Snoring is caused by a vibration as you breathe. This can be a result of your tongue, mouth, throat or airways that relax and become narrow as we sleep. If you suffer from sleep conditions, such as sleep apnoea, your airways become blocked as you sleep.
How can you stop snoring?
There are many different ways that you are able to try and stop snoring. It is best to try different methods until you find the one that works best for you. There are some generic qualities that make you more susceptible to snoring, such as:
- If you are overweight
- If you smoke
- If you drink too much alcohol
- If you sleep on your back
However, if these do not apply to you or if you would rather try a treatment in order to help you stop snoring, then the following treatments could help.
If the cause of your problems is due to your tongue partially blocking the back of your throat, then you can wear a device in your mouth that can bring forward your tongue. This is called a mandibular advancement device. Alternatively, if the issue stems from sleeping with your mouth open, then a chin strap can help to keep your mouth closed throughout the night. There is also a device called vestibular shield that is designed to stop you from breathing through your mouth during the night and forces you to breath through your nose.
If you are struggling with narrow airways in your nose, or it just so happens to be blocked, you can buy a nasal dilator that can open your airways as you sleep. This can also come in the forms or sprays or nasal strips.
If you snore chronically and all other forms of treatments have failed, then you are able to get surgery for snoring, but always consult a doctor to follow their recommendations and advice.
Tips and Tricks to stop snoring
Lose weight
If you are overweight and this is impacting your snoring, then losing some weight through a healthy diet and reducing your consumption of sugary foods, to reduce your snoring throughout the night. This is not a quick remedy for snoring and will take some time, but if your snoring is due to your weight, then this may help to combat your snoring completely.
Quit Smoking
Smoking can worsen your snoring, and if you are looking for a way to reduce how loudly and often you snore, quitting smoking can help. There are various ways that you are able to do this with assistance. Contact you GP or look into alternative such as nicotine gum and patches.
Limit your alcohol consumption
Alcohol causes your throat muscles to relax, which means that it can cause or increase snoring. If you drink alcohol before bed, it can increase your snoring. Therefore, if you limit your alcohol before bed, you are less likely to snore as a result.
Sleep on your side
When you lay on your back, you are more likely to snore. If you are able to sleep on your side this can prevent your tongue from falling back into your throat and blocking your airways, which can happen when you sleep on your back.
Ensure you are getting enough sleep
If you are tired, your snoring is more likely to be worse. This is due to the notion that you are more inclined to fall into a deep sleep, causing you to snore as the muscles will be more relaxed.
Sleep with your head elevated
There are recorded benefits to people who sleep with their heads raised slightly. However, this may not be a comfortable solution for everyone and it may even effect your sleep and prevent you from sleeping comfortably.
Surgery for Snoring
Before jumping straight into surgery for snoring, your doctor will most likely try other medical methods to reduce your snoring. For example, they may prescribe you some steroid nasal spray that you can use before bed that should reduce the amount you snore. In addition, there are various dental devices and nasal strips that they can recommend.
If you have sleep apnoea, which is causing severe snoring, then the doctor may suggest a surgical procedure or a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine may be given to you.
Types of Surgery for Snoring
Upper Airway Stimulator
This is a treatment for those who struggle with sleep apnoea. A pulse generator will be placed under the skin in your upper chest. A wire that leads to the lung will detect your natural breathing pattern. An additional wire, that leads up to the neck will give a mild stimulation to the nerves that are in control of the airway muscles, therefore keeping them open. A remote will be given to the person who received the device so that they can turn it on before bed and turn it off once they have woken up.
Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy
This procedure involves removing the tonsils and/or the adenoids that can aid the prevention of snoring. If the person is struggling with breathing difficulties, which are causing the snoring, this can help to open to the airway and improve snoring.
Palate Surgery/Somnoplasty
It may be beneficial to have certain tissues removed from the soft palate that is obstructing the airway. Alternatively, they will reduce the amount soft tissue in the airway or the back of the throat.
Snoring when pregnant
Snoring through pregnancy its a common issue. It is common for it to start around the second trimester and can be caused by hormones causing nasal congestion. It can also be a result of the weight increased caused by pregnancy. This is usually not a cause for concern, but speak with a doctor if you are having concerns. More often than not, your snoring should subside once you are no longer pregnant.
How to prevent snoring during your pregnancy
You can try to stick a nasal strip over your nose during the night if you find this is beneficial, especially if you are struggling with nasal congestion. According to Snore Lab, around 49% of women start snoring during their pregnancy.
