How to stop snoring: causes, simple habits and when to see a doctor

How to stop snoring? Simple steps help most often: sleep on your side, don't drink alcohol in the evening, keep an eye on your weight and keep your nose clear (NHS). But if the snoring is loud, with pauses in breathing and severe daytime sleepiness, that's a reason to talk to a doctor, not just to change your habits.

Snoring is familiar to a lot of people — both those who snore and those who lie next to them. The good news: in many cases it can be noticeably reduced without complicated measures.

What is snoring and where does it come from?

Snoring is the sound of the soft tissues of the throat vibrating as air passes through a narrowed airway. During sleep the muscles relax, the passage gets narrower, and the tissues start to "flutter" as you breathe in.

The narrower the airway and the stronger the airflow, the louder the sound. That's why the same person may not snore every night: a lot depends on position, fatigue and what happened in the evening.

Is snoring normal or a reason for concern?

Snoring is common, especially with age, and on its own it doesn't mean you're ill. What matters is how you feel during the day and whether the people close to you notice pauses in your breathing.

If you wake up rested, don't nod off during the day, and snore only occasionally — for example, when you have a cold or after a big celebration — working on your habits is probably enough. But if your snoring has gotten louder, started recently or comes with fatigue, it's better not to put off talking to a doctor.

Snoring affects relationships too: a partner who wakes up at night eventually starts losing sleep as well. So caring about quiet sleep means caring for two.

What are the causes of snoring?

The causes of snoring usually add up from several factors. Specialists list excess weight, alcohol, smoking, sleeping on your back and nasal problems among them (Mayo Clinic).

• **Position.** On your back, the tongue and soft palate fall back and narrow the airway.
• **Alcohol in the evening.** It relaxes the throat muscles even more.
• **Excess weight.** Extra tissue around the neck narrows the airway.
• **Stuffy nose.** A cold, allergies or dry air force you to breathe through your mouth.
• **Smoking.** It irritates the lining of the nose and throat.
• **Severe fatigue and sleep loss.** The muscles relax more deeply during sleep.

Anatomy plays a role too: snoring is more common in men, and with age the throat muscles lose tone.

How to stop snoring: what can you do yourself?

Start with habits that remove the most common snoring "amplifiers." Give them two or three weeks — and ask your partner to note whether things have gotten quieter.

• **Sleep on your side.** A long pillow along your back helps keep you from rolling over at night.
• **Don't drink alcohol for a few hours before bed.** This is especially important on weekends, when snoring often gets worse.
• **Watch your weight.** For many people, even a small loss makes snoring quieter.
• **Keep your nose clear.** Rinse your nose with saline, air out and humidify your bedroom — more on this in our article "Dry air at home".
• **Don't eat a big meal late at night.** We explain how to balance dinner and sleep in our article "Late dinner and sleep".
• **Get enough sleep.** A steady routine is the foundation of good sleep.

If you take sleeping pills or sedatives as prescribed, don't stop them on your own — but ask your doctor whether they might be making your snoring worse.

Snoring and sleep apnea: when to see a doctor?

Ordinary snoring is a nuisance but usually harmless. Be alert if the snoring is loud and comes with pauses in breathing, gasping or a choking feeling — these are possible signs of sleep apnea (NHLBI).

Other signs worth telling your doctor about:

• severe daytime sleepiness, even after a full night;
• morning headaches and a dry mouth;
• trouble concentrating and growing irritability;
• falling asleep at the wheel or in front of a screen.

Constant fatigue with no clear cause is also worth looking into — we've gathered what to check first in our article "Constant fatigue".

What to do if snoring bothers your partner?

While you work on your habits, it's important that you both get enough sleep. Earplugs for the person sleeping next to you and agreeing to go to bed at different times can help.

Some couples move to separate rooms for a while — and that's not about growing apart, it's about rest. How to do it without hurt feelings is covered in our article "Sleeping apart". And calm evening rituals help you both fall asleep faster.