Can you cure snoring for under $100?
Sleep experts give their thoughts on the anti-snoring products at your local pharmacy.
Sleep experts give their thoughts on the anti-snoring products at your local pharmacy.
Is snoring driving you mad? We asked Dr Lutz Beckert, a respiratory and sleep specialist at Christchurch Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Otago University, and Dr Alex Bartle, GP and director of the nationwide Sleep Well Clinics, to tell us which ones work.
Dr Beckert said the little adhesive strips that you place across the outside of your nose will help you breathe better in the night, but if you’re a bad snorer they won’t do much.
“By the time your snoring is bad enough that your partner complains about it, nasal strips are not likely to make any difference.”
Australia’s Sleep Health Foundation agrees - “nasal dilator strips can unblock your nose. But by themselves they won’t stop snoring.”
They also work out to be expensive if you’re buying them regularly, Dr Beckert said. At about $1 per strip, they’ll add up quickly.
Dr Bartle said while some people reported that they helped, he thought there was “a fair bit of placebo effect” going on. “They rely on the partner reporting back, and many want to believe their money was well spent.”
However, the American Sleep Association says you shouldn’t write them off. “Studies appear to be mixed on the effectiveness of snore strips,” the association’s website says. “Although snoring strips will not treat sleep disorders, they may decrease snoring in some cases. Since they usually do not cause side effects and are relatively affordable, it might be worth a try.”
Dr Beckert said dilators that go in the nose and have valves that open when you breathe in do work but aren’t well tolerated. “In theory they should work but I haven’t found anyone who can tolerate them for more than a few nights.”
Worth trying? Maybe
Nasal sprays get a big thumbs up from Dr Bartle – but only for children and only as a prescription steroid spray designed to shrink their adenoids, which is often the cause of children’s snoring. But for adults, he said, sprays are unlikely to work.
The doctors agreed that over-the-counter nasal sprays, which have the intention to lubricate the parts where snoring happens, are not likely to work for eight hours.
Worth trying? No
These devices which pull the tongue forward, usually using suction, get a tick of approval from our sleep physicians.
“They do actually work, bizarrely, if you can manage to sleep with it,” Dr Beckert said. “They make sense because it pulls the tongue from the floppy part of the throat, and they’re also quite cheap.”
“I’ve tried them all,” Dr Bartle said. One he approves of is a New Zealand invention called the AVEOtsd, which costs about $100 at pharmacies.
“You’re sucking the tongue forward so it stops it from falling back, but they’re not that easy to wear,” he said.
Others that push the tongue down work in theory – “but in practice you’ll be gagging”, Dr Bartle said. And that’s not conducive to a good night’s sleep. Dr Beckert agreed: “Most people don’t last a single night with them.”
Worth trying? Yes
This is another device that goes in your mouth and is attached to your teeth to bring your lower jaw forward and keep your tongue away from your throat, giving you a wider airway. They look a bit like a mouthguard.
“They do upset the jaw joint so dentists don’t like them, generally,” Dr Bartle said. “If you’re going to go down that path, by all means try it, but if you want to continue, then do it in consultation with your dentist.”
The Australasian Sleep Association says they’re a proven treatment for snoring. But its official position is: “Both the available data and expert clinicians’ experience suggest that there is a very limited role for off-the-shelf or boil-and-bite-type MADs.” They may be helpful for “simple snoring” if it’s moderate but are not suitable for sleep apnoea, it says. “The unreliable fit often leads to poor tolerance and potentially undesirable dental side effects. The provision of these or any teeth-retained devices should only be undertaken by an appropriately trained dentist.”
Worth trying? Yes
This is a piece of tape with a vent that goes over your mouth, encouraging you to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. But while they might appear to solve the snoring problem, Dr Bartle said the noise has just been dampened by moving the breathing to your nose.
“The reality is if you snore through your nose, it’s not as loud as if you’re snoring through the mouth. So you’re still snoring but it’s just not as loud as when the mouth is open,” he said.
