How to Stop Snoring: Causes, Safe Fixes and When to See a Doctor

To stop snoring, start with the free changes: sleep on your side, cut back on evening alcohol, stop smoking, lose weight if you need to and avoid sleeping pills. Then target where your snoring comes from: a blocked nose, a mouth that falls open or the tongue. Loud snoring with pauses or gasping needs a GP first.

Below: a self-check to find your type of snoring, the fixes in a safe order, the sleep apnoea signs, and what partners can do.

Why do people snore?

The NHS explains that snoring happens when your tongue, mouth, throat or the airways in your nose vibrate as you breathe, because these parts relax and narrow when you are asleep. You are more likely to snore if you are overweight, smoke, drink too much alcohol or sleep on your back. Sometimes the cause is sleep apnoea, where the airway becomes temporarily blocked during sleep.

The NHS also says snoring is very common and not usually caused by anything serious. It tends to build with age: a 2019 clinical guideline review by Stuck and Hofauer notes that snoring is most common between the ages of 45 and 54. The soft palate, the soft back part of the roof of the mouth, is usually involved. The Australasian Sleep Association's 2023 position statement puts it at more than 90% of cases of snoring without significant sleep apnoea.

What kind of snorer are you? A quick self-check

Ask your partner, or record a few nights on your phone, then match what you notice. Many people fit more than one row.

One simple check while awake: close your lips and breathe gently through your nose for a few minutes. If that feels hard, the nose is part of your problem.

How to stop snoring: the fixes in a safe order

Each step is lower risk than the one after it. Change one thing at a time for a week or two. Our 14-night sleep experiment sets out a simple way to test one change at a time. For tonight: sleep on your side and skip the evening drink.

Step 1: Rule out the warning signs

If your breathing stops and starts, you gasp or choke in your sleep, or you are always very tired in the day, read the sleep apnoea section below first. No product here treats sleep apnoea.

Step 2: The free changes the NHS recommends

• Sleep on your side. The NHS suggests taping or stitching a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear, or a special pillow or bed wedge to keep you there.
• Do not drink too much alcohol, especially in the evening. Our guide to alcohol and sleep explains how it relaxes the throat and breaks up the second half of the night, which is also behind a lot of waking at 3am.
• Do not smoke.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Avoid sleeping pills, which the NHS says can sometimes cause snoring. Talk to your GP before stopping a prescribed medicine.

The evidence is thinner than you might expect. The Australasian statement found that cutting alcohol has not been tested in trials, though almost everyone notices drink makes snoring worse. Weight loss can reduce snoring, but not for everyone, and nobody can predict who it will help. Devices that keep you off your back cut snoring in most snorers without sleep apnoea, but not in people with it, and many people stop using them.

Step 3: Fix the nose

If your nose is often blocked, treat that first. A pharmacist can advise on antihistamines and steroid sprays for allergies or rhinitis. Decongestant sprays and drops are for short spells only: the NHS guide to decongestants says not to use them for more than 5 days at a time, and not to give decongestants to children under 6. Our guide on how to stop mouth breathing at night covers the common nose problems in detail.

The NHS lists nasal dilators and strips that hold your nose open for snoring caused by blocked or narrow airways in the nose. They only work on the front of the nose. A 2016 review of 14 studies by Camacho and colleagues found nasal dilators improved nasal breathing but did not change sleep apnoea measures or the snoring index in people with sleep apnoea. Our guide to nasal strips for snoring covers who is most likely to benefit. Strips will not help snoring that starts in the throat, and they are not a treatment for sleep apnoea.

Step 4: Help the mouth stay closed, only once the nose is clear

For a mouth that falls open, the NHS lists a chin strap or a mouth device called a vestibular shield. Chin strap evidence is thin: in a 2014 study by Bhat and colleagues of 26 adults with sleep apnoea, a chin strap alone did not improve their breathing or their snoring.

