What Are Some Tips On Getting A Snorer To Stop Snoring?

— -- Question: What are some tips on getting a snorer to stop snoring?

Answer: If snoring occurs in the context of daytime sleepiness, drowsy driving, or episodes of stopping breathing noted by your bed partner, then certainly this could bring to light the possibility of obstructive sleep apnea. And in that case you would want to make sure that you discuss it with your physician.

If snoring is what we call primary snoring, which is not related to obstructive sleep apnea, then there are several strategies that can be implemented to help out with this. The first are positional techniques, so sleeping off of your back. And the reason for this is if you're sleeping on your back, then the airway tends to be more collapsible and snoring is more likely to manifest itself. So we oftentimes recommend either propping up a wedge or pillows behind the back to serve as negative reinforcement to sleeping on your back. Some people even sew a tennis ball on the back of a pajama shirt to help serve as negative reinforcement to sleeping on the back.

Other things that you can do to help with snoring symptoms include addressing nasal congestion symptoms, and certain nasal sprays for instance can be helpful in that situation, and also avoiding alcohol. Alcohol can reduce the tone of the upper airway, the muscle tone of the upper airway, and therefore cause snoring symptoms to become worse.