At first, I didn’t believe him because we were sleeping in different rooms, separated by a long hallway. The next night he actually recorded it and played it for all the family to hear. Naturally, it was a bit embarrassing, but I thought there was nothing I can do about it. I didn’t even know you can affect, let alone stop snoring altogether.
And this is precisely the goal of our today’s article – we want to dig deep into the world of antisnoring devices and gauge their effectiveness. But we won’t stop there – we are going to cover the entire topic of snoring, why it happens, what causes it, and find out in what way it affects your overall health!
Table of Contents:
Why Do We Snore?
We snore because the air passing through our nose and our throats is obstructed for some reason. These obstructions cause the surrounding tissue to vibrate, producing that sweet snoring sound we all know and love.
Some people have more of this “floppy” tissue resulting in more frequent and more intense snoring, while others might snore but the sound is not nearly as annoying and loud.
Paying attention to the appearance and duration (consecutive nights) of snoring may be an early indicator of a medical problem – such as obstructive sleep apnea or sleep deprivation. For this reason, we always advise talking to a medical expert.
What Can Cause You To Suddenly Start Snoring?
A lot of factors can cause or contribute to snoring, and therefore it’s essential to pinpoint the exact one, so we can address it and eliminate it. The following list will consist of some of the most common causes of snoring; it is by no means a definitive list, but it should give you a solid foundation and a starting point:
- A weak throat – as we age, our muscle tone decreases. Our throat becomes weaker and starts to close during our sleep. Of course, there is nothing we can do about aging, but keeping yourself physically (and mentally) fit will safeguard your muscles and may help with your snoring. You can also do throat exercises, which we will cover later in the article.
- Tense jaw muscles – tense jaw muscles may lead to a mispositioned jaw. This new position of the jaw may interfere with the airflow and cause snoring.
- Weight – your weight, actually the fat tissue deposited around your neck and throat can induce snoring. In addition to allowing the fat to deposit, lack of physical activity will also affect the tone of your muscles we discussed earlier.
- Sleep deprivation – sleep deprivation simply means not getting enough sleep. This condition, if we can call it that, is so prevalent nowadays most people have had it at least once in their life. This is what’s called acute sleep deprivation. The condition can also be chronic and should be treated accordingly.
- Relaxans (ab)use – taking medication which act as muscular relaxants can relax your throat muscles and lead to snoring. Alcohol has the same effect, which is why we often snore when intoxicated.
- Anatomy – I have a friend who is just built that way; he has excess nasal tissue and snores very often. He was advised to undertake surgery but is still having second thoughts and is trying out different approaches (this article was in part inspired by my desire to help him as well as all those reading it). Another point to note here is that men have narrower air passages compared to women (that’s why we snore more).
- Sleeping position – sleeping position may play an important role in suppressing snoring, which is why you should avoid sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back will relax your throat muscles and may also cause your tongue to drop to the back of your mouth.
Sleep Apnea:
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition where the person’s breathing is interrupted when sleeping! The scary thing about it is that the breathing may be interrupted many times during the night, depleting your body of oxygen, affecting your heart and, in some cases, leading to more severe consequences.
There are two types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea – where a tissue obstructs the air flow
- Central sleep apnea – where our brain fails to send the muscles the signal to breathe
Why Do You Snore So Loud?
We already said that men might snore more often than women simply do to the “way we are built,” but this doesn’t mean women can’t snore as loud as men… because they sure can! Research shows that the gender does not cause a considerable difference in decibels.
But why is it loud? The main reason you snore so loud is that your body is fighting to push the air through the relaxed throat. Relaxed throat muscles (due to alcohol or aging) will make it harder for the air to flow, causing you to intensify your breathing thus producing a louder noise.
Average snoring volume is somewhere around 50 decibel – as loud as a normal conversation. So, the sound itself won’t damage your hearing, but it will still keep your partner up at night.
The loudest snore ever recorded was by a British grandma, Mrs Chapman who topped the charts with a jaw-dropping 111.6 bd – the sound of a twin-turbine plane taking off!
Loud Snoring Can Damage Your Partner’s Ears!
This may sound like a joke, but it’s not! Most loud snorers will produce 80-90 dB of window-rattling noise.
According to research, long-term exposure to sounds above 86 dB can lead to permanent ear damage! Wearing earplugs to bed might not seem such a bad idea after all.
