Five ways proven to REALLY stop your snoring

To stop snoring, stopping drinking at night may be more effective than fashionable ‘lifehacks’.

As research shows people are trying everything from thyme oil to compression socks to control their snoring, nasal and throat consultant Jonathan Hobson has advised that the simplest and cheapest methods work best.

People who keep their partner awake can try to prop themselves up with extra pillows, take a hot shower or bath before bed, or lose some weight to make their airways less constricted.

Unfortunately for those who have drinks late at night, snorers are also advised not to drink after 6pm as it relaxes the throat muscles before going to bed.

Mr Hobson, a consultant with the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, says people shouldn’t spend their money on expensive snoring rings, oils and acupuncture, for which there is no scientific evidence.

It comes after Mute, a company that makes a snoring device, published a list of 30 “hacks” people use to stop snoring.

These include rubbing thyme oil on their feet, sipping honey and lemon before bed, and wearing an eye mask or compression stockings, which experts say don’t work.

Mr Hobson said: ‘People can be desperate to stop snoring, especially middle-aged divorced people who are concerned that this will prevent them from finding a new relationship.

“People may think some fashionable tactics work, but it’s probably a placebo effect – where they think they snore less simply because they expect something to work.”

“The best advice is to try things like extra pillows or sleeping on your side first, then things like losing weight and — though people don’t want to hear it — stop drinking after 6 p.m..”

Snoring, which a study of 2,000 people by Mute suggests affects 56 percent of couples where one partner snores, is caused by an obstruction when air passes through the back of the mouth into the trachea.

It’s usually worse in overweight people because more tissue pushes down and blocks their upper airways.

Nasal congestion from conditions such as hay fever can exacerbate prolonged snoring, and alcohol can weaken the muscles in the airways, making them more likely to vibrate, causing the sound of snoring.

But only nine percent of the snorers surveyed by Mute were willing to abstain from alcohol before bed.

The good news is that the eight per cent who didn’t drink at all to avoid snoring may not need to, with Mr Hobson advising that there’s no need to avoid booze before 6pm.

The survey found that 44 percent of those who snore or live with a snorer are so tired of the noise that they would do anything to stop it.

People were found to spend an average of £33.20 a year to dampen nighttime noise, but would be willing to spend up to £288 if it meant their snoring was fixed for good.

Some of the lifehacks that have been found to be tried by people can work quite well.

These include using extra pillows, as a more upright position means less pressure on the airways of the flesh in the neck compared to lying flat.

Nasal strips and dilators, or a special mouthguard called a mandibular musculoskeletal device, can work to get more air in and prevent snoring, much like a saline spray that squirts into the nose – where the water clears the nose and the saline makes sure that it stings less.

But decongestants, used as a spray, don’t work long-term, while those slathered on the chest give the illusion of breathing more freely without clearing the airways, Hobson said.

He advises against people taping their mouths or pinning their noses, as this is potentially dangerous.

Exercising before bed apparently won’t make a difference,

But a warm bath or shower before bed can help clear the airways, as can a humidifier in the bedroom.

There is some evidence that throat and singing exercises can strengthen the muscles in the throat to reduce the likelihood of snoring.