Because snoring affects over 100 million Americans, people ask me all the time what they should do for their snoring—or for their loved ones who snore. While I am available for a formal evaluations, whether contacting me for an appointment or video consultation, there are some basic first steps one can take.
To know where to start, you first need to collect more information. Ask the same questions I ask on my new patient questionnaire. Those who complain about your snoring should have plenty of information for you. How often and how loud is the snoring? Is there any choking or gasping for air? Does anything make the snoring better or worse, whether sleeping on your back, drinking alcohol within 3 hours before going to bed, recent changes in body weight, being especially tired, or blockage in breathing through the nose?
Although people often joke about snoring and the challenges of getting a good night’s sleep next to someone who does, it can be the sign of a more-serious medical condition called obstructive sleep apnea. The entries on this blog should never be considered medical advice, so you should see a medical provider in person if there are any warning signs of sleep apnea. This includes frequent choking or gasping for air while asleep; loud snoring that wakes up others and does not clear up with some of the basic steps outlined here; or poor sleep quality that can cause sleepiness or fatigue. You should also see a medical provider if you have significant medical concerns, such high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes.
With that in mind, here are some options that can stop your snoring:
1. Sleep on your side or stomach instead of on your back. Sleeping on your back worsens snoring and breathing at night for many people, and someone else can tell you if the snoring occurs only when sleeping on your back. If you want to sleep on your side but are unable to stay in that position, there is a silly trick involving a T-shirt and tennis balls that can minimize the amount of time you spend on your back.
2. Avoid alcohol within 3 hours before bedtime. Think of sleeping as somewhat like driving. You want the alcohol to clear out of your system before you go to bed, as alcohol has a number of negative effects on snoring and sleep.
3. Avoid most sleeping pills, including many over-the-counter antihistamines. Many sleeping pills relax muscles and have negative effects on snoring and sleep, similar to alcohol. The antihistamine diphenhydramine (the generic name for Benadryl) is an active ingredient in many over-the-counter medications (like Tylenol PM) and can have the same negative effects on sleep, surprisingly. Not all sleep aids worsen snoring and sleep quality, but it is good to ask your medical provider if you are not sure.
4. Lose weight. This is especially important if your snoring started or worsened substantially with weight gain. Of course, losing weight is always easier said than done, so for people who have been unable to lose weight easily, I tell them to continue trying but also discuss other treatments.
5. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Snoring tends to be worse when people are tired, generally because people are trying to get more deep sleep, where the muscles in your body are more relaxed. This leads to more snoring or blockage of breathing during sleep (the issue with sleep apnea). If you are able to get 7-8 hours of sleep on a typical night, your snoring should improve.
6. Make sure your pillows are helping you—or at least not hurting you. There is no special pillow to buy to end snoring, as you really just want a pillow that is comfortable. The one thing to think about is that the way your head rests when you sleep can matter. An excellent Australian study showed that tilting the head forward (chin towards the chest) worsens breathing patterns and that tilting the head backwards has the opposite effect. Pillows advertised as “snore pillows” tilt the head backwards and can improve snoring in some people, but there is no reason to buy these if you can use your own pillows properly. The bottom line: using large or too many pillows may be soft for your head but bad for snoring and breathing patterns. Make sure your pillow keeps your head tilted slightly backwards or in a neutral position.
7. Sleep with your head elevated. Some people notice major benefits to sleep in a recliner, on a foam wedge, or even with a few pillows arranged to form an incline similar to a wedge. However, this is often not comfortable or practical as a long-term solution.
8. Avoid dehydration. Dehydration leads to thickened mucus in the mouth and throat, which can cause the surfaces inside to stick together and cause or worsen snoring. Snoring sprays, which do not work for most patients, are mainly oils that reduce this tendency for sticking together. Drinking enough fluids during the day can reduce snoring in people who are dehydrated, although I do not recommend drinking a large amount right before bedtime because you will wake up from sleep to use the bathroom.
9. (Be able to) breathe through your nose. Mouth breathing worsens snoring and breathing patterns during the night. Often mouth breathers simply cannot breathe through their nose, so it is important to open the nasal passages. Common causes of blocked nasal breathing include allergies, a deviated septum, and enlarged inferior turbinates, all of which require evaluation by a medical provider to discuss treatment. However, there are two causes that patients can treat themselves, discussed below.
10. Stop smoking. Studies show that smokers are more likely to quit smoking if their medical provider tells them to do so. So if you smoke, stop. It will be the best thing you do for your health. Smoking causes irritation of the lining of the nose and throat, and quitting can reduce your snoring—or eliminate it entirely.
11. Watch the outside of your nose while breathing. Some people have substantial collapse of the sides of their nose when they breathe. In my office, I start to examine the nose by watching my patients breathe, and you can do the same at home by watching yourself in the mirror. People with marked collapse can respond well to external nasal dilator strips (the most common ones are Breathe Right strips).
12. Discuss evaluation and treatment with a medical provider. An appointment can help determine which of these makes the most sense for you or whether other evaluations are appropriate, such as a sleep study to test for obstructive sleep apnea. We can also discuss appropriate treatment options from among the wide range of medical and surgical options. For more information about snoring, sleep apnea, and treatment options, please feel free to contact me via e-mail, find information on a video consultation or scheduling an appointment, or review the information available on www.sleep-doctor.com.