How Do You Sleep When Your Husband/Wife Is Snoring?
We already saw that long-term exposure to loud snoring might damage your hearing, this is why you should pay attention to your partner and, if they want to sleep in a different room, let them.
Of course, sleeping in different rooms for the rest of your lives is not a solution, but you can remain separated until the snoring problem is sorted.
Here are some of the solutions to this problem:
- Sleeping in a different room – a short-term but effective fix. Sleeping in a different room will help you initially, but it might have a devastating effect on your relationship so use it wisely.
- Ear protection – using ear protection might not be as effective as you might have thought. All noise canceling devices are assigned with their own NRR – noise reduction rating. NRR measure the effectiveness of the device in any given situation. So buying a 25dB ear protection should reduce your partner’s snoring by 25dB? Not exactly! You see, the actual noise canceling potency is calculated by subtracting 7 and diving by 2. Here is the math: (25dB-7)/2=9! So you will cancel out only 9 dB… And if your partner is dishing out 80 dB, your ears will again suffer. That being said, most people’s snoring produces 40-50 dB, so trying earplugs might help you out.
- Falling asleep first – this is the technique I’ve perfected in a college dorm, where I had a roommate with sinus problems. Buy did he snore! So what I did was always try to go to bed and fall asleep before him. His snoring would still wake me up sometimes but I had to learn to deal with that.
Is Snoring Bad For Your Health – Can You Die From It?
A lot of people asked if you could die from snoring, will snoring damage your heart, is snoring a disorder or a medical condition…
We are here to tell you that snoring is usually just a symptom of a medical problem, it’s not the cause! What do we mean by that? Well, when talking about sleep apnea for example, here the snoring is induced by an already present medical condition. So it is just a sign that something is wrong, a red flag if you will, that is giving you a warning.
In most cases, the causes of snoring are usually benign and easily addressed by changing the sleeping position or drinking less alcohol. But some situations can cause concern:
The Dangers Of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious health condition and should be addressed immediately. Failing to do so could lead to serious health complications, even death!
Here are some of the most common health risks linked to sleep apnea:
- Low oxygen blood level – sleep apnea will limit the amount of air your body is getting and, instead of resting during the night, your body will literally fight for air. This chronic air deficiency can cause constriction in blood vessels of the lungs and lead to pulmonary hypertension.
- Heart problems – lack of air will put additional strain on your heart, causing it to work harder to pump out as much oxygenated air to the cells and tissues of your body. This will result in high blood pressure and may lead to more serious health concerns in the future. Sleep apnea can also cause arrhythmias, irregular heart bearing rhythm.
- Breathing interruption – now you see why sleep apnea is so dangerous. In some instances, it may cause breathing interruption lasting up to 10 seconds. If it doesn’t seem scary to you, stop right not and try to hold your breath for 10 seconds… Now that you are fully alert and rested, it may not even seem such a big deal, but remember waking up in the middle of the night, not knowing where you are, gasping for air. It’s a scary feeling, to say the least.
- Light sleeping with constant interruptions – these breathing interruptions might even wake you up without you even realizing it. You will also develop into a light sleeper and not rest properly through the night.
- GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) – though this is a digestive disorder, it can be linked to sleep apnea. As you sleep and snore, your throat becomes closed as the air moves in and out of the lungs. These changes in pressure may cause stomach acid to back up into the esophagus during your sleep.
- Chronic headaches – waking up to a headache is never a good feeling. Sleep apnea will do that to you as you failed to replenish the oxygen in your cells during your night’s rest.
Who Do You See For Snoring And When?
You should talk to a medical professional if you (or your partner) notice loud and heavy snoring, sleepiness through the day and/or waking up in the middle of the night gasping for air.
Health professionals commonly dealing with snoring are:
- A general practicioner
- Internist
- Sleep disorder specialist
- Physician
- Otolaryngologist
And if they suspect sleep apnea, they will point you to a neurologist or a pulmonologist.
Which Antisnoring Device Is Best?
As you can already see, this article turned out to be quite a comprehensive guide on snoring. Our initial plan was to cover as much as we can and answer every possible question that’s on your mind.
We intend to do the same with regards to the best anti snoring devices. We are not going only to cover mouthpieces; we are going to talk about breathe strips, snoring pillows and pills, natural snoring remedies, and the effectiveness of surgery.
