How to Stop Snoring… for Good

Many people wonder whether or not they snore, and if they do, the first question is always asking how to not snore. Snoring is disruptive to others and even more disruptive to your health.

If your spouse says you snore, it can do more than just put a strain on your relationship: According to the Mayo Clinic, snoring is associated with difficulty concentrating when awake, excessive daytime sleepiness, frequent frustration or anger and greater risks of heart attack, hypertension and stroke.

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Studies have also found a correlation between snoring and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, a condition that results in frequent shortness of breath. If this weren’t enough, a 2013 study published by the National Institutes of Health found that people who snored were 32 percent more likely to be depressed.

If your partner tells you that you’re constantly snoring, see your doctor—especially if your snoring involves bouts where you don’t breathe for a second or two. You may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a more serious condition potentially requiring surgery or a prescription for relief. Regardless of the cause, if you want to reduce your snoring—try these five steps to get better, quieter rest right away.

1. Sleep on Your Side

Snoring happens because your airway is obstructed, but even when this is the case, air still needs to get in and out. So, the air comes out with more force, vibrating tissues and making it sound like you’re sawing logs.

To get an idea of how this works, think of releasing the air from the mouth of a balloon. When the airway is clear, the air flies out with little sound but a whoosh. But if you pull the mouth of the balloon to the sides with your fingers, you make it tougher for the air to get out. The rubber vibrates, and the balloon makes a sound that makes kids giggle.

Something similar happens when you snore, but the sound is less fun to hear. Sleeping on your back can make it worse. When you sleep, muscles in your mouth and throat relax. On your back, these relaxing muscles, including your tongue, can fall back into your throat, obstructing the airway.

If you’re a back sleeper, try sleeping on your side. To make this more comfortable, the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association suggests using more pillows to elevate your head.

2. Wash your Pillows

People who suffer from allergies are more likely to snore, and pillows have been shown in studies to harbor dust mites and other allergens that could lead to congestion, potentially blocking airways and leading to snoring.

Even if you don’t normally suffer from allergies, you could be mildly affected by these allergens. Or, you might just be grossed out to know that .001 percent of your pillow is made of mites, not pillow fibers. Putting them through the washer, or at least a hot dryer cycle, every month can help keep them clean, while retaining some puffiness to elevate your head.

3. Don’t Drink Close to Bedtime

After a long night of drinking, your partner may report that you snore more than usual: Alcohol also helps the muscles in your throat relax more than normal, which can wind up obstructing your airway. In addition, booze can irritate your nasal passageways, creating even further obstruction.

The British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association recommends refraining from drinking for four hours before bed. Bonus: Avoiding alcohol altogether is the best way to meet your weight loss goals, anyway.

4. Try a Shower or Internal Nasal Dilator

Nasal snoring can be caused by congestion. If your partner says you’re a nasal snorer, try taking a hot shower before bed to help reduce inflammation. Some snorers opt to sleep with a humidifier in their room.

Nasal snoring can also be caused by the size of your nostrils. Try this test: Put your finger over one nostril and breathe in and out. Does the uncovered nostril collapse when you breathe in? If it does, your nostrils may also collapse in this way when you’re sleeping. The result: An obstruction to your airway.

Nasal strips are the fix for this issue. They have been shown to help slightly with mild snoring. A meta-analysis of research found that internal nasal dilators—kind of an internal version of the nasal strip—were even more effective for reducing apnea incidents, reducing the frequency, but not volume, of snoring. They’re about $12 on Amazon and don’t require a prescription, so there’s little risk in trying them out.

5. Lose Weight

In a 2015 survey of more than eight million people from The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, 71 percent of obese people reported that they snore, compared to just 36 percent for those of a normal weight.

This could explain why there is an association between snoring and increased risks of Coronary Artery Disease. Pair the heart disease risks of poor sleep patterns, along with the snoring caused by carrying extra pounds, and you won’t just ruin your night’s sleep—you could shorten your life.

Why do overweight people snore? There’s extra tissue in your throat and neck, fat, that can, like the relaxed muscles of your mouth, fall into the airway and block it. Reducing that extra tissue by losing weight could help put you right into the majority of normal weight people who snore, the 64 percent based on the survey mentioned earlier. Not to mention, losing weight can reduce your risk of heart disease, certain cancers and your overall risk of death.

With a program as simple as Nutrisystem, losing weight is even easier than deciding to sleep on your side: The program tells you what to eat, when to eat it and the portions are already measured, so you won’t lose sleep guessing how much you can safely down at a meal.

It’s not a snore, either (forgive the pun): Unlike weight loss programs that require you to eat the same thing day after day, Nutrisystem has lots of options, including pizza, pasta and cookies, so you won’t get bored. You can even choose every meal, ensuring you only get your favorites.