How to Reduce Snoring

In 2021, we commissioned a consumer survey which included questions to determine the most common problems UK adults have with their sleep – unsurprisingly, snoring was towards the top of the list, with as many as 42% of UK adults saying that they can be disturbed by their partner’s snoring. [1] While it may be a common problem, that certainly doesn’t mean it’s a harmless one – being disturbed by snoring can have a significant impact on your sleep and in turn an impact on your wellbeing and relationship too.

Although you can’t always stop someone from snoring, there are some steps you can take to prevent the likelihood of snoring and reduce the effect snoring has on yours or your partner’s sleep. Here’s our tips on how you can help reduce the risk of snoring ruining a good night’s sleep.

H2: What causes snoring?

According to the NHS, certain parts of the body such as the airways in the nose, throat, tongue and mouth relax and narrow when we sleep. This can cause those body parts to vibrate as you sleep, which causes the snoring. [2]

The NHS website goes on to say that some things that increase your likeliness of snoring include:

·      Lifestyle factors including smoking and being overweight

·      Drinking too much alcohol before bed

·      Sleeping on your back

How can snoring affect me or my partner?

Unsurprisingly, being woken up or kept awake by a partner’s snoring is going to reduce the amount of quality sleep you get at night, which in turn can have a detrimental affect on your overall health. Lack of quality sleep can lead to low mood, forgetfulness, irritability and increased feelings of anxiety, as well as a range of physical health issues.

Some of these factors, such as irritability and forgetfulness, could also lead to arguments in your relationship.

How do you stop snoring?

There isn’t an instant miracle cure that can stop snoring entirely, but there are a few things you and your partner can do to prevent the chances of snoring and mitigate the extent to which snoring impact your or your partner’s sleep.

Try sleeping on your side

As mentioned above, the NHS has noted that sleeping on your back is more likely to cause snoring. Therefore, if you’re a snorer, it might be worth giving side sleeping a try.

If you do switch to sleeping on your side, you might find that your mattress no longer meets your needs. Side sleepers generally prefer a softer mattress (compared to back or front sleepers) to relieve pressure in the shoulders and hips.

You may also find you’re not getting the right support from your pillow either once you transition to sleeping on your back. Fortunately, there are plenty of pillows for side sleepers which can help you find your comfort again.

Cutting out any alcohol before bed

You don’t need to cut out alcohol altogether, but reducing the amount you drink before bed can help prevent snoring. Drinking less or stopping drinking earlier in the day can help reduce the chances of you snoring.

Lifestyle changes

As mentioned above, weight and smoking can both increase the likelihood of snoring, but making a few changes to your lifestyle can reduce this risk. Stopping smoking and maintaining a healthy weight can eliminate these factors that contribute to snoring, as well as have a number of general health benefits.

Reducing disruption from snoring

Snoring can’t always be completely prevented, so if you’re often disturbed by your partner’s snoring, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure your sleep isn’t impacted. To begin with, the Sleep Foundation say that going to bed before your partner could help. [3] Although this has not been researched, if you are in a deeper stage of sleep by the time your partner comes to bed and starts snoring, you may not be disturbed by their snoring as easily as if you went to bed at the same time.

Wearing soft earplugs can help you block out the sound too. Just be careful to make sure the earplugs don’t block out the sounds of anything you need to hear – such as your alarm!

You could also consider the possibility of sleeping in a different room to your partner. This practice is known as a “sleep divorce,” but it needn’t have such negative connotations – sleeping in separate rooms can prevent you and your partner from disturbing each other by snoring or getting up in the night.

Can a bed stop you from snoring?

As mentioned above, there isn’t an instant miracle cure that will altogether stop any chance of snoring. 

However, the TEMPUR Ergo™ Smart Base could help reduce snoring – when sensing micro-vibrations through your mattress from snoring (without using microphones), it lifts the head and shoulders up by 12 degrees a position which can help reduce snoring. With the integrated Sleeptracker-AI® app, you can also track when you’ve been snoring and identify patterns which may help you work out how you could reduce your likelihood of snoring.

Sources

[1] Quadrangle TEMPUR PRO Launch, March 2021 (2216 participants)

[2] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/snoring/

[3] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/snoring/how-to-sleep-when-someone-snores