Quieter NightsShould I get tested?Get tested?

Reviewed by Ryan Smith, DDS

Why you snore, and what actually helps.

Find out why you snore, whether it could be more than snoring, and which fixes are worth your money. Every fix is rated by how good the evidence is.

Start here. Which one are you?

I snoreEvery fix, cheapest first, and what a dentist thinks of mouthpieces.My partner snoresHow to sleep tonight, and how to bring it up kindly.Could it be sleep apnea?Eight questions on the warning signs, and when to get tested.

What’s making the noise

Snoring is your airway vibrating as it narrows

When you fall asleep, the muscles in your throat relax. The soft palate and the base of your tongue sag back, the airway narrows, and air squeezing through makes the tissue flutter.

That’s why the fixes that work either keep the airway open (your position, your weight, less alcohol) or hold the jaw and tongue forward. A jaw-advancing mouthpiece is a dental device, which is why a dentist reviews this site.

Why do I snore? A dentist explains

Side view of the airway during sleepThe soft palate and the base of the tongue sit close to the back of the throat, leaving a narrow airway where tissue vibrates. With a jaw-advancing mouthpiece, the lower jaw and tongue move forward and the airway behind the tongue widens.TongueMouthpieceJaw moves forwardNoseSoft palateAirwayLower jaw
Asleep, muscles relax. The soft palate and tongue sag toward the back of the throat, and air squeezing past makes them vibrate.A jaw-advancing mouthpiece holds the lower jaw a few millimeters forward. The tongue comes with it, and the airway behind it widens.

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Two minutes, then you’ll know where to start

Should I get tested?Eight yes-or-no questions about the warning signs. Two minutes.Start →Mouthpiece matcherWhich kind of mouthpiece fits your mouth, and who should skip one.Start →Snoring pattern finderPick when you snore. Get the cheapest things to try first.Start →

The guides

Five sections, from why it happens to what to buy

Why you snore

What makes the noise, pattern by pattern.

  • Why do I snore? The causes, pattern by pattern
  • Why do I snore on my back? Positional snoring explained
  • Snoring after drinking: why alcohol makes you louder

Stop snoring

Every fix, cheapest first, rated by the evidence.

  • How to stop snoring: what actually works
  • Best anti-snoring mouthpieces: a dentist's guide to the options
  • Is mouth taping safe? What the evidence says

Mouth and jaw

A dentist on mouthpieces: how they work, fit, and side effects.

  • Do snoring mouthpieces work? What the evidence shows
  • How jaw-advancing mouthpieces work
  • Snoring mouthpiece side effects: what's normal and when to stop

Is it sleep apnea?

Warning signs, home tests and every treatment compared.

  • Snoring or sleep apnea? How to tell the difference
  • Sleep apnea symptoms: night, day and the ones people miss
  • Home sleep apnea test: how it works, who it's for, and what it costs

Sleeping next to a snorer

Sleep tonight, and how to bring it up.

  • How to sleep next to someone who snores
  • Best earplugs for a snoring partner: foam, silicone and sleep buds
  • Sound machines for a snoring partner: does white noise help?

How this site works

Honest about the evidence, and about the money

Every fix gets a badge

Strong Some Weak Each links to the study behind it. How we rate evidence.

Sleep apnea comes first

Store-bought mouthpieces are cleared for snoring only. Every snoring page shows the warning signs of sleep apnea before any product.

Paid links, disclosed

Some links earn a commission. Picks follow fit and evidence, never payout, and each page has at most three. How we make money.