Mouth tape gets the most attention, and its evidence is limited and mixed. A 2025 systematic review by Rhee and colleagues found only 10 studies with 213 people and rated all of them poor quality. Two showed benefits in mild sleep apnoea, the rest no difference, and the authors warned of a potentially serious risk of harm, including suffocation when the nose is blocked. Our guides to the evidence on mouth taping and mouth tape vs nasal strips go into the detail.

Do not use mouth tape if:

• you have suspected or diagnosed sleep apnoea, unless a sleep specialist has advised it
• your nose is blocked, from a cold, hay fever, allergies, sinus problems or a deviated septum
• you have asthma, COPD or another breathing condition, unless a doctor has advised it
• you have anxiety or panic attacks, or feel claustrophobic with your mouth covered
• you are at risk of vomiting in your sleep
• it is for a child

The Sleep Foundation's mouth taping guidance names the same groups. If none apply, use tape made for skin, test it during the day, fold one end into a tab, and skip it on any night your nose feels blocked. Stop at once if you feel short of breath or panicky. Mouth tape is a wellness habit, not a medical treatment.

Step 5: A mouthpiece fitted with a dentist or doctor

When the tongue partly blocks the back of the throat, the NHS lists a mandibular advancement device: a mouthpiece like a gum shield that brings the lower jaw and tongue forward. It has some of the strongest evidence for snoring. In a 2024 randomised trial by Ioerger and colleagues of 50 couples, where the snorer did not have sleep apnoea, partners rated the snoring much or very much improved in 21 of 23 people using a device (91%), against 11 of 19 (58%) using a package of nasal strips, steroid nose rinses, mouth taping and side sleeping. The trial was small and short, and 10 of 22 device users had jaw discomfort for a few days at the start.

Fit matters. The Australasian statement found limited evidence that custom, adjustable devices beat boil and bite versions, and advises a dental check and follow-up, because they can affect your bite and jaw joints. For diagnosed sleep apnoea, NICE guidance suggests these devices for adults with healthy teeth and gums who cannot tolerate CPAP or prefer not to try it.

Step 6: Surgery, as the NHS describes it

The NHS says surgery is sometimes used if other treatments do not help, but it is not widely available on the NHS, it does not always work and snoring can come back afterwards. NICE allows radiofrequency treatment of the soft palate only for people whose snoring has been shown to come from the soft palate and in whom sleep apnoea has been ruled out, with uncertainty about how long it lasts. It recommends soft palate implants only within research.

What about sprays, pillows and exercises?

Throat sprays, lozenges and oral strips fill pharmacy shelves, but the Australasian statement found insufficient evidence that lubricants or herbal remedies reduce measured snoring. Mouth and throat exercises are safe: in one trial, 15 minutes a day through a phone game for 8 weeks cut the snoring rate by 22%, a modest gain for a lot of commitment.

Is snoring a sign of sleep apnoea?

It can be. The NHS guide to sleep apnoea lists these signs:

• breathing that stops and starts while you sleep
• gasping, snorting or choking noises, and waking up a lot
• loud snoring
• feeling very tired in the day, poor concentration, mood swings or waking with a headache

NICE advises doctors to assess for sleep apnoea when someone has two or more features such as snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing, unrefreshing sleep, waking headaches, unexplained sleepiness or choking during sleep. Doctors often use the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to gauge daytime sleepiness, but NICE says it should not be used alone, because not everyone with sleep apnoea feels sleepy.

If your GP suspects it, they may refer you to a sleep clinic. Testing usually happens at home with devices worn overnight. Many people then use a CPAP machine, which gently pumps air through a mask, and the NHS provides it free if you need it. Untreated sleep apnoea is linked to hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression and accidents caused by tiredness. In the UK, if sleep apnoea with excessive sleepiness is confirmed, you must not drive until symptoms are under control, and you may need to tell the DVLA.

Can a sleep tracker tell if you snore?

