Most people snore sometimes. But snoring can be more than just an annoying habit. It can keep you – and your bed partner – from getting needed sleep. That can cause daytime sleepiness and eventually take a toll on your physical and mental health. If your snoring is loud and persistent, it may even be a sign of a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea.
You snore when air doesn't flow easily through your mouth and nose. This can happen when the muscles in your mouth, tongue, and throat relax, which narrows your breathing passages. This causes the soft tissues there to vibrate and make noise as you breathe.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, you need to see a doctor. But for garden-variety snoring, some strategies you can try at home may provide relief.
Sleep on Your Side
Sleeping on your side makes your tongue less likely to fall backward and narrow your throat, blocking airflow. One way to avoid rolling onto your back is to place a pillow behind you. Another trick is to sew a pocket onto the back of your shirt and put a tennis ball inside. You can even buy a pillow with a hole in the center that helps you stay on your side. (Some people snore even when they're on their sides, so this won't work for everyone.)
Raise Your Head
Raising your head helps opens your airway, which makes you less likely to snore. One way to do this is to lift the head of your bed. You can use risers or just put bricks beneath the bed’s legs to raise it by 4 to 6 inches. You might also wedge a few firm pillows under the top half of your body.
Try an Over-the-Counter Device
If your snoring is mild, devices like snore strips and nasal dilators might make a difference. And you can buy them inexpensively at most drugstores. Both strips and dilators work by opening your nasal passages to improve airflow. You attach snore strips over the bridge of your nose. You insert nasal dilators into your nostrils to widen them.
You can also buy over-the-counter mouth guards designed to keep your airway open by shifting your jaw or tongue forward. But it may be best to have a dentist fit you with one, since an ill-fitting mouth guard could cause other problems.
Avoid Alcohol
When you drink, your throat muscles tend to relax. This narrows your airway and can cause you to snore. Several studies have found that drinking alcohol close to bedtime leads to worse snoring, upsets sleep patterns, and reduces sleep quality. Cut down on wine, beer, and spirits – or at least avoid them for a few hours before bedtime.
Lose Extra Weight
Doctors say excess weight is one of the main causes of snoring. That's because when you sleep, the excess fatty tissue in your neck presses on your throat and narrows your airway. Being overweight or obese also raises your risk for sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight for you might be. And ask them about the best ways to lose any extra pounds.
Treat Your Congestion
A stuffy nose due to a cold, flu, or allergies is another common reason people snore. When you’re congested, you tend to breathe through your mouth. That can trigger snoring. If you have allergies or long-lasting congestion, medications like antihistamines or nasal sprays could help you breathe easier. You could also try a saline nasal rinse, or just stand in a hot shower and breathe in the steam.
Stop Smoking
Here's another good reason to quit smoking: It irritates your throat and causes congestion, which leads to snoring. And the more you smoke, the more likely you are to snore. Further, smokers are 3 times more likely to get sleep apnea than those who've never smoked. Ask your doctor for advice on how to quit or at least cut back.
Try Mouth Exercises
Some studies have found that doing exercises to strengthen the mouth and tongue could reduce how much and how loudly you snore. Want to try it? Do these four exercises three times a day, repeating each one 20 times:
- Hold the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then slide your tongue toward the back.
- Press your whole tongue against the roof of your mouth.
- Hold the tip of your tongue against your bottom front teeth while you press the back of your tongue against the floor of your mouth.
- Say "A" while you try to raise the back of the roof of your mouth.
Get Enough Sleep
It seems unfair, but missing out on sleep can actually make you more likely to snore. That's because sleep loss can make your throat muscles relax more and – you guessed it – interfere with your airflow. To make sure you get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night, practice good sleep hygiene:
- Try to go to bed and wake up about the same time every day.
- Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.
- Avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime.
See Your Doctor
See a doctor if none of these steps helps or if you have any of these symptoms:
- You're very tired during the day.
- Your snoring is very loud or lasts longer than a few nights.
- You sometimes feel you can't breathe when you sleep.
They may recommend a test to see if you have obstructive sleep apnea, in which your breathing briefly stops again and again while you sleep. Sleep apnea increases your risk of health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
If you have sleep apnea, your doctor can prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which blows air into your airway to keep it open while you sleep. In extreme cases, your doctor could recommend surgery.
Show Sources
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SOURCES:
American Cancer Society: “Reasons to Quit Smoking.”
Chest: “Effects of Oropharyngeal Exercises on Snoring: A Randomized Trial.”
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Harvard Medical School: “Do Allergies Make Snoring Worse?”
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Mayo Clinic: “Snoring,” "Sleep Apnea."
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Stanford Medicine: “Treatments for Snoring.”
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