Do Mouthpieces Work To Stop Snoring?
Before we get into the process of choosing the exact mouthpiece, we’d like to take some time and talk about how they work, and how and if they are effective in reducing snoring!
How Do Mouthpieces Work To Stop Snoring?
Oral devices work in such a way to stop the air obstruction which causes snoring in the first place. They prevent these air obstruction in the following ways:
- Jaw – an oral device stabilizes the jaw, allowing it to keep the optimal position
- Tongue – it prevents your tongue from falling back, closing the throat and obstructing the air flow
- Other soft tissue – antisnoring mouthpiece will physically separate the soft tissue that vibrates and causes snoring
Choosing The Right Mouthpiece For You
Choosing t the right mouthpiece might take some time, especially because there are so many of them out there. For this reason, you should form some criteria, and follow it on your path to success. Here are some of the things you need to pay attention to:
The Material Its Build Of
Luckily for us, we live in an age of technology and progress! The technology and materials used in the production of these mouthpieces have gone a long way – fitting them was never easier!
You will be able to mold the device into your mouth cavity and jaw. Just submerge the device in hot water for a few minutes to soften it, place it in your mouth and let it cool. As it cools, it will mold to fit your jaw perfectly.
Price
In the early days, the prices of these devices were sky high. Nowadays, you can pick up a solid mouthpiece for under $100! Considering people used to pay 1000’s, we are getting a pretty good deal now.
Does It Come With Add-ons
The race against the manufacturers is on; they are trying to compete offering best prices and bonuses to stand up above the rest. We can use this to our advantage and grab something like a gift or a huge bonus! Keep an eye on these.
Consulting Your Doctor Prior To Ordering?
Most of these oral devices do not require a doctor’s prescription. That being said, consulting with your doctor might not be such a bad idea.
This is especially true if you go ahead and buy the device and continue to snore. This may be an indication of more severe health problems (such as sleep apnea), which requires a more serious approach.
How Safe Are They?
Each manufacturer must go through a strict ISO certification process and meet the Medical device licensing requirements. They are also required to protect the intellectual properties of their products and apply for a patent.
The facilities used to manufacture these medical devices must also adhere to FDA’s regulations, and use the materials of highest quality.
Consumers will also get a full 30-60 day money back guarantee. This is standard practice and will apply to most products you decide to buy. What this means is you can buy the mouthpiece, try it for 30-60 days and if you decide that it just doesn’t make much of a difference, you can return it, no questions asked!
Can You Use Antisnoring Mouthpiece To Treat Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious health disorder which should be taken seriously and never be attempted to treat or cure on your own. If you suspect sleep apnea, you MUST seek professional medical help. A 50 dollar mouth device will not and is not designed to address it.
Both obstructive and central sleep apnea require sophisticated equipment to both diagnose and treat it. You need to be under the supervision of health professionals who know what they are doing.
Usage And Hygiene
Up until this point, we’ve covered some tips on choosing the right antisnoring device, but now we are going to talk a bit about maintaining its hygiene and changes you might notice when you start to wear it.
- Perfect fit – for the mouthpiece to be effective, you need to make sure it fits you perfectly. This may require several dips into the hot water and readjust it, but you shouldn’t settle until you get it right.
- Dental Cleaning and Movement – some users report a slight shift in teeth position (especially those who wore braces as children). This “movement” is normal and shouldn’t cause any concern. You will also need to clean your teeth regularly as any remaining food can become trapped overnight and cause problems, even cavity to form. So always brush your teeth before going to bed.
- Cleaning the Mouthpiece – cleaning your mouthpiece is just as important as cleaning your teeth! Of course, you might be tempted to just rinse it off with water, but you should also use your toothbrush and give it a good rub.
Studies Regarding Mouthpiece Effectiveness!
There are not a lot of official medical studies addressing the effectiveness of these oral devices, but we’ve managed to come across one published at ClinicalTrials.gov.
The main goal of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a mouthpiece in 604 participants over the course of 10 days.
Above you can see the image with the results of the study. As you can see, 570 participants went through with it and their results were reported.
Now, let’s talk more about the values found in this table. On the left you can see the three questions people were asked at the beginning of the study: “How much does your snoring bother YOU?,” “How much does your snoring bother YOUR PARTNER?,” and “How frequently do you snore?.”