Cool your body by using purifiers that may relieve you of your congestion and therefore reduce your snoring. Much like regular snoring, you may benefit from sleeping on your side. However, this may not be the most comfortable position to sleep in, especially if you are heavily pregnant. If this is the case, it might be worth investing in a pregnancy pillow or other forms of sleep comfort devices for pregnant individuals. What To Expect suggests that your left position is the best in terms of circulation.
If your snoring is not causing you any problems, but is becoming a nuisance for your partner or those around you, then getting a pair of comfortable ear plugs can be a great way to block out those unwanted sounds. Simply place them in your ears when you are having trouble sleeping. This may not be a long term solution to the problem, due to many people finding ear pugs to be uncomfortable. However, if your snoring is simply due to your pregnancy, once you have given birth and your snoring stops, your partner can resume their sleep as normal.
Track your snoring with a Snoring App
Snore Lab
Snore Lab is available on iOS and on Android. It is one of the most popular apps to track your sleep and monitor your snoring. The app is free to download but does contain in app purchases. You are able to record, analyse and track your snoring throughout the night giving you an advantage on the ways in which you can treat and control your snoring. You open the app and place it close by you whilst you sleep and then see your results in the morning.
Although the app is free to download, there is only a free trail that runs for three sessions before it expires. After you will need to purchase the full version.
Snore Clock
This app is great for recording a full nights sleep. It can cater up to 11 hours of recordings to analyse and monitor your snoring pattern. If there is something that is interrupting your sleep, the app will notify you when this happens. It app works in a similar way to others, simply place it next to your bed and monitor your sleep.
The app starts at $3.99, this app is basic, cheap and efficient.
Snore Control
This app will record your sleeping and pick up on any sleep talking or snoring that occurs. It will produce a graph on noise that shows the spikes in your sleeping pattern, giving you the total time you spend snoring during your sleep cycle.
Your microphone located within your smart phone picks up the snoring sounds and provides analytics that allow you to determine how to best manage your snoring. This could be from activities such as exercise, to medication or diets.
Motion 24/7
This app has all the amazing qualities of other snore monitoring apps, but goes the extra mile to record those who struggle with Sleep Apnoea. The app claims to have 95% accuracy when recording and monitoring your sleep, but note there is no scientific data behind these apps.
The app is the cheapest out of our selection, priced at $0.99. It stays on in the background of your device 24/7 (hence the name) and has an alarm feature that can help you to achieve the best out of your sleep.
Best Anti Snoring Pillows
1. Levitex Pillow
Levitex pillows are part of the Levitex range, in which you can also buy a mattress. We have done some research on the reviews of this product from people who tested them. The pillow comes in a range of different sizes, as they felt that a one size fits all was not appropriate, according to Well Professor. The pillow offers great comfort and is very soft to the touch. It gives great support for the neck and head to ensure you are supported throughout the night. You can always pair it with the mattress for maximum effort. With the extra support on your neck, you are less likely to snore.
2. Anti Snore Pillow Wedge by Putnams
This pillow claims to reduce snoring and helps those who suffer from other conditions such as respiratory problems. The wedge section of the pillow helps to elevate the torso, which in turn opens the airways. This pillow might take some time so get used to as this is not a natural sleeping position, but if you are able to adapt it may be well worth it for the benefits.
3. Anti-Snore Pillow by Silentnight
According to The Independent, this pillow has been recommended by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association due to the internal foam core that helps you to open up your airways and thus improves your breathing.
The cost of this pillow can also run up low in comparison to the other anti snoring pillows, which can be very pricey.
4. Ecoden Bamboo Charcoal Pillow
This pillow has been tested and reviewed on The Independent, where they have stated that this pillow is crafted to eliminate any neck pain that comes from sleeping at night. It moulds to fit the position of your neck, regardless of the position in which you sleep.
It features a 70 degree angle that opens your windpipes and reduces your snoring. However, they do note that it is possibly too tilted to the back for many of the users. However, they do note that Ecoden provide a 30-day free trial, free shipping and returns, so it is definitely worth giving this anti snoring pillow a try.
If you are looking for an anti snoring pillow, it is worth testing each product, purchase starting with the cheaper range, to find the one that works best for you. However, this can be an expensive and lengthy process, so we advice, in line with The Independent, British Snoring and the Sleep Apnoea Association, to start with the Silentnight Anti Snore Pillow.
