Tips against snoring - Which treatment helps?

What tips help against snoring?

Snoring - A bothersome evil

A large part of the population does it every night - snoring. Behind this mostly harmless topic, various causes can be hidden. But one thing is clear. For the partner of a snorer, the nightly snoring is a stress test for the relationship. The snorer themselves is usually not disturbed in their own sleep, but the partner often experiences sleepless nights. Many people with a snoring problem are therefore looking for tips and an effective solution that promises long-term success. In this guide from Mister Sandman, you will finally find what you are looking for, as we answer the most important questions.

Tips against Snoring - Recognizing the Cause

People have been searching for a universal solution to snoring for a long time. Unfortunately, this solution does not exist. Snoring can have many different causes. Depending on the cause responsible for the snoring, there are ways to prevent or at least reduce it. Home remedies, various anti-snoring medications, anti-snoring products like nasal strips or anti-snoring devices, or surgery as a last resort - what actually helps depends on the cause of the snoring. Often, only a test of the respective method will reveal its effectiveness. However, one should first gather enough information on the topic of snoring. Knowing the cause of one's own snoring greatly increases the likelihood of finding a suitable solution to the snoring problem. Whether snoring is just a temporary issue or a serious chronic condition is explained by Mister Sandman in the following section.

Snoring - temporary or chronic?

The most common cause of snoring is a narrowing of the upper airways when lying on the mattress at night. This is often the case when the nasal mucous membranes are swollen, making it harder to breathe through the nose. Many people snore during a cold or when they suffer from allergies. In these cases, snoring is just one of many symptoms that will disappear after some time. Such temporary snoring is completely harmless to health and does not require special treatment. Once the symptoms of a cold have subsided, the snoring will also go away if one is otherwise not a snorer. If one suffers from allergies, for example hay fever, and the snoring only occurs during this time, it can usually be prevented with allergy medications.

Chronic Snoring

However, if snoring is chronic and independent of diseases or allergies, it is worth investigating the causes of snoring. Especially if snoring becomes a stress test for the relationship and disturbs the partner's sleep, one should look for a solution to the snoring problem. In rare cases, there may be a serious issue behind the snoring that can significantly endanger health.

Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Is Snoring Dangerous?

In most cases, snoring is not dangerous to health. The relatively rare sleep apnea syndrome, on the other hand, is a life-threatening type of snoring. The symptoms of sleep apnea include very loud, unrhythmic snoring, which is interrupted by breathing pauses. The cause of snoring in sleep apnea is a strong relaxation of the muscles around the mouth and throat. The slack tissue in the mouth and throat area sinks due to the relaxation of the muscles into the airways, thus blocking the airflow. Breathing then stops. If breathing is interrupted for more than 10 seconds during sleep, a life-threatening condition exists. Sleep is interrupted, the snorer wakes up, and through this often very brief awakening, breathing can resume. However, sleep is significantly disturbed by sleep apnea. The symptoms of sleep apnea also include pronounced daytime fatigue and frequent micro-sleeps. The risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and other serious illnesses is also greatly increased by sleep apnea. If sleep apnea is suspected, it is essential to see a doctor.

Sleep Apnea - Treatment

The most commonly used treatment for sleep apnea is the so-called CPAP therapy. In CPAP therapy, a special breathing therapy device is used during sleep. This CPAP device has a blower that is connected to a mask. The mouthpiece of this mask is pressed over the mouth and/or nose. The CPAP device creates a slight positive pressure in the airways. This prevents the airways from collapsing. This way, one can breathe freely and sleep peacefully again. CPAP therapy usually needs to be carried out for a lifetime. In some cases, surgery can also improve breathing and prevent symptoms. If the symptoms are very mild and the breathing pauses last only a few seconds, alternative treatments may also be successful. In some cases, for example, the following methods may promise help:

find the right mattress through individual consultation
exercise and weight loss (in case of overweight)
training the muscles in the upper respiratory tract (for example, by playing a wind instrument)
abstinence from alcohol and nicotine
slight forward positioning of the lower jaw through an anti-snoring device

