11 Expert-Approved Ways To Get Your Snoring In Check
Do you find yourself groggy and irritable during the day, despite getting what you think is plenty of shut-eye? You could potentially be dealing with snoring—which can seriously mess with sleep quality.
Here, learn how to tell if you snore in the first place, and how to get through the night quietly and peacefully.
What causes snoring?
Snoring affects half of the population, and 25 percent of adults are habitual snorers—many of whom don't even know it unless their partner tells them (or, you know, slaps them).
Snoring becomes more common with age and weight gain. The normal aging process leads to a relaxation of the throat muscles, while extra weight and fat around the neck can cause airways to narrow when you lie down, causing loud vibrations as you breathe.
While it's tempting to think snoring is no big deal, that's not always the case. In addition to being annoying and disruptive to you and anyone you share a bed with, loud snoring on a regular basis can be (about 50 percent of the time) a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, resulting in brief but repeated interruptions in breathing.
You need to seek out professional treatment for sleep apnea, as it can lead to serious issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and forgetfulness.
More often than not, though, snoring has a somewhat less serious cause, and there are plenty of ways you can turn it around.
How can you tell if you snore?
If you share a bed with someone, you probably have a pretty good idea whether you snore or not. If you're a solo sleeper, though, you can look out for signs like waking up with dry mouth or a sore throat, or having trouble concentrating during the day (since snoring can impair sleep quality).
These don't always mean you're a snorer, though. The simplest way to tell for sure if you snore—and to determine just how severe your snoring is—is with an app like SnoreLab, which measures the duration and intensity (quiet, light, loud, or epic) of your snoring and offers suggestions on how to combat it.
If you're regularly in "loud" or "epic" territory, or if you ever wake up gasping for air, you should consult with your doctor ASAP to see if you have sleep apnea. Otherwise, you may be able to reduce or even stop your snoring at home using the following tips.
11 ways to stop mild snoring.
Sleep on your side or elevate your head.
If you currently sleep flat on your back, simply sleeping on your side could help stop snoring immediately. Sleeping on your side opens up your nasal airway passages, while sleeping on your back can cause your airway to become blocked or narrowed, which causes a vibrating sound when you breathe.
Using the right pillow—one designed to prevent back sleeping—can also reduce snoring severity. If for some reason you can't sleep on your side, at least elevate your head with an extra pillow or two, which can help open up your airways.
Sing along to your favorite playlist.
It may sound weird, but singing aloud strengthens the muscles in your throat and soft palate and naturally leads to less snoring over time, according to one 2008 study1 in the journal Sleep and Breathing.
Researchers came to this conclusion after discovering that choir singers scored significantly lower on the snoring scale than non-singers, even when weight and overall health were similar.
Try a tongue exercise.
Singing not your thing? There's also some evidence that tongue exercises (technically called oropharyngeal exercises) may help strengthen muscles in the throat and soft palate, too.
In one study on 39 snorers,2 eight minutes of oropharyngeal exercises three times a day significantly reduced snoring intensity and number of snores per hour after three months. The best part? The exercises are seriously simple.
One example: Push the tip of your tongue against your hard palate then slide it backward (repeat 20 times).
Avoid inflammatory foods.
Inflamed tissue in your nose and throat may contribute to snoring, too, and one cause of that inflammation could be the food you’re eating.
"I have had some patients benefit from following a real-food or Whole30 diet," says holistic psychiatrist Ellen Vora, M.D. "By eliminating foods like gluten and dairy, they reduced overall inflammation and improved airflow in the upper airways." (Here are 11 more ways to keep inflammation in check through diet.)
Work toward your healthy weight.
When you're overweight, you may have excess fatty tissue in (or near) the back of the throat that narrows the airway and makes you more likely to snore. So, if you're overweight or obese and you snore, there's a good chance that losing weight could eliminate snoring completely and permanently.
Of course, weight loss takes time, so consider implementing one or more of these other snoring strategies until you reach a healthy weight.
Consider craniosacral therapy.
