matter of health. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems, including:

• High blood pressure.
• Stroke.
• Diabetes.
• Heart problems, including heart failure and heart attacks.

Home remedies for snoring: How to stop snoring naturally

There are several ways to address snoring, depending on what’s causing it. Some at-home remedies include:

Work toward a healthy weight

“Extra weight is one of the primary causes of snoring in both children and adults,” Dr. Reisman says. During sleep, fatty tissue in the neck can press on the throat, blocking the airways when the throat muscles relax. Losing weight can literally take the pressure off.

Relieve stuffiness

In people with chronic nasal congestion, medications like antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays can help you breathe easy — and turn down the dial on the nighttime noise.

Change your position

Try propping up the head of your bed. And snoozing on your side instead of your back may also cause less snoring. (Weird but true: Some people swear by sewing a tennis ball to the back of their shirt to keep them from rolling onto their back at night.)

Open your nose

Opening your nasal passages at night can help cut down on snoring. Adhesive nasal strips placed on the bridge of the nose lift your nostrils open to improve airflow. Another option is nasal dilators, which you insert into the nostrils to expand the nasal opening. Both strips and dilators are inexpensive and easy to find at the drugstore.  

Doctor-approved ways to stop snoring

If tennis balls and nasal strips don’t do the trick — or if you have symptoms of sleep apnea — talk to your doctor about these proven remedies that address both snoring and apnea:

Get fitted for an oral appliance

An oral appliance can bring you snoring relief. These mouthguard-style devices hold the lower jaw forward while you sleep — a posture that helps the airway stay open.

Though some over-the-counter varieties are available, Dr. Reisman recommends going to a dentist or oral surgeon for an appliance customised for your mouth. “A badly fitting appliance can strain the jaw and trade one problem for another,” he says.

An oral appliance is a device worn in the mouth only during sleep. The device fits similar to a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer and prevents the airway from collapsing by either supporting the tongue or jaw in a forward position, thereby opening the airway.

Are you a Patient or Medical Professional?