Buying Guide
Snore No More: The Best Anti-Snoring Products for a Quiet Night’s Sleep
From high-tech gadgets to simple accessories you can wear, this gear helps put your snoring problems on snooze
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Whether you share a bed with someone who snores, or you are the person doing the snoring, you know how detrimental it can be to your sleep. Aside from waking up the next morning feeling less than perfect, consistent disruption to our sleep cycle can have damaging effects on our overall health ranging from annoying (increased stress levels) to more severe (mood disorders, cognitive impairment).
According to Yale Medicine, as many as 90 million Americans have reported snoring at some point while 37 million say they snore on a consistent basis. Unfortunately the reasons behind why you or your loved one snores may vary; before you can get a handle on snoring, it’s important to understand what it is and the different conditions that could be the culprit behind why it’s happening. Here’s what you need to know, plus the best anti-snoring products to consider for a better night’s sleep.
In This Article
What Is Snoring, and Why Do We Do It?
How to Treat Snoring
The Best Anti-Snoring Products
What Is Snoring, and Why Do We Do It?
Even if you’re not able to scientifically define snoring, you could probably identify it by sound alone; while the exact way someone snores can vary by person, it generally sounds like a cross between a snort and a growl or a whistle. But what is it exactly?
“Snoring is caused by vibration of the soft tissues of the upper airway during inward breathing while we’re sleeping,” explains Marc M. Seelagy, M.D., who is board-certified in sleep medicine. “There’s resistance to airflow through the nose and throat as air passes through to the lungs occurs during sleep, when muscle tone relaxes and areas of the upper airway become softer and collapse; this narrows the air passageway. As air flows through this narrow passageway during breathing, it accelerates and that increased flow causes turbulence and that turbulence causes vibration and fluttering of the airway creating the noise of snoring.”
As we previously mentioned, there are a variety of factors that could contribute to snoring including anatomic variations in one’s jaw or tongue size and shape, the presence of tonsils, or excess throat tissue as a result of obesity; congestion and having narrow nasal passages can also exacerbate snoring. While there isn’t a genetic predisposition to inheriting snoring from your parents like with hemophilia or muscular dystrophy, Dr. Seelagy says that it is common to see snoring in families.
“This is because families typically share similar facial features and anatomic characteristics that may contribute to the increased collapse or narrowing of the air passageway,” he explains. “In that regard there may be a family predisposition if children have similar physical characteristics to their parents.”
How to Treat Snoring
Though it can be irritating, on its face, snoring is not a serious medical condition. However, it is a bellweather for a more significant issue: obstructive sleep apnea.
“Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the collapse of the upper airway to an extent that it interferes with breathing,” Dr. Seelagy says, adding that this “interferes with sleep to an extent that it will lead to an individual sense of poor quality sleep, with frequent awakenings with gasping or choking.”
Despite a perception that they achieved an adequate night’s sleep, those suffering from sleep apnea typically wake up poorly rested, and experience sleepiness throughout the daytime. If left unchecked, Dr. Seelagy explains that this can potentially lead to cardiac complications like hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and cardiovascular disease, as well as poor diabetes control. It’s worth noting that while the majority of people with obstructive sleep apnea will snore throughout the night, not everyone that snores has obstructive sleep apnea.
So, what can be done to treat snoring? According to Dr. Seelagy, this is contingent on the cause behind why it’s happening.
“If snoring is anatomic, such as having a short jaw, relatively large tongue, or enlarged tonsils and adenoids, there is little that can be done to open the air passageway and reduce resistance to flow short of changing that anatomy,” he explains. “Treatment of nasal congestion with decongestants, antihistamines, and nasal steroids can decrease resistance to flow through the nasal passageways and may help reduce snoring.”
If you’re someone who believes they’re getting a good amount of sleep each night, but find yourself to be sluggish or drowsy throughout the day, you should consider a specialty evaluation for possible obstructive sleep apnea, according to Dr. Seelagy. Those suffering from cardiovascular disease with a tendency to snore heavily would also benefit from doing this.
Dr. Seelagy also suggests avoiding sedatives, like alcohol, before going to sleep, as this won’t allow the airway to collapse as easily, as well as lessen the intensity of any snoring that does happen. Additionally, avoiding certain sleeping positions (like laying on your back), and losing weight if your snoring is attributed to obesity, could help.
The bottom line: You may want to consult a sleep expert or medical professional to help you figure out how to prevent snoring at night, and to help you identify why you’re snoring in the first place.
The Best Anti-Snoring Products
In addition to making changes to your lifestyle, we picked some of the best anti-snoring products available that can help mitigate your snoring depending on what the root cause is (if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, these might not be as helpful). From nasal strips to body pillows, here are the best anti-snoring products to test out right now, from nasal strips to no-fuss chin straps.
BEST NASAL STRIP: Breathe Right Nasal Strips
BEST STRAP: Anti-Snore Chin Strap
BEST MOUTHPIECE: Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece
BEST HUMIDIFIER: Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
1. Breathe Right Nasal Strips
If your snoring is stemming from congestion, these nasal strips by Breathe Right could help open up your nasal passages. Not only are these incredibly easy to put on and take off without irritating your skin, but they’re infused with a gentle scent of lavender that can help relax you as you fall asleep. You can also use these as you need them; this can be an easy way to potentially improve how you’re sleeping without having make drastic changes.
Buy Breathe Right Nasal Strips $11.29
2. Anti-Snore Chin Strap
If your snoring isn’t due to nasal congestion, Vosaro’s adjustable anti-snore chin strap is another inexpensive option that could help; by keeping your mouth closed while you sleep, the excess air and disruptive grumble can’t make its way out. While you might think keeping your mouth closed through the night sounds uncomfortable, the chin strap is soft and fully adjustable so it can fit comfortably on your head without being extremely tight or too loose to work properly. If you suffer from sleep apnea, this won’t help on its own, but can be paired with a CPAP device.
Buy Anti-Snore Chin Strap $9.99
3. Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece
By gently pulling your jaw and tongue forward, this FDA-approved anti-snoring mouthpiece can help open the airway to help prevent snoring. It’s made from a high-quality plastic that is soft internally, but durable enough externally for support to adjust with the movement of your jaw and also feel comfortable while you’re wearing it. A traveling case is also included to make bringing it along with you on trips hassle-free.
4. Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
In addition to potentially waking up with chapped lips, an irritated throat, or nosebleeds, breathing dry air at night can dry out the membranes in your nasal passages and throat, which in turn can lead to snoring. This humidifier by Pure Enrichment is a no-hassle solution to add some moisture to your bedroom, with adjustable settings to meet your specific needs. The sleep setting makes this a particularly great choice for bedrooms. It emits a relaxing glow that will lull you to sleep and won’t keep you up, and runs as quiet as a whisper. Other features include its automatic shut-off function, a 360-degree mist nozzle, and an AC power adapter and disk cleaning brush are included.
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