Snoring - Causes and Types

Tips that help against snoring always assume that the snorer knows the cause of the snoring. Depending on what causes the snoring during sleep, there are various methods and anti-snoring products. Generally, the partner can be very helpful in determining the type of snoring. If the snorer sleeps alone in the bedroom, a visit to the doctor or possibly a sleep lab can help. Usually, there is not just one cause for snoring. Often, several factors play a role at the same time. Generally, the following types of snoring are distinguished:

nasal snoring
Tongue snoring
Mouth snoring
Throat snoring (see sleep apnea)

Nasal snoring

In nasal snoring, nasal breathing is impaired. In a nasal snorer, nasal breathing is often also problematic during the day. A narrowing of the airways can be anatomically conditioned (for example, with a crooked nasal septum) or can occur temporarily due to illnesses or allergies. With restricted nasal breathing, snoring is steady and can sound fluttery, rumbling, or grunting. Common symptoms of nasal sleeping also include headaches, a dry mouth, and bad breath in the morning.

Tongue snoring

Tongue snoring or also base of tongue snoring occurs almost exclusively in the back position of the snorers. If the snorer lies on their back while sleeping at night, the muscles of the tongue relax and the back part of the tongue (the base of the tongue) slips into the throat area. This blocks the airways and the air can pass through less easily. Therefore, tongue snoring is an irregular snoring that occurs in bursts and usually only in the back position.

Mouth snoring

People who only snore with their mouths open are mouth snorers. Snoring is a steady and fluttering sound. Mouth snoring is often also favored by restricted nasal breathing. If enough air cannot be breathed through the nose while sleeping, those affected usually automatically open their mouths while asleep. In mouth snorers, the transition from the mouth to the throat is also narrowed by tissue (soft palate or soft palate). This tissue relaxes during sleep. When the mouth is opened, the air "whistles" through the slack palate tissue and makes it vibrate like a sail (hence soft palate) in the wind. This produces the snoring sound.

Tips against nasal snoring

The nasal snorer should definitely try to improve their nasal breathing. In cases of poor nasal breathing influenced by allergies, allergy medications from the pharmacy or various home remedies can help. For anatomically caused poor nasal breathing, there are various products that provide assistance while breathing during sleep. Proven products include nasal dilators or nasal strips. Both products are available at the pharmacy and are easy to use. The nasal dilator consists of two plastic rings that are inserted into the nostrils during sleep to stabilize the nasal entrance. The nasal strip is an alternative for people who feel uncomfortable with the nasal dilator. The nasal strip is applied externally to the bridge of the nose. This way, the nasal strip widens the nostrils and facilitates nasal breathing.

Tips against tongue snoring

When sleeping, if the tongue sinks into the throat and causes snoring, it is due to relaxed muscles during sleep. This can be further favored by lying on the back (see next section). To put the tongue muscles under tension and thus prevent the tongue from sinking into the throat, one can use an anti-snoring device. These products are custom-made based on a dental impression to be worn during sleep, similar to braces. By using the anti-snoring device, the lower jaw is held in a slightly protruded position.

Tips against mouth snoring

With mouth snoring, the snorer sleeps with an open mouth. This not only causes snoring but is also less healthy compared to nasal breathing. Nasal breathing filters dust and pathogens better from the air we breathe; when breathing through the mouth, these can more easily enter the body. Therefore, one should try to avoid mouth breathing while sleeping. Mouth breathing can be prevented, for example, by using an anti-snoring mouthpiece. The anti-snoring mouthpiece is attached to the upper jaw's dental arch and prevents the mouth from opening during sleep. Since mouth breathing and thus snoring usually only occurs in the back position, one can also try to avoid sleeping on the back. There are special products that are worn like a backpack while sleeping and prevent the back position. In the past, a tennis ball was often sewn onto the back of the sleep suit for this purpose.

More tips against snoring

One (co-)cause of snoring is also a muscle weakness of the tissue in the palate area. If this tissue relaxes and sinks into the throat while sleeping, it can block the airways. Training the muscles of the palate tissue can help with this. There are special devices for training, such as anti-snoring pacifiers. Learning and playing wind instruments can also help train the muscles and thus reduce snoring. Which mattress helps best against snoring, you can find out in the Mister Sandman mattress finder. Here we have a great selection of 3 models that ideally meet your individual needs: