Is There An Effective At Home Stop Snoring Remedy?
One of the most common questions I get from patients who have found me through the internet is, "Is there an effective Stop Snoring Remedy?" In particular, they are usually interested in whether there is an AT HOME stop snoring remedy. Believe it or not, there are actually a few stop snoring remedies that actually work, in some cases. However, I will caution that none of these are considered effective treatments for sleep apnea except in the most mild cases. Thus, before applying any at home stop snoring remedy it is important to be evaluated for sleep apnea.
There are four types of at home stop snoring remedies that I will describe below. Some of these require very little money. Some will require a trip to your local pharmacy or grocery store. Most of these will only work for mild cases of snoring.
The first and most obvious stop snoring remedy is nasal strips. The most common brand is Breathe Right Strips. These help by "tenting" the nasal airway open. If your snoring is primarily coming from your outer nose, these can help.
The second at home stop snoring remedy is the classic, tennis-ball-in-the-back-of-a-shirt. This has been a home remedy for snoring for many years. It works through the principle of positional therapy: when someone rolls onto their side, the snoring often improves. So if you put a tennis ball in the back of a t-shirt, usually holding it in place with a rubber band, it will remind the snorer to roll onto their side if they try to roll onto their back. This only works for people whose snoring is worse on their back.
A third stop snoring remedy is avoiding alcohol at bedtime. Alcohol relaxes the throat muscles leading to worsening of snoring and sleep apnea. If your snoring has become worse since you increased your alcohol intake - cut back. If you think you have an alcohol problem - go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
The fourth and final at home stop snoring remedy is weight loss. Weight gain makes snoring and sleep apnea worse. So if your snoring has worsened since you gained some weight, losing weight may help.
Again, I cannot stress enough that these stop snoring remedies are not an appropriate treatment for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes. And since almost 1/3 of snorers have sleep apnea, it is important that you make an appointment with a sleep physician to determine whether you have sleep apnea.
Disclaimer: As with all the content on this site, this article is to be viewed as educational only. In no way should this be construed as medical advice. If you are concerned that you might have a sleep disorder, make an appointment with a sleep physician for proper advice.