The values on the right show the actual results. The “-(minus)” sign you see indicates a reduction in snoring symptoms and the number next to it represents the decrease, in percents.
So, out of the 100% of participants, noticeable improvements were reported in 50-60%. What does this mean for you? – Well, according to the research, you have pretty much 50-50 chance of curing your snoring with the help of a mouthpiece.
That’s not a bad percentage considering you have a full money back guarantee. So our advice is to buy the product, test it out for no less then 10 days, and if you like it keep on using it and if you don’t, just return it and move on to the next method (which we will also list down below).
*** Best Mouthpiece For Snoring – AirSnore ***
It is finally time to reveal our top choice for snoring – AirSnore mouthpiece. It’s a simple, low-cost solution you can fit in a matter of minutes.
The good thing about this device is it will address the two most common snoring causes – misplaced jaw and the tongue (other tend only to address one).
Why we love AirSnore antisnoring mouthpiece:
- Easy to fit – the instructions are clear and easy to follow – just submerge it into hot water for around 3 minutes, then place it in your mouth and gently bite on it. Let it cool off slowly and you are all set.
- Comfortable – moving your jaw may seem (and often feel) weird and uncomfortable. This device will move it minimally, allowing for unobstructed airflow without pushing your jaw into any strange position and disrupting your sleep.
- Easy Cleaning – it is vital to clean the device after every use! Fortunately, AirSnore is easy to clean, all you need to do is to mix in some toothpaste in cold water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
60-Day Full Money Back Guarantee!
Most manufacturers only offer a 30-day warranty, but with AirSnore you will get TWO MONTHS of testing before deciding to keep it or to return.
Give it a go today; your partner will love you for it!
Are Nasal Strips Effective For Snoring?
The interest in nasal strips exploded in the recent years, so we wanted to see if this was because of the satisfied users or an aggressive advertising campaign.
What Are Nose Strips And How Do They Work?
As the name suggests, it’s a strip that you place on your nose right before you go to bed. The logic behind these strips is simple and visible in its design which consists of an adhesive tape fitted onto the hard plastic splint.
When the strip sticks to your nose, the hard plastic splint acts as a spring that pulls on your nostrils, widening them and allowing for more air to flow in.
Will They Work For Your?
If your nose is congested, chances are they will help! They will widen your nostrils and allow for more air. For this reason, we feel that it’s a good idea to have those handy so you can quickly apply if your nose is congested when you are coming down with a cold.
Unfortunately, they do not address the problem of jaw and tongue, which we mentioned earlier. So if this is the problem, they most certainly won’t help.
Do Chin Straps Work For Snoring?
We have a sort of a love-hate relationship with chin straps. Though they follow some principles we can deem good; it fails to address the others, which makes it an inferior choice (when compared to mouth device).
How Does It Work?
Chin strap has a unique design, to say the least. It is a strap which attaches to your chin and goes all the way around your head.
What it essentially does is securing your jaw and keeping it in place while you sleep. The position the chin is in also stops the tongue from moving too far back and closing your throat and puts some tension on the throat muscles.
The problem with a chin strip is that it will keep your mouth firmly shut, and this is problematic in several different scenarios:
- If your nose is congested – a congested nose means you pretty much won’t be able to breathe! For this reason alone, we are not keen on recommending this device.
- Tossing and turning while you sleep – tossing and turning may cause your chin strip to move away from its original position or even slip off altogether.
- If you have sleep apnea, wearing a chin strap may make matters worse because you will effectively cut back on your overnight oxygen supply.
Final Words:
Is chin strap effective? – Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Limiting your breathing capacity is a huge problem for us, and for this reason, we do not recommend it. You are, of course, free to try it; and if you do, please report back the results.
Can You Get Surgery To Stop Snoring?
According to American Academy Or Otolaryngology, there are a number of different procedures aimed at addressing snoring in adults. Those are:
- Palatal Implants – this is a minimally invasive procedure where three small, polyester implants are inserted in patient’s soft palate, in local anesthesia. This procedure combines the presence of these implants with the body’s scarring response resulting in stiffening of the palate. A stiffer palate will vibrate less, thus reducing snoring.