Dr Beckert said mouth tape could also make it harder to breathe, so you’re in a shallow sleep state for most of the night. “If that happens, snoring is likely to be reduced since snoring generally occurs in the deeper stages of sleep when the muscles are more relaxed.” So while you might be quieter, you’re not likely to wake up feeling refreshed.
Worth trying? No
Dr Beckert said everybody snores at some stage in their life, and sometimes it can just mean you’re really tired. But there’s a simple trick to work out how much of a problem your snoring is.
For a lot of people, sleeping on their side will be enough to make the sound stop. And a way to make yourself stay there is to stitch a pocket or a sock to the back of a T-shirt and put a tennis ball in it. When you try to roll on to your back in your sleep, the discomfort will prompt you back on to your side.
“But if you continue to snore on your side, there’s a good chance you have sleep apnoea,” he said.
Dr Bartle said you can also find devices online that you wear and that vibrate if you try to lie on your back. “So it stops your partner from having to wake up to do it, but you’re still waking up.”
If you’re told you snore in the night, then pause before gasping for air, you could have sleep apnoea. This condition affects about 10 percent of women and 25 percent of men in New Zealand. It’s caused by the muscles in your airways relaxing and blocking/ obstructing air flow. Sufferers stop breathing throughout the night until their brain wakes them up – sometimes hundreds of times.
Symptoms include:
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most effective treatment. It involves wearing a mask that’s attached to a small air pump to keep your airway open while you sleep.
Having to get one might be a bit of a scary thought. The idea of wearing a mask over your face every night isn’t the most appealing, not to mention the cost – they are usually about $1000-$2500.
But Dr Bartle said they come with a guarantee that they work. He advised getting one from a professional who can set you up and regularly check in to make sure it’s working. He said about 60 percent of people struggle to get it right when they’re setting it up.
Dr Beckert said research had shown CPAP causes better daytime alertness, better decision making and lower blood pressure.
People with very severe sleep apnoea can get one funded, but most people would have to fork out for one. If you’re already paying for over-the-counter snoring fixes regularly, though, the cost of those would be better put into monthly repayments on a CPAP machine, he said.
If you’re interested in going down this route, you can talk to your GP, who is likely to refer you to a sleep physician or ear, nose and throat specialist, or you can contact a sleep clinic directly
There are some factors that make you more likely to be a snorer. If you want to try to cure your snoring with lifestyle changes, you can try:
It took about 3 to 4 weeks on the CPAP machine before I noticed significant improvement to my alertness (especially during the afternoon/evening). Now I can do more after the daily work routine!
I was diagnosed with moderate level sleep apnea, then trialed a machine for 5 weeks ($25/week rental) with Eden Sleep; now I'm on a $18/week payment plan, too easy!
I've used devices from Snorex that hold my tongue forward for many years and they really work for me.
I've been wearing a custom-made MAD by Snorex for almost as long as they've been going (25 years) and it's great. I've gone through a few - the tops and bottoms of the early ones kept separating - but the latest one made in 2015 is still going strong. I even use it when I am away from home overnight as it helps me get a better night's sleep and stops me getting a sore throat. It took a few days to get used to but now I don't even notice it - unless I forget to put it in! Totally recommended. My dentist doesn't have any problems with it and my wife thinks it is wonderful! Snorex.co.nz.
Shocking price here. Same brand in UK is about 1/4 of the price. Or order from China at a few cents each.
My partner uses one of these. It has improved his snoring hugely, and he gets a proper nights sleep. Previously he's end up napping in the afternoons, tired in the mornings or asleep on the couch by 7pm - life is much better now. Took a couple of weeks to get used to it, and if he forgets to put it in, or leaves it behind, he has a terrible night. Well worth their investment!
I bought a Patney pillow as a present for my husband and was delighted to find that the bouts of snoring were very rare after he started using it.
Unfortunately I think the company has gone out of business so we won’t be able to buy a replacement when the current one wears out.
