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Innumerable millions of people suffer from snoring. A comparable amount of individuals suffer because of the snoring from which the first group undergoes. Folk remedies overflow with suggestions on how to stop it, from refined butter to chamomile tea. However, when it comes solving irritating everyday problems, there is nothing quite like good old Lady Science. Here are ten solutions to the predicament of snoring based on the best that innovative technologies have to give.

First Things First, What Causes Snoring?

As you sleep, the muscles surrounding your throat and tongue relax. When they rest, they can sometimes block the air passage. Blockage of the nasal passages can also restrict airflow. Overall, air passage blockage causes vibrations as the air strives to get to your lungs.

These vibrations produce noises. These sounds are what we call snoring. Anti-snoring devices are intended to either allow greater airflow or drown out the sounds collectively.

1. Silent Partner’s Smart-patch Wearable

It was just a matter of time before Silicon Valley caught up with one of the human race’s most persistent problems throughout the ages: the snoring spouse. Of course, our snores most of the time do not wake us up, but if you have ever dozed beside a heavy snorer, you know the seething anger and exhaustion that often result. Not to mention, latent breakups.

Enter: Silent Partner. Through an Indiegogo campaign that was meant to achieve USD 40,000 but ended up gathering over $700,000, this bright-eyed start-up brought its smart patch. The technology is a wearable that the non-snoring partner wears before bedtime.

The appliance does not stop snoring but cancels out the sound of it. The Indiegogo campaign had supporters from 65 countries, attesting to the idea’s universal appeal. How does it work? It uses sub-wavelength technology, but how many of us care? You put the patch on your face and experience a good night’s rest. Period. In the process, you could end up saving your marriage.

Not all of us may be fancy the thought of having some plastic contraption placed ever so smoothly on the bridge of the nose and our cheeks as we sleep, but contemplate the option.

2. Nora

As meant by its name, this is a device that is simple, comfortable to sleep beside and infinitely caring. Nora is a non-invasive, keep-the-electronics-away-from-my-head sort of device that works ingeniously. To recall, when we snore, what happens is our throats narrow, and air has a hard time flowing in. The vibrations that result is an annoying sound known as snoring.

Tilting your head in some directions can help reduce the snore by letting air in easier. Of course, most of us require the willpower to tilt our heads to particular degrees as we sleep.

What Nora does is slightly move your head for you, silently and gently, using a soft padded insert that you place below your pillow. The insert is made of smooth material so you can use any pillow and move as much as you want. Besides the insert, there is a small pump located under the bed that inflates and deflates the insert. Rounding out the items is an egg-shaped receiver that picks up on your snoring. The receiver can be set anywhere near the bed.

The receiver hears the snore emanating (at levels undetectable to human ears) and sends a signal to the pump, which deflates or inflates the insert respectively. Nora allows users to breathe naturally and decreases the volume and repetition of snoring. Nora comes in a pack with a rechargeable battery, making it transportable.

3. Anti-snore Pillow

Typically, you would suspect a pillow on this list. It has already been proven that what pillow you use may determine how much you snore, or if you snore at all. An ideal solution to snoring would, therefore, be to use another sort of pillow. But what kind of pillow would best inhibit your snore? How would you even conclude such a thing?

The trick is quite straightforward. If snoring is the consequence of a constricted air passage, then you can lessen it by straightening the passage. Straightening the way involves keeping the head and neck in the right position, usually straight. It is the basis of the anti-snore pillow. There are many anti-snore pillows available to choose from, and many fit into standard pillowcases.

The standard anti-snore pillow should come with a slightly indented center and elevated base edge. It will raise the chin, which will keep the jaw open and slightly forward. It, in turn, will guarantee air flows freely. The anti-snore pillow is a portion of a large class of orthopedic pillows which adjust the body in a way based on what the user requires. Orthopedic pillows can help with blood circulation, insomnia, neck discomfort and other diseases.

4. Breathe Right Nasal Strips

One of the unique anti-snoring devices, the nasal strip, works on a simple principle: open up the nasal entrance so that more air gets in. One of the causes of reduced airflow near the throat is a lack of adequate air coming in through the nose. A cold or allergies may cause narrowing of the nasal cavity. The nasal strip lifts and opens the nasal passage to lessen snoring.

Of the brands available, Breath Right is amongst the more trusted. For those who are on the hearing end of the snore, Breathe Right even implies some methods to help them make it through the crisis. Getting to bed early, utilizing a white noise maker, providing your partners a little nudge to get them to sleep on their backs rather than their stomachs and slimming down are some of the things they suggest.

5. SnoreRX Mouthpiece

The SnoreRX mouthpiece is a somewhat-invasive device for reducing snoring. It works like the anti-snore pillow in principle – its primary goal is to reposition the jaw. The device is FDA approved for use in snore reduction and comes custom fitted to the user. Made of a safe copolymer that causes insignificant discomfort once it is in place. The device can push the lower jaw forward in increments of 1 mm, providing for exact adjustment.