"For some people, craniosacral therapy can be a good augmentation strategy in the treatment of snoring," says Vora.
Craniosacral therapy is an alternative treatment, often used by osteopaths and chiropractors, that utilizes light touch to subtly manipulate joints in the skull and sacrum to relieve tension and improve the functioning of the central nervous system.
There have been no studies on craniosacral therapy and snoring, but some people think that it may help, in part, by alleviating sinus issues and promoting proper mucus flow.
Try a facial steam bowl before bed.
If you get the occasional cold or seasonal allergies (which some people deal with all year long), you're probably congested and experiencing a fair amount of throat and nasal inflammation. This, in turn, can lead to loud mouth breathing and snoring.
One super-soothing way to clear out your sinuses and breathe easier is by treating yourself to a facial steam.
Right before bed, fill a large bowl with hot water and a few drops of peppermint essential oil. (The menthol in peppermint will help further soothe congestion3.) Drop your head over the steam and breathe in, with a towel behind you to lock in the moisture. Taking a steamy shower can have a similar effect.
Use a humidifier.
Dry air contributes to snoring by exacerbating the congestion you may be experiencing from allergies or a cold. That's why some experts recommend using a humidifier to keep your throat and nasal passages moist and clear. (It's also a great way to prevent dry winter skin!)
To ramp up the decongestant benefit, you can simultaneously diffuse peppermint essential oil with an essential oil diffuser while you sleep.
Try a nasal strip.
If snoring is due to a structural abnormality in your nose such as a deviated septum or nasal congestion, a nasal strip might do the trick. These simple, over-the-counter strips help lift nasal passages and open them up, allowing for easier airflow, which reduces snoring.
Stay hydrated.
If you snore, you'll want to sip on plenty of water or herbal tea throughout the day to ensure you're well-hydrated.
Dehydration causes your mouth and nasal passages to become dry, which sets you up for snoring, along with a sore throat. Not drinking enough liquids can also cause mucus in the throat to thicken, which can further contribute to snoring.
Avoid alcohol and big meals right before bed.
Having a late-night drink has not only been shown to mess with sleep quality, but research4 on over 1,000 people suggests that it contributes to snoring and sleep-disordered breathing, too.
Alcohol relaxes you, which sounds like a good thing, but when it happens to the muscles in your throat and tongue, they become "floppier," which worsens snoring.
Many experts also advise against eating big meals shortly before bedtime, since a full stomach can push against your diaphragm and impair breathing, leading to snoring and making it harder to fall asleep.
Head to bed earlier.
Sleepiness can relax your throat and tongue muscles, much like alcohol, and set you up for snoring. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night, but preferably closer to eight or nine, to keep snoring in check. If you have trouble turning in earlier, try introducing a relaxing sleep supplement to your routine.*
Tried everything? Here's when should you ask your doctor about professional snoring treatments.
Serious cases of snoring caused by issues that can't be easily remedied at home—like sleep apnea or structural abnormalities in the soft palate—require a visit to a sleep specialist or ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor to determine the proper course of treatment.
If you do make your way to a sleep specialist, it might be worth your while to ask for a sleep study in order to determine if you have sleep apnea.
Some chronic snorers will need mouthpieces called oral appliances to keep air passages open and prevent snoring, while those with sleep apnea may need to wear a pressurized air mask called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
The bottom line.
Occasional snoring can be annoying, but these few tried-and-true tips may help you get through the night with more ease. Some are incredibly simple and fast-acting (say, changing sleep position) while others take a bit more dedication before you'll notice results. Try a few, perhaps while monitoring your snoring status with an app, to see what works best for you.
Stephanie Eckelkamp is a writer and editor who has been working for leading health publications for the past 10 years. She received her B.S. in journalism from Syracuse University with a minor in nutrition. In addition to contributing to mindbodygreen, she has written for Women's Health, Prevention, and Health. She is also a certified holistic health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She has a passion for natural, toxin-free living, particularly when it comes to managing issues like anxiety and chronic Lyme disease (read about how she personally overcame Lyme disease here).