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Why you snore

Snoring is the soft tissue in your throat vibrating as air squeezes past. When it happens, and how, usually points to the cause. Start with your pattern.

Free toolSnoring pattern finder: Pick when you snore. Get the cheapest things to try first.

Read in this order

  1. Why do I snore? The causes, pattern by patternWhy you snore, in plain words: what vibrates in your throat, and how sleep position, alcohol, a stuffy nose, weight, pregnancy, age and medicines play in.
  2. Why do I snore on my back? Positional snoring explainedWhy snoring gets louder on your back, how to tell if yours is positional, and what helps you stay on your side, from a tennis ball to a body pillow.
  3. Snoring after drinking: why alcohol makes you louderWhy you snore more after a drink, what the studies show, and simple ways to cut it down, plus a note on sleeping pills and other sedating medicines.
  4. Does losing weight stop snoring? What the research showsHow extra weight narrows your airway, how much weight loss may help snoring, why slim people snore too, and where Zepbound fits for sleep apnea.
  5. Snoring with allergies: why a stuffy nose makes you snoreWhy allergies and a blocked nose make you snore, and what helps: saline rinses, allergy treatment, nasal strips and dilators, and why not to tape your mouth.
  6. Snoring during pregnancy: why it happens and when to mention itWhy many people start snoring in pregnancy, its links to high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, and what to tell your OB or midwife.
  7. Child snoring: when to worry and what to tell the pediatricianWhen a child's snoring is worth a pediatrician visit: the signs to watch for, the role of tonsils and adenoids, and what a dentist may notice.

Picks from these guides

If the free fixes haven’t worked

Each pick comes with who it isn’t for. Read the guide before you buy.

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PickMedCline

If you want help staying on your side

MedCline is an inclined wedge with a pocket for your lower arm, plus a body pillow behind you.

Not for: signs of sleep apnea (pauses, gasping, heavy daytime sleepiness): get tested first; lower back or hip injuries (the maker's own caution); people who can't sleep on their side; children: see a pediatrician about snoring.

See MedCline Read the guide
PickIntake Breathing

If your nose feels blocked at night

Intake is an external nasal dilator: a reusable magnetic band that clips onto small adhesive tabs on the sides of your nose.

Not for: signs of sleep apnea (pauses, gasping, heavy daytime sleepiness): get tested first; a nose that's blocked most of the time: see a doctor first; skin that reacts to adhesives; children: see a pediatrician about snoring.

See Intake Breathing Read the guide
PickCoop Sleep Goods

If side sleeping is uncomfortable

ACOG suggests a full-length body pillow for support when you sleep on your side.

Not for: loud snoring with pauses, gasping or heavy daytime sleepiness: tell your ob or midwife first; anyone happy with pillows they already own: a pillow between your knees and one under your belly does the same job.

See Coop Sleep Goods Read the guide