Santa Monica Office
Beverly Hills Office
(424) 259-6559 Santa Monica
micheljohn331 says:
Thanks to share these 12 tips with us.these are the reason for snoring like smoking,go to a bed after dinner,cold,overweight etc.use a effective way to prevent from snoring.
Deborah Wardly, MD says:
but what can be done about the crutch reflex? I am still stumped by this one.
Dr. Deb
Steven Wu says:
Hi, Eric:
I am Steven from Taiwan. This is really good and simple suggestion to improve snoring.
Finn Stewart says:
My wife is a big snorer and we are trying to find a way for her to stop. That’s why I appreciate how you suggest to make sure your pillows are helping you and make sure your head is in the right position when you sleep. I think eventually, we might have to resort to seeing a doctor or getting surgery because that is a long lasting solution to her problems.
Dr. Kezirian says:
Please let me know if you would like to come see me.
Anthony Gore says:
I snore even in a chair
Shell says:
This is going to sound weird, but over the last month or so my wife says I’ve gone from snoring to sounding like I’m on a vent at night. She recorded it to let me hear it and that’s exactly what it sounds like. She loses sleep from worrying that I will stop breathing. What is this caused by and how can I fix it? I can’t find anything online about ventilator type breathing. Also, I’m a little tachometer at night. Any help would be appreciated.
Dr. Kezirian says:
My sense is that you should see a medical provider for a formal evaluation.
Dayna says:
Hi dr k,
Are you still seeing patients?
Thanks,
Dayna
Dr. Kezirian says:
I am still seeing patients. We start with telemedicine visits and schedule in-person visits when needed and appropriate.
Joe w says:
My girlfriend snores often, every night… She complains of being too tired. Maybe I’m working too late or maybe we should hire a babysitter we can’t afford. I don’t know. I’m definitely losing sleep and we are arguing because of it. I love her but I need sleep too…
Dr. Kezirian says:
You are not alone in worrying about your girlfriend’s sleep and your own. She can try some of the basic things I list on this post. If they do not work, she can speak with her doctor about the possibility of obstructive sleep apnea.
Dawn says:
Wow- no I know why I’m snoring, not from my nose, but the back of my throat. It feels inflamed, thick, stuck together…… tried nasal washes, nasal allergy sprays, oral allergy pills, all before bedtime to help my hunny sleep through my “newly noticed snoring”.
I did the flatter pillow- no help, just a stiffer neck through the day.
But you mentioned DEHYDRATION!!
I just got a call on my lab work- they said
I’m dehydrated- checking my kidneys now!
But I’m on a new medication linzess—-this is when it all started!
Also on a PPI dexilant- like nexium and Prilosec.
Both of these cause dehydration!!
You have solved the missing pieces to my puzzle—- thank you !!
Now I just need to change some diet so I can try and not be on these things!!
Thank you !!
Dr. Kezirian says:
I am so glad it turned out to be something simple for you.
BARRY WOLF says:
I have noticed I started to snore about a year ago. Age 66. Pretty healthy and fit. I dont drink booze before bed. I dont think I an dehydrated. I wear a nose strip and spray saline before bed. I am thinking it might be the angle of my neck or head.
Thoughts??
Dr. Kezirian says:
The only way to know is to experiment with changing these (within reason) and to see if the snoring improves. Good luck.
Lisa ann says:
I’m 34, not overweight and I’ve been snoring badly for the last 18 months. It’s ruining my partners sleep – a few months back I was revived by the doctor and got a mandabular device fitted for sleeping with, but it makes little difference apparently. When he wakes me up to stop sleeping I get rushes of anxiety which now doesn’t help me. And I think we’re stuck in a closed loop! What should I be looking at next to do – as the doctors never mentioned operating as a suggestion, should I go back and ask or is there anything else I can look at? Any advice welcome!
Dr. Kezirian says:
It sounds like you may not yet have had a sleep study. That is generally the first step. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, the first approach is often positive airway pressure therapy, especially if the conservative approaches do not clear things up. Not counting the conservative approaches, surgery can be a second-line approach for obstructive sleep apnea and a first-line approach for snoring. If the non-surgical approaches have not worked, you should see a sleep surgeon.
Whitney says:
I snore extremely loud and wake my fiancee up on a nightly basis, every single night for the last year and a half straight. I am not overweight, been told I do not have sleep apnea. I wear an anti snoring chin strap and sit up as much as I can handle every single night, neither seems to matter. I snore regardless of anything I am trying. I am in DESPERATE help and do not know where to turn next. I have a mouth guard on order and am praying that combined with the chin strap and sitting up to sleep, that it will be the miracle we desperately desperately need. In need of serious help, thank you!
Elvin says:
I’m 40 & overweight. I’ve been trying to reduce weight, now in my 2nd month. I also experienced that I bit my tongue in my sleep and it hurts the next day. Any suggestions to avoid biting the tongue during sleep? Thank you.
Dr. Kezirian says:
No obvious solutions, unfortunately.
Pamela Enos says:
I snore that loud I actually wake myself up