I have one that has only been used once or twice - happy to sell. peta.laery@gmail.com
I had a custom fitted MAD (Snorex) device fitted for me 12 years ago. It has worked extremely well. This was during a time of high work stress. It stopped me snoring. The device still works well and I only need to use it occasionally. It still fits my mouth well and my dentist had no issue when I told her about it.
I've snored - loudly - since a teenager. It was affecting our marriage (wife couldn't sleep!). I tried manibular advancement splint - didn't help. I had uvulu palatal flap surgery - didn't help. Tried CPAP during a sleep study - it just works. Marriage saved. (That was about 8 years ago. I still use it every night. Yes, I have sleep apnoea.)
I sufferred from sleep apnea for years. I dealt with Eden Sleep in New Plymouth and after trialling a machine purchased one. I have owned it for 13 years and wouldn't be without it.
I have been using a small device that looks like a staple with magnets at its tips. It fits between the 2 nostrils. I have had some marked success with this (according to my wife). It does tend to get uncomfortable as the night wears on, and they sometimes have the tendency to fall out which gives you something to do in the morning (finding it). I don't know how they work.
As a hospital sleep clinic I was was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea and advised to get a mandibular advancement device (my case was not severe enough to require a CPAP machine). The brand I have, Snorex, is tailor made - they take an impression (mould) of the jaw/teeth and measure the jaw movement, then make the device in a few days, then have a fitting appointment. Using it caused an initial jaw ache which subsided after a few days. The device has been effective and has lasted about 10 years so far. The cost is $690.
The Patney anti-snore pillow works for me but I think they've gone out of bussiness now due to covid.
I am a dentist, I snore if I don't wear a Mandibular advancement device. A properly made and fitted device has been proven to prevent snoring and significantly reduce sleep apnoea.
They should last for years and are comfortable and easy to wear.
Many marriages have been saved by the wearing of one of these devices.
Don't bother with an over the counter device. Get a properly made device
I have had a CPAP for a few years now & beside the smart arse comments from my family(you look like Hannibal Lecter & sound like Darth Vader) it is great I sleep well & wake up refreshed.
I use Mouth tape and would definitely recommend it to try. The micropore tape is around $3 at Pharmacies. I was a chronic mouth breather, snoring and waking up 2-3 times a night . I have switched over to nasal breathing as much as possible and use mouth tape to assist when sleeping and now get a full nights sleep. When you nasal breath , your nose releases Nitric oxide which improves oxygen circulation in the blood - how this would give you a worse sleep as mentioned in the article is puzzling.
Hi - I use a small piece of inexpensive paper surgical tape. Instead of placing it along the entire mouth I just put the tape in the centre. It keeps my mouth from falling open, which causes me to snore, but it isn't claustrophobic as I can still open the sides of my mouth. This is incredibly effective for me - I thought I would feel constrained, but actually I feel more relaxed sleeping this way. I feel better in the morning and my oura ring stats have improved. And it's such a simple answer after trying more challenging methods including cpap.
Cpap didn't work as, even on the lowest settting, the air pressure would blow my lips apart as soon as I would drift off (imagnine a hilarious image of a horse blowing a a raspberry!)
I snore, but sleep soundly and wake up refreshed. I was recommended a CPAP and never slept well, waking up exhausted. I tried it for 6 months. As soon as I stopped using it I slept like a baby. It might help with sleep apnea, but it can tend to be recommended for snoring which didn't help me.
I snore. I have a CPAP machine (You can rent them from Eden Sleep to try) and it really works. I feel so much better when I've used it. But it takes a while to get used to it and it's not sexy. So since I have had a new boyfriend, I haven't used it. Instead I use a Mandibular advancement device, fitted by my dentist. (Alpers Dental) It's fantastic. It drastically reduces the snoring and it's not too ugly. Lol. It's also very portable and great for travelling (and on planes!) They are pricey, but worth it.
Thanks for the recommendation of Eden Sleep and renting a CPAP. I am pretty sure that I have sleep apnoea, so I'm going to contact them. Nothing at all to lose. I already wake up tired, often with a headache and terrible concentration.
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