The mixture of precision and non-metallic material makes the SnoreRX ambitious with non-invasive mechanisms. It is proven to work for 30 days at least, during which you can obtain a full refund should you have any problems. Several doctors and dental professionals stand behind this oral device.

6. Sleep.ai Wearable (with ‘Do I Snore or Grind’ App)

One more Indiegogo-funded wearable on this record, the Sleep.ai wearable is the finale of yet more focused thought on the perennially thorny issue of nocturnal throat vibrations. This device is important for its ability to reduce that other devil of the night, bruxism, also known as teeth-grinding.

The idea behind the Sleep.ai wearable is comparable to Nora. Most individuals who snore do so when they are laying on their backs. When the associated app (Do I Snore or Grind, available on Android and iOS) catches a snore coming, it gives a signal to the wearable, which you place on your arm. The arm wearable vibrates, making you shift to sleeping on your side, therefore decreasing snoring.

The vibration is also supposed to prevent teeth grinding on the assumption that biofeedback can be applied to help the grinding stop. One critical question you may have is how the person wearing the device knows when to turn over. It could also be very annoying to be nudged many times a night with a poke on your arm.

Besides these concerns, the Sleep.ai wearable is a genuinely innovative appliance that may work for some people.

7. Fotona NightLase Machine

A favorite in the Philippines, the Fotona NightLase Machine is unlike any other object on this list. It is the only kind of dermatological alternative available for snoring. The machine uses a laser and compresses the collagen in the oral mucosa tissue (the inside of your mouth). Ideally, what this does is stop the tissue from relaxing too much, so that air can flow smoothly and you can get a good night’s rest.

Brought to you by skincare company Luminesce Holistic Innovations, the Fotona NightLase is prone to have its share of retractors. Much like the plastic mandible featured in in item number 5 above, there is a sense of intrusion involved. Does it work? You would have to travel to the Philippines to find out because that is the only place the service is provided.

One advantage of the NightLase is that it only takes three 15-minute sessions over the span of two months to get the soundest results. The device helps not only with snoring but with sleep apnea as well. Sleep apnea is what occurs when the body does not get sufficient oxygen as you sleep.

8. My Snoring Solution Chin Strap

The My Snoring Solution Chin Strap resembles like something a college football player from the ‘40s might wear under his helmet. It is worn as the name suggests, with extensions behind and in front of the ear which assemble at the chin. The basic premise behind this design is the muscles in your throat can soften and reduce airflow as you sleep, blocking the air passage. In extreme situations, sleep apnea may result.

The chin strap holds the lower jaw in place, thereby maintaining the passage open. It can be adjusted to fit any shape or size of the head. Studies conducted with the chin strap have shown that it leads to reduced episodes of sleep apnea, reduced snore count and, incidentally, lower blood pressure in the morning. Snoreless sleep is better to sleep overall.

The chin strap is comparatively lightweight, and after a few nights, it becomes unnoticeable. You can get a replacement within the first 90 days if the one you purchased does not fit.

9. Airing Cordless Micro-Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Device

Just trying to enunciate that one can be sleep-inducing. The CPAP machine has been in use for a long time. The insight here is that if you use a machine to help yourself breathe as you sleep, you can stop snoring and sleep apnea. Typically, this includes placing a mask over your nose and mouth or just your nose. The machine raises the air pressure in your throat, forcing the air into your lungs.

The Airing device takes it a bit further by getting rid of the masks, cords, and hoses. It is a little device with two prongs that are located in the nostrils. It essentially forces air through the nose at a higher speed, getting past any restrictions up ahead.

CPAP, in general, has traditionally been very useful in treating people with sleep apnea. In fact, it is the most efficient non-surgical treatment for the condition. It is also the most regularly used. Of course, it also provides anti-snoring results for those who simply want to stop snoring.

10. Surgery

In the complete worst case scenario where your snoring is a physical and psychological risk to yourself or others, you can consider surgery. You should also contemplate surgery in cases of acute sleep apnea. Sleep apnea has been associated with memory impairment, cardiovascular disease, hyperglycemia, weight gain, and headaches.

Which surgery you get depends on what you want to do. There are some that remove excess tissue from the throat (in some cases even the tonsils and adenoids), while others include correcting the septum (in your nasal cavity). Some surgeries are planned to reposition tiny bones in the upper airway, and some are used to insert plastic barrels in the soft palate to strengthen it.

Many of the surgeries come with long, foreboding names, like uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and radiofrequency palatoplasty, but do not be put off. If your snoring is dangerous and all else has failed, these simple surgeries could heal you.

Stop Snoring Now

With all these fabulous products to choose from, snoring should no longer be a predicament in your household. There are both non-invasive and somewhat-invasive alternatives on offer. Some use wavelengths, others head-tilting. Some are more pricey than others.
Whatever you choose, there is no better critic of the efficacy of a product than your morning self, put some of the devices available in the market to the test, and determine what is the best snore stopper for you.