Why do I snore, and how can I actually stop?

Roughly 40% of adult men and 24% of adult women in the UK snore regularly. Most of the time it is more annoying to the person next to us than dangerous to us. But sometimes snoring is the visible tip of something more important.

Snoring happens when the soft tissues at the back of the throat, including the soft palate, tongue and pharyngeal muscles, vibrate as air moves past them during sleep. If those tissues collapse enough to briefly block the airway, snoring can progress into obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a genuinely serious condition. OSA is associated with raised blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and daytime cognitive impairment (Balasubramaniam et al., 2024).

It is important to remember that not everyone who snores has OSA, and not everyone with OSA snores loudly. If symptoms suggest OSA, diagnosis requires appropriate assessment, often using home sleep apnoea testing or an overnight sleep study rather than snoring alone.

Here is the encouraging part. A 2026 overview of systematic reviews published in the Journal of Sleep Research, drawing on 21 primary studies involving 716 participants, suggested that orofacial myofunctional therapy, a programme of tongue, soft palate and throat muscle exercises, can reduce the severity of sleep apnoea, improve daytime sleepiness and improve subjective sleep quality (Pisoni et al., 2026). The authors also noted that much of the underlying evidence remains low quality and that larger, high-quality trials are still needed. An earlier 2015 meta-analysis published in Sleep found that myofunctional therapy reduced the apnoea-hypopnoea index by around 50% in adults and also measurably reduced snoring intensity (Camacho et al., 2015).

That is a striking finding for a simple, low-cost intervention that can be practised at home in just a few minutes each day, provided it is performed consistently over several weeks.

When snoring is a signal, not just noise

Talk to your GP if you or your partner has noticed any of the following. This is not to alarm you. These symptoms are common, treatable and worth investigating.

• Loud, disruptive snoring with witnessed pauses in breathing
• Gasping or choking sounds during sleep
• Waking unrefreshed regardless of how long you slept
• Excessive daytime sleepiness, particularly while driving
• Falling asleep unintentionally while watching television, in meetings or during other quiet activities
• Morning headaches or a persistently dry mouth
• Rising blood pressure, particularly if it is difficult to control

The four biggest evidence-based levers

Sleep position. Sleeping on your side can significantly reduce snoring, particularly if it mainly occurs when lying on your back. Traditional techniques, such as placing a tennis ball into the back of a pyjama top, can still work, although modern positional therapy devices are often more comfortable and easier to use consistently.

Body weight. For people who are overweight or obese, losing 5 to 10% of body weight can meaningfully reduce both snoring and the severity of OSA.

Alcohol and sedatives. Both relax the muscles that help keep the airway open. Avoiding alcohol within three hours of bedtime can make a noticeable difference, particularly during the first half of the night.

Nasal congestion. Persistent nasal blockage increases the likelihood of snoring. Treating allergies, using a saline rinse, taking a warm shower before bed or seeking medical assessment for chronic congestion may all help.

Try a five-minute mouth and tongue routine

The following exercises are simplified examples inspired by published myofunctional therapy programmes rather than the full supervised protocols used in research studies. Performed consistently each day for eight to twelve weeks, they may help strengthen the muscles that support the airway during sleep.

• Push the tip of your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth and slowly slide it backwards. Repeat 20 times.
• Suck your whole tongue against the roof of your mouth and hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
• Press the back of your tongue against the floor of your mouth while keeping the tip touching your bottom front teeth. Hold for five seconds and repeat 10 times.

A reflection

Snoring is not something you have to accept as inevitable. If it has become your normal, it is worth finding out why. Sometimes the answer is surprisingly simple. Occasionally it uncovers a treatable medical condition. Either way, better sleep rarely starts by ignoring the problem.

References:

Balasubramaniam, R., McCloy, K., Almeida, F. R., & Cistulli, P. A. (2024). Oral appliance therapy for snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea: A practical guide for clinical care. Australian Dental Journal.

Camacho, M., Certal, V., Abdullatif, J., Zaghi, S., Ruoff, C. M., Capasso, R., & Kushida, C. A. (2015). Myofunctional therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep, 38(5), 669-675. 

Pisoni, E., Buttafava, L., Guida, S., Castellini, G., Bargeri, S., & Gianola, S. (2026). Myofunctional therapy in adults and children with obstructive sleep apnea: An overview and re-analysis of systematic reviews. Journal of Sleep Research, 35(3), e70219.