- Injection Snoreplasty – this is also a procedure done in local anesthesia; it costs less than the previous one but is more painful and takes longer to heal. What we do here is inject a chemical into the soft palate and induce body’s scarring response resulting in a thicker palate. As you can see, the result is the same as the previous procedure, but it costs less and takes longer to heal.
- Radiofrequency – this is also a procedure designed to treat your soft palate in local anesthesia, but it will require several treatments to achieve the desired result. In essence, it will take even more time, but it is most pleasant of the three. If you have a low pain threshold, you might be a good candidate for this type of treatment.
- Tonsillectomy – enlarged tonsils can sometimes be the cause of snoring in adults (though they are more common in children). Unlike other procedures mentioned above, tonsillectomy is done under general anesthesia and the recovery time spans from one to two weeks.
- Nasal Surgery – a close friend of mine undergone nasal surgery not too long ago and was pleased with the final result. Most common causes of nasal obstructions are polyps, allergies, and deviations which can be surgically corrected.
What Are The Best Home Remedies For Snoring?
Up until this point, we’ve covered and reviewed some of the most common anti snoring devices used today; we also discussed different types of surgery you can undergo. Now it’s time to talk about those quick fixes, stuff you can try at home and gauge their effectiveness quickly.
Changing Your Sleeping Position
The position of our head when sleeping is one of the main, but often overlooked, causes of snoring in general population. When we sleep, we tend to keep our head leveled and, by doing so, we relax our jaw and throat muscles and start to snore.
Elevating your head will “push” your jaw forward, along with your tongue, and allowing for better airflow. There are specialist snoring pillows you can try out.
Another point, with regards to sleeping position, we want to make is that you should avoid sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back is the perfect position for snoring as it will allow your tongue to fall back and close off your throat, disrupting the airflow and causing loud snoring.
Top-tip: using a tennis ball! This sneaky little trick helped countless people avoid sleeping on their back, and the beauty of it is its simplicity. All you need to do is sew a pocket (or a sock) at the back of your pajamas and put a tennis ball in. So, anytime you roll over on your back, you will feel the ball poking you in the back, and you will assume a different position without waking up.
Using An Air Moisturizer In Your Bedroom
Dry air might (will) irritate the mucous membranes of your nose and throat and make it swell up. This swelling can lead to snoring.
Keep in mind that dry air is not at all good for you (regardless of snoring). Here are some of the health problems induced by an overly dry air:
- Lack of disease protection – our entire respiratory system is lined with moist membranes. These membranes “catch” dirt, viruses, and bacteria before they reach our lungs and cause an infection. Dry air will dry out these membranes and reduce their ability to protect us.
- Skin damage – lack of humidity in the air will dry out your skin, cause itching, flaking and make it much more prone to cracking and infections.
- Nose problems – since we do most of our breathing through the nose, it will suffer the most. The mucous membranes of the nose will dry out, causing itching, pain, congested nose, even bleeding.
Alcohol And Sedatives
At the very beginning of the article, we talked about how alcohol and other muscle relaxants cause and are related to snoring. In short, they relax the muscles of the throat, making them much more likely to vibrate.
Obviously, there is no other solution here other than cutting back on alcohol.
Will Losing Weight Help With Snoring?
Losing weight, especially if you are overweighing, will help with your snoring because it will address those deposits of fat tissue on your neck, allowing it to function better.
But even if you are not overweighing, working out and exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day, will have a tremendous impact on you sleeping, snoring and muscle tone.
Throat Exercises For Snoring
Since one of the most common causes of snoring in adults is weak throat (weakness in the muscles of the throat), it only makes sense we will reduce snoring by strengthening those muscles. Here are some of the throat strengthening exercises you can try now:
- Push your tongue against your upper teeth and slide it back across your palate. Do this for 2-4 minutes each day.
- Repeat each of the five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) as loud as you can for 2-4 minutes a day.
- With an opened mouth, move your jaw to the side and hold it for approx. 30 seconds; do this for the other side as well. Repeat 3-5 times per side.
- With an opened mouth, contract the muscles at the back of your throat, and hold the contraction for up to 30 seconds; repeat 3-5 times. If you don’t know how to contract these muscles just pay attention to your uvula, when it should move up if you are doing it correctly.
- Sing. Singing might be unpleasant for other people, but it’ll help you so screw them.
- Raise your voice slightly when talking. We are not trying to be obnoxious here and shout at other people, but raising your voice just a bit can help strengthen your throat.