- Weight Loss: If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight can help reduce snoring by decreasing the amount of tissue in the throat that might be causing your snoring.
- Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives: These substances can relax the muscles in your throat, causing you to snore.
- Quit Smoking: Smoking can irritate the membranes in the nose and throat which can block the airways and cause snoring.
- Regular Exercise: Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce snoring.
- Sleeping Position: Try to sleep on your side rather than your back. Sleeping on your back can cause the tongue to fall backward into your throat, narrowing your airway and partially obstructing airflow.
Medical treatments and devices:
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): This is a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask while you sleep. The pressure is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing snoring and sleep apnea.
- Oral Appliances: Dental devices, oral appliances, and lower jaw-positioners often help by bringing your lower jaw forward during sleep. They are a common treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
- Nasal Strips or External Nasal Dilator: Adhesive strips applied to your nose could help increase the area of your nasal passage and enhance your breathing.
- Surgery: Procedures such as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), tonsillectomy, and adenoidectomy, increase the size of your airway by surgically removing tissues or correcting abnormalities.