How to Reduce or Eliminate Snoring
We’ve all been there: You’re snug in bed, about to drift off, only to be jolted awake by a loud, persistent sound from the other side of the bed.
Snoring is common, with about 40% of men and 30% of women snoring some nights. It can be linked to health risks for the snorer, but also disrupts sleep for their partner.
When chronic snorers seek a doctor’s help, it’s often at their partner’s urging, says Dr. Megan Durr, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco. “I see many patients ending up in separate bedrooms from their partners, impacting their relationship and quality of life,” Durr says.
The good news is that experts say people can take steps to reduce or eliminate snoring, ranging from lifestyle changes to surgery in extreme cases.
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Watch the scale, hold the wine
When we sleep, the throat muscles relax. Some people, like those who are older or overweight, have tissue that relaxes too much, or have excess throat tissue. This causes their airway to narrow during sleep. Breathing through this narrow airway creates vibrations that make snoring sounds. While harmless in some cases, snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea, a serious condition. Doctors recommend seeing a sleep medicine specialist if you’re concerned.
Snoring becomes more common with age. If someone is overweight or has had alcohol, snoring gets worse, says Dr. Michael Howell, director of sleep medicine at the University of Minnesota.
Overweight or obese people have more pressure on their airway due to extra weight, worsening snoring. Losing weight is often the first step doctors suggest because it can be highly effective, says Howell. “Even 5 or 10 pounds can make a difference,” he says.
Avoiding alcohol is another potential solution. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles, “worsening sleep apnea and snoring,” says Dr. Virginia Skiba, a sleep medicine physician at Henry Ford Health.
Change your sleep position
If your partner snores, helping them sleep on their front or side can be effective. Sleeping on your back, especially flat, worsens snoring, Skiba says. Some people find success with foam wedges or pillows to prevent rolling onto their back. Elevating your head with pillows can also help.
While there are sleep vests and other products to prevent back-sleeping, Durr has a DIY solution. She advises finding a T-shirt with a front pocket, placing a tennis ball inside, and securing it with a safety pin. The snorer wears the shirt backwards during sleep, preventing them from rolling onto their back.
“The ball pokes you in the back and shifts you to your side,” she says. “It hopefully won’t wake your partner up.”
Durr says people can try other options before separate bedrooms, such as white noise machines or earplugs.
“But a lot of this falls on the snorer,” she says. “They end up bearing the brunt of fixing it for their partner.”
CPAP and surgery
In some cases, snoring is a sign of sleep apnea, where people momentarily stop breathing while sleeping. This can lead to fatigue, irritability, and increased risk of health problems like cardiovascular disease over time.
To determine if someone has sleep apnea, a sleep study is needed. This monitors breathing, heart rate, oxygen levels, and other measures overnight. Sleep studies are usually done in a clinic, but can be done at home. Howell says a diagnosis isn’t necessary to start CPAP or other therapies, but it’s important for doctors and patients to know if snoring is caused by sleep apnea. “Sleep apnea is hugely underdiagnosed,” he says.
Several treatments exist for sleep apnea. One common recommendation is an orthodontic device called a mandibular advancement device, which helps prop open the airway during sleep, according to Howell.
A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is another treatment that effectively cures snoring by keeping the airway open, says Durr. But it can be difficult for some people and their partners to adjust to. CPAP machines are noisy and some find the masks uncomfortable or wake up with dry mouth.
While rare, some patients with severe snoring problems who haven’t responded to other treatments may need surgery. This could involve removing tissue from the back of the throat, says Durr. But she says most people can find relief through lifestyle changes.
“The vast majority of people will get the snoring volume to an acceptable level for themselves and their partner by making lifestyle changes,” she says.