How to Stop Snoring: 11 of the Best Ways to Stop Snoring Naturally

There are certain sleeping positions that are more prone to snoring than others. For example, if you sleep on your back, it can allow for the tongue to fall backwards and potentially obstruct part of your airflow – causing you to snore. Sleeping on your side instead will allow the airflow to improve, reducing the chance of snoring. If you struggle to stay in one place as you sleep, wedge pillows behind your back to provide comfort and keep your body in a side position.

Top tip: Remember, if you aren’t a snorer, then sleeping on your back is one of the best sleeping positions for maintaining good posture!

When you breathe through an unblocked nose, you are less likely to snore than if you breathe through your mouth. If you are suffering from a cold, then make sure you attempt to open your nasal passages before bed by blowing your nose or having a hot shower. Or, if you are finding this difficult as you suffer with allergies, we suggest seeing your doctor or pharmacist for more information as there are several over-the-counter medications that can help.

One of the many functions of an adjustable bed is to raise your head to a comfortable position, helping to open your airways. Elevating your head on an adjustable bed will help to reduce the pressure on your throat muscles, thus reducing snoring.

Some designs even have the benefit of rising on one side rather than both – ideal if your partner snores and you don’t, or even if one of you like to sit up reading when the other goes to sleep. An alternative to an adjustable bed can be to prop yourself up with a few pillows to elevate your head around 4 inches.

Keeping fit is a good idea for many reasons – but did you know it can also help to tone the muscles in your throat which can help you to stop snoring? This is because there is less fatty tissue pressing on your airways, enabling air to flow more freely whilst you rest.

Exercise will also help with losing weight, which is beneficial as being overweight by just a few kilos can increase the likelihood of snoring to occur. Plus, people with obesity are also more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea.

Top tip: Make sure to approach weight loss in a healthy way. Crash diets can be dangerous – it’s much better to incorporate physical activity into your life in a positive way!

Anything that relaxes the nasal airway muscles before you sleep can cause snoring. Alcohol, for example, may encourage the muscles to loosen at the back of your throat and collapse whilst you breathe. So, if you’re looking for how to stop snoring immediately, try a non-alcoholic drink instead. Opt for a glass of water before bed and make sure you stay well hydrated to avoid sticky and/or dry airways.

Excess mucus is known to cause nasal congestion. Whilst there are many factors that can produce too much mucus, research shows that for some, dairy could be one of them. Decreasing the amount of milk and cheese you consume before bed could help reduce snoring.

Try quitting or cutting down on smoking. The smoke from cigarettes irritates the lining in your nose and throat, increasing the likeliness of suffering from nasal congestion. This causes your throat to swell and produce catarrh – thus decreasing the airflow and making snoring more likely.

Avoiding smoking will also reward you with many other health benefits and lifestyle improvements. Of course, snoring is one of the more minor problems associated with smoking cigarettes as they cause nearly one third of coronary heart disease deaths and 90% of lung cancer cases in the US and take an average of 10 years off the lifespan of each smoker.

Good sleeping habits are essential to reduce the chances of snoring. If you are not getting enough sleep, when you do sleep, you will sleep very deeply and your muscles will become much more relaxed – resulting in snoring.

Top tip: Try asking a doctor about how many hours you should be sleeping for to help you with building your routine.

Dry air in your bedroom can irritate the membranes in the nose and throat. If swollen nasal tissues are what’s causing you or your partner to snore, a humidifier may be able to keep the air in your bedroom at the right level.

A humidifier not for you? No problem, a houseplant could be the answer. Houseplants are renowned for their ability to improve air quality and of course they look great too.

Frequently changing your pillows can also help to prevent dusty air from landing where you sleep and ending up in your airway. In addition to this, it’s important to consider your pet’s effect on the air quality in your bedroom and to be careful with how much fur gets near your pillows.

If the more natural anti-snoring remedies don’t seem to be doing the trick, there are several over-the-counter treatments you can try. These include nasal strips, throat sprays and devices which reposition your jaw to improve airflow. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist for advice.

Clinically known as ‘oropharyngeal exercises’, repeatedly moving your tongue and parts of your mouth in ways that strengthen the muscles in the tongue, soft palate and throat can help to effectively reduce snoring. In one study, three months of mouth exercises led to a 59% reduction in snoring.

So, there you have it! If we can leave with you some final words of advice, it would be to try testing one method at a time for a couple of weeks; you can always mix them together once you learn what works.

Snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnoea which can lead to heart disease or breathing problems. There are many ways to treat sleep apnoea yourself, but if your snoring continues to hinder you, we recommend making an appointment with your doctor to discuss medical options on how to stop snoring immediately.