15 Remedies That May Stop Snoring

Snoring happens when air flows through your throat when you breathe in your sleep. This causes the relaxed tissues in your throat to vibrate, which leads to harsh, possibly loud sounds.

Snoring may disrupt your sleep or that of a partner. Snoring is not a symptom to ignore, even if it’s not bothering you. In fact, snoring may indicate you’re experiencing a medical condition that a doctor may need to evaluate, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or sleep deprivation.

Snoring may also occur by sleeping on your back or drinking alcohol too close to bedtime.

Home remedies and lifestyle changes for snoring

How you sleep can be a significant factor in snoring. If your sleep habits are causing your snoring, some simple home remedies and sleep adjustments might help address the problem.

Certain lifestyle changes can also help.

1. Sleep on your side

Sleeping on your back sometimes causes your tongue to move to the back of your 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.

2. Get enough sleep

Try to get the 7 to 9 hours of sleep that adults need each night.

Sleep deprivation may increase your risk of snoring. This is because it can cause your throat muscles to relax, making you more susceptible to airway obstruction.

Snoring can also increase your risk of sleep deprivation since it may interrupt sleep.

3. Raise the head of your bed

Elevating the head of your bed by a few inches may help reduce snoring by keeping your airways open.

You can use products such as bed risers or pillows for extra height.

4. Use nasal strips or a nasal dilator

You can place stick-on nasal strips on the bridge of your nose 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 an external nasal dilator. This is a stiffened adhesive strip that you apply on the top of the nose across the nostrils. This may help with snoring by decreasing airflow resistance, making breathing easier.

Internal nasal dilators, which you place inside your nose, are also available.

5. Limit or avoid alcohol before bed

Try not to consume alcohol for at least 3 hours leading up to your bedtime. Alcohol can relax the throat muscles, causing snoring.

Alcohol can also disrupt your sleep in other ways.

For example, research links alcohol consumption with shorter amounts of REM sleep, which is important for memory formation and dreaming.

6. Avoid taking sedatives before bed

If you take sedatives, talk with your doctor to see what your options are.

Stopping sedative use before bed may ease your snoring. Like alcohol, sedatives can also cause your throat muscles to relax.

7. Stop smoking

Smoking is a habit that can worsen your snoring. According to a 2014 review, smoking may increase your risk of OSA or worsen the condition. However, more conclusive research is needed.

Talk with a doctor about therapies that can help you quit, such as gum or patches.

8. Maintain a moderate weight

If you live with obesity, you might consider weight management as a way to help with snoring.

Excess tissue may be a cause of someone’s snoring. For some people, weight loss can help reduce the amount of tissue in the throat.

You may try these simple tips:

• reducing your calories or carb intake by eating smaller portions and more nutrient-rich foods

• trying to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day

• consulting your healthcare team or a nutritionist for guidance on weight management

Medical treatments for snoring

Sometimes, a doctor may offer medical treatment to address the underlying condition.

Here are medical treatments that healthcare professionals commonly use to treat snoring and its various causes:

9. 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 with a doctor about what over-the-counter or prescription allergy medications may improve your condition. They’re available in various forms, such as nasal sprays, liquids, and pills.

Options may include:

• non-sedating antihistamines, such as cetirizine (Zyrtec), levocetirizine (Xyzal), and loratadine (Claritin)

• sedating antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

• inhaled nasal corticosteroids, such as fluticasone (Flonase) and triamcinolone (Nasacort)

• oral decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and phenylephrine (Sudafed PE), for short-term use only

• leukotriene modifiers, such as montelukast (Singulair) and zileuton (Zyflo)

10. Correct anatomical structural problems in your nose

Some people are born with or experience an injury that gives them a deviated septum, which is a misalignment in the wall separating both sides of the nose and can restrict airflow.

A deviated septum may cause mouth breathing during sleep, resulting in snoring.

Surgery may be necessary, and the procedure is known as septoplasty.

11. Use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for OSA

The CPAP machine is the standard treatment for OSA. It requires you to wear a pressurized air mask over your nose, mouth, or both when you sleep. This can help keep your airways open.

Different types of masks are available, including ones that are more comfortable for people with glasses or who breathe through their mouths during sleep.

12. Use an oral appliance

Oral appliances are customized devices prescribed and fitted by dentists. These devices increase the upper airway size during sleep, decreasing snoring. These may be helpful for people with OSA.

They typically work by one or more of the following mechanisms:

• advancing the lower jaw (mandible)

• changing the position of the soft palate

• retracting the tongue

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the American Academy of Dental

Sleep Medicine recommend oral appliances for people who request treatment for their snoring and have not found relief with conservative measures.

13. Wear palatal implants

Also called the pillar procedure, this surgery may reduce or stop snoring and improve OSA.

During this procedure, a medical professional inserts tiny implants into the soft palate to reduce tissue vibration. Palatal implants stiffen the soft palate and help you stop snoring.

This treatment is appropriate for people with mild to moderate sleep apnea. Healthcare professionals may not recommend this for people who have severe sleep apnea or overweight.

14. Get uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)

UPPP is a surgical procedure that removes excess tissue in the throat to widen the airway. This can sometimes allow air to move through the throat more easily when you breathe, reducing snoring. A medical professional can perform it using traditional surgical techniques or laser-assisted surgery, which allows for outpatient therapy.

Some research indicates that UPPP may be effective for long-term relief. However, more research is needed to determine how these procedures may affect snoring over time, with additional clinical follow-ups with people who’ve them.

15. Consider radiofrequency ablation (RFA)

This minimally invasive treatment uses low intensity radio waves to shrink the tissue on your soft palate. Healthcare professionals sometimes refer to RFA as Somnoplasty, which is the name of a trademarked version of the procedure.

When to seek medical care

If you snore, you’re not alone. The AASM reports that nearly half of people snore at some point in their lives.

Snoring can disrupt your sleep and that of your partner. Besides being possibly disruptive, it may indicate a serious health condition. Contacting with a doctor and trying one or more of the above treatment options can help you manage your sleep.

While some people may find relief with certain lifestyle techniques or medical treatments, the overall research isn’t clear on how effective diagnostic and therapeutic options may actually be.

The takeaway

Snoring can disrupt your sleep and that of your partner. Besides being annoying, it may indicate a serious health condition, including OSA.

There are tips and techniques you can try, from adjusting sleeping positions to getting enough sleep overall. You might also try exercise, limiting alcohol and smoking, and other methods that could help you sleep better and address any snoring concerns.

You may consider consulting your healthcare team or a sleep professional to evaluate your sleeping patterns and any snoring. They can best advise you on any treatment options that might help with snoring.