Want to stop snoring? Discover what causes snoring and remedies for relief support.

If you’ve ever snored so loudly you’ve woken yourself up or if your partner’s snoring has kept you awake, you’re not alone. An estimated 45 percent of adults snore sometimes and 25 percent snore regularly.¹

What is snoring? “It’s the noise made by turbulent airflow that can occur while we are asleep,” says sleep scientist Joseph M. Dzierzewski, PhD, vice president of Research and Scientific Affairs at the National Sleep Foundation.² If air flowing through the relaxed muscles of the throat gets partially blocked, it can cause the tissue to vibrate and make a noise.

Not sure why you snore or how to go about stopping it? It helps to understand the causes of snoring, common symptoms and how lifestyle plays a role. Read on to learn more about over-the-counter (OTC) products and when to consult a health care provider.

In this article

• Why do people snore?
• Is snoring bad?
• How to prevent snoring
• Should I be concerned about my snoring? When to seek medical advice.

Why do people snore?

Many factors, both external and internal, can cause you to snore:

• Age. As humans get older, muscle tone decreases, which can cause airways to narrow.³
• Alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol can relax your throat muscles, making you more prone to snoring.⁴
• Congestion. Stuffy nose? Nasal congestion caused by allergies, a sinus infection or a virus, can also obstruct airways.⁵
• Obstructive sleep apnea. “Snoring loud enough or sustained enough to bother a bed partner may indicate obstructive sleep apnea, when breathing decreases or stops,” says Kin Yuen, MD, MS, a spokesperson for the American Board of Sleep Medicine.⁶ You or your partner may also notice you’re gasping for air periodically.
• Oral cavity anatomy. Snoring can also be influenced by the airway’s shape. For example, a low, thick soft palate that narrows the airway; a uvula (the piece of tissue that hangs in the back of the throat) that is elongated; or extra tissues in the back of the throat.⁷
• Physical conditions. Treatable conditions like a deviated septum (where the wall between nasal passages is crooked) and nasal polyps (benign growths in the nose) can both trigger snoring.⁸
• Sleep position. People tend to snore more when they lie on their backs. This position of the head and neck can contract the airways.⁹
• Weight. Having excess weight can put pressure on the breathing passages, narrowing them and restricting air flow.¹⁰

Is snoring bad?

Mild or occasional snoring usually isn’t a cause for concern, especially if you can attribute the cause to something situational, like sleep position or nasal congestion. “A snore with a common cold will generally resolve when the congestion and mouth breathing stops,” Dr. Yuen explains.

Chronic snoring, on the other hand, could be a sign of a serious underlying health condition.¹¹ That might include being overweight, a deviated septum, nasal polyps or sleep apnea.¹²

Chronic snoring that severely impacts sleep could also lead to fatigue and difficulty concentrating. It can also lead to an increased risk of health conditions like high blood pressure, heart attack, hypoxia (decreased blood oxygen levels) stroke and type 2 diabetes.¹³

How to prevent snoring

There are a few ways you can help manage snoring on your own. They may include making certain lifestyle changes and using over-the-counter (OTC) products that can help you sleep more comfortably. 

How to stop snoring naturally

“Lifestyle changes can help reduce or minimize snoring,” Dr. Yuen says. “Though, if your snoring is related to a structural problem, such as a deviated septum, lifestyle changes are unlikely to resolve it altogether.”

Similarly, if you think you may have obstructive sleep apnea, seek medical advice from your health care provider. It can’t be treated with lifestyle changes or OTC devices.

If you want to try managing your snoring naturally at home, these ideas may help:

• Cut down on drinking alcohol, especially before bed.
• Lose weight to reduce the size of adipose tissue around the inner neck and base of the tongue.
• Sleep on your side or stomach, not your back.
• Sleep with the neck in a neutral position (rather than extended or overly flexed) to keep airways open. 

Over-the-counter (OTC) anti-snoring devices and snoring aids

There are also several OTC sleep and snoring aids available that may help. They may include mouth guards and nasal strips for keeping airways open. Humidifiers, medicines and nasal sprays may also help.

In general, you should always consult a health care provider before trying anything new. Review individual product labels for intended use and safety information.

Helpful products include the following:

• Humidifiers. Adding moisture to your sleep environment could help ease some of the symptoms of a dry or irritated nose and throat.
  
• Mouth guards. Most mouth guards push the jaw forward to open up the airway. Some even grip the tongue to keep it from falling into the throat, which can also cause snoring.¹⁴
• Nasal strips. These are flexible strips that bend and stick to the bridge of the nose. “Depending on the underlying susceptibility to snoring, over-the-counter nasal strips can help expand the width of the nasal passages that are narrow and may provide some relief,” Dr. Yuen says.
• Pillows and neck support. Certain pillows can help position the body in ways that may reduce airway compression. These pillows lift the upper body and keep the head and shoulders in alignment while sleeping on your back or sides. The core of a pillow, firmness, shape retention and support level can all be factors in keeping airways as open as possible.¹⁵

Should I be concerned about my snoring? When to seek medical advice.

If your snoring is accompanied by choking or gasping sounds, daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, memory problems, morning headaches or pauses in breathing, it’s best to talk with a health care provider.¹⁶ “They can evaluate your symptoms, examine the anatomy of your mouth and may order a sleep test,” Dr. Dzierzewski says.

While visiting a health care provider, they may recommend one of the following:

BiPAP machine

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your health care provider will discuss treatment options with you. One option may be a bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine, which helps you breathe.¹⁷

Imaging tests

Your health care provider may schedule a computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or an X-ray so they can examine the anatomy of your mouth and airways. These images could reveal a deviated septum or other physical issues that are causing your snoring.¹⁸

Sleep study for snoring

A sleep study can be done at home or in a laboratory setting, depending on what your doctor recommends. During the sleep study, you’ll be monitored for arm and leg movements, brain wave activity, breathing patterns, heart rate, sleep cycles and oxygen levels. These data points will give your health care provider a better idea of whether you have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea.¹⁹