How to Stop Snoring: 10 Effective Treatments (And When to See a Dentist)
Discover how to stop snoring with 10 potential treatments. From diet and lifestyle changes to mouth guards and sprays, find the best snoring solution for you.
Despite troubling sleepers for millennia, snoring shouldn’t be accepted as normal. As well as disrupting your sleep (and your partner’s), it can sometimes indicate an underlying condition such as obstructive sleep apnoea.
So, whether you’re trying to remedy it yourself or wondering how to stop your partner snoring, identifying the underlying cause is the first step towards finding a solution.
In this guide, we explain how to stop snoring, explore ten potential treatments and reveal when it may be time to speak to your dentist or GP.
10 treatments to stop snoring
- Sleep on your side
A fast and effective solution is to change your sleeping position. If you sleep on your back, it’s more likely for gravity to cause your tongue and surrounding soft tissues to sink, narrowing the airway that causes snoring.
Therefore, sleeping on your side gives you a better chance of opening your airway and reducing vibrations. However, it’s easier said than done. Often, when we’re asleep or drowsy, we can move back onto our backs or continue snoring even on our sides.
Side sleeping in what’s known as the provocative position can cause back pain. Try to adopt the fetal position or invest in specialist pillows, bed wedges or positional devices.
- Elevate your head
Put gravity to work by raising the head of your bed by four inches or sleeping on a wedge pillow. Elevating your head and upper body may help keep your airway open, making it easier to breathe and reducing snoring during the night.
Avoid simply stacking ordinary pillows, as this can bend your neck into an uncomfortable position without properly elevating your upper body.
- Maintain a healthy weight
Carrying excess weight around the neck will place additional pressure on the airway, making snoring more likely. Losing fatty tissue around the neck and upper airway should reduce pressure and keep your airways more open.
However, excessive weight may not be a cause of snoring. People of any weight can snore, so weight loss is not necessarily the right solution for everyone. But it’s a start and a good motivator nonetheless!
- Reduce alcohol before bed
While it’s nice to enjoy a drink in the evening and relax before bed, alcohol relaxes the muscles around your mouth and throat. When these muscles are relaxed, they narrow the airway, making snoring louder and more frequent.
Reducing alcohol intake is never a bad thing, especially before bed if you want to stop snoring.
- Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs)
A mandibular advancement device (MAD) works like a sports mouthguard, but stops you from snoring by gently pushing your lower jaw forward to keep your airway open.
MADs also reduce vibration by tightening your soft palate and generally improve breathing throughout the night by keeping air flowing smoothly.
A 5-year professional medical study revealed a 52% success rate for patients with mild, moderate, or severe obstructive sleep apnoea.
- Nasal strips or dilators
Sticking nasal strips across the bridge of your nose can help widen your nasal passages to improve airflow. Alternatively, internal nasal dilators sit inside the nostrils to help keep them open.
These treatments are for snoring that occurs in the nose, and probably won’t solve the issue if the snoring originates in the mouth or throat.
- Anti-snore sprays
Anti-snore sprays help lubricate and soothe soft tissues in the nose or throat to reduce vibration. Like other snoring treatments listed, their effectiveness depends on reducing vibrations rather than remedying obstructed airways or sleep apnoea.
- Saline rinses or sprays
Saline rinses and sprays help clear mucus, allergens and other irritants from the nasal passages. Using one before bed may relieve congestion, improve airflow through the nose and reduce the mouth breathing that can contribute to snoring.
Like nasal strips and dilators, saline treatments are most likely to help when snoring originates from restricted nasal airflow. Therefore, they’re unlikely to make much difference when the obstruction is within the mouth or throat.
- Set up a humidifier
Dry air can irritate the soft tissues in the nose and throat. By adding moisture to the air, a humidifier may make breathing more comfortable and reduce the dryness that can contribute to snoring.
Keep your humidifier clean and avoid making the room excessively humid, as this can encourage bacteria, mould and allergens.
- Stop smoking or vaping
Smoking irritates and inflames the tissues lining the nose and throat, restricting airflow and making snoring more likely. Vaping can also cause dryness and irritation, which may aggravate snoring in some people.
If you’re currently using a vape to help you stop smoking, seek professional support before changing your approach.
How to stop your partner snoring
If your partner snores, begin by identifying when it happens and what appears to make it worse. Notice when they snore more loudly, such as when sleeping on their back, after drinking alcohol or when experiencing nasal congestion.
Encourage them to try the relevant treatments above and seek professional advice if things don’t improve. If you notice pauses in their breathing, gasping, choking or significant daytime tiredness, then ask them to contact their GP.
Can a dentist help with snoring?
Because snoring is connected to your oral health, dentists can provide professional support for how to stop snoring. After assessing your teeth, gums, bite and jaw, they may recommend a custom-made MAD to move the lower jaw forwards and help keep the airway open.
A private dentist can also identify oral signs and risk factors associated with sleep-disordered breathing. However, they cannot diagnose every cause of snoring or confirm sleep apnoea through a dental examination alone. If sleep apnoea is suspected, you may be advised to speak to your GP or undergo a specialist sleep assessment.
Sleep apnoea is a common disorder characterised by erratic breathing at night. Failure to address sleep apnoea can cause more concerning health issues in the future, such as severe fatigue, high blood pressure, and heart risks.
Do dentists make mouth guards for snoring?
Yes, dentists make snore guards, known as Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs), as listed in our 10 snoring treatments. In one small study of 29 adults, a customised adjustable MAD successfully treated 77.7% of participants with obstructive sleep apnoea.
Standard appliances are available, but a custom MAD is designed around your teeth, bite and jaw. Professional fitting and ongoing monitoring can improve comfort and reduce the risk of side effects such as tooth discomfort, jaw pain and changes to your bite.
Learn how to stop snoring today
At Illume 360° Dental Care, we take a holistic approach to dentistry and oral health, including sleep apnoea and sleep therapy.
If you’d like to know how to stop snoring or have been diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnoea, our experienced dentists can provide custom-made dental appliances and sleep tests to help improve your breathing and reduce snoring while you sleep.
For more information about how a snore guard can support your sleep, get in touch with our Cheltenham dental practice today.