Some phone apps record sound and can pick up snoring; our guide to sleep trackers covers the types. Most wrist and finger wearables cannot hear you, so they cannot tell you whether you snore, and none of them diagnose sleep apnoea. What they can show is whether your estimated sleep, resting heart rate and HRV look different in the weeks you change something, such as cutting evening drinks. A normal-looking night on any wearable is never a reason to skip the GP.

For partners: how to help, and what to tell the GP

The NHS suggests earplugs for the partner while the snorer works through the free steps.

Your account matters, because the snorer cannot hear themselves. The NHS says it helps to bring someone who can describe the snoring to the GP appointment, and Bupa suggests recording the snoring on a phone to share. Before the appointment, note:

1. when the snoring started, and whether it is every night or only some
2. whether it is worse on the back, after alcohol or with a cold
3. how loud it is, for example whether it can be heard outside the bedroom
4. any pauses in breathing, and how long they seem to last
5. gasping, snorting or choking, and whether it wakes them
6. how sleepy they are in the day, especially when driving

These match the questions Mayo Clinic says doctors ask.

Snoring in children

The NHS explains that enlarged adenoids can make it hard for a child to breathe through the nose, causing mouth breathing, snoring and sometimes sleep apnoea. Adenoids usually start to shrink from around age 4, and a doctor may suggest waiting or removing them, depending on how serious the problems are. See a GP if a child snores regularly. Never tape a child's mouth.

When to see a GP or doctor about snoring

Based on NHS guidance on snoring and sleep apnoea, see a GP, or your own doctor outside the UK, if:

• your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, or you make gasping, snorting or choking noises
• you always feel very tired during the day, find it hard to concentrate or wake with headaches
• lifestyle changes are not helping your snoring
• your snoring is having a big impact on your life or your partner's
• your nose is blocked most of the time, or pharmacy treatments are not working
• a child snores regularly

The GP will look inside your mouth and nose, may do a blood test, and may refer you to a specialist or a sleep clinic if the cause is unclear.

Frequently asked questions

How can I stop snoring naturally?

Start with the free steps the NHS recommends: sleep on your side, avoid too much alcohol, stop smoking, lose weight if you are overweight and avoid sleeping pills. If your nose is often blocked, treat the congestion with help from a pharmacist. Change one thing at a time for a week or two, and see a GP if snoring continues or comes with pauses in breathing.

Why have I suddenly started snoring?

Usually something has changed. A cold, hay fever, weight gain, more evening drinking, a sleeping pill or other sedating medicine, or sleeping on your back more can all set it off, and snoring becomes more common with age. If new snoring comes with pauses in breathing, gasping or daytime sleepiness, see a GP first.

Does sleeping on your side stop snoring?

It helps many people whose snoring is worse on their back, because the tongue is less likely to fall back. The NHS suggests a tennis ball stitched to your sleepwear, a special pillow or a bed wedge. Studies of positional devices found less snoring in most snorers without sleep apnoea, but not in people with it.

Do anti-snoring mouthguards work?

Mouthguards that hold the lower jaw forward, called mandibular advancement devices, have some of the strongest evidence for snoring. In a 2024 trial, partners rated snoring much improved in 21 of 23 people using one. Custom devices fitted with a dentist appear to work better than boil and bite versions. Jaw ache is common at first, and you need healthy teeth and gums.

Is snoring a sign of sleep apnoea?

It can be. The NHS says snoring is not usually caused by anything serious, but loud snoring is one of the main signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, especially with breathing that stops and starts, gasping or choking noises, waking a lot and feeling very tired in the day. Sleep apnoea can be serious if untreated, so see a GP if these signs sound familiar.

How do I stop my partner snoring?

Share the free steps first: side sleeping, less alcohol in the evening, no smoking and weight loss if needed. The NHS suggests earplugs to protect your own sleep in the meantime. If the snoring carries on, record a few nights on a phone and go to the GP appointment together, because you can describe the pauses, gasps and positions that they cannot.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. PulseRing Pro is a wellness device, not a medical device, and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you are worried about your health, speak to your GP or a qualified clinician.