How to Stop Snoring: What Actually Works (and What Doesn't)

By Dr. Boris Zusin · Published August 1, 2026

Search “how to stop snoring” and you'll find no shortage of tips, gadgets, and viral trends promising a quiet night's sleep. Some of it is genuinely useful. Some of it is, at best, unproven — and at worst, not something you should try without talking to a doctor first. Here's what actually holds up.

Start With the Basics

The lowest-risk, best-evidenced changes are also the simplest: sleep on your side rather than your back (lying on your back lets the tongue fall backward and narrow the airway), avoid alcohol and sedatives close to bedtime (they relax throat muscles more than usual), treat nasal congestion so you're not forced to breathe through your mouth, and lose weight if you're carrying extra tissue around the neck and throat. None of these require a purchase, and they're where most doctors recommend starting.

Nasal Strips and External Dilators

Adhesive nasal strips or dilators can genuinely help some people breathe easier through the nose, which can reduce snoring caused by nasal congestion. They're not effective for snoring caused by obstructive sleep apnea, so they're worth trying for mild, congestion-related snoring, but they're not a substitute for a diagnosis if something more serious is going on.

What About Mouth Taping?

Mouth taping — sealing the lips shut with medical tape to force nose-breathing — has become a popular social media trend, but the evidence behind it is thin. The studies that exist are small, and most of what's circulating is anecdotal rather than clinical. It also carries real risk: for anyone with nasal congestion, a deviated septum, enlarged tonsils, chronic allergies, or undiagnosed sleep apnea, taping the mouth shut can make it harder to get enough air during the night. If you're curious about it, that's a conversation for your doctor, not a decision to make solo based on a video.

When Lifestyle Changes Aren't Enough

If you've tried the basics and snoring is still disrupting your sleep — or your partner's — a custom oral appliance is typically the next step up. Unlike a nasal strip or tape, it addresses the actual mechanism (the airway narrowing at the throat, not the nose), and unlike an over-the-counter mouthguard, it's fitted and adjusted specifically to your bite and jaw position.

When to See a Doctor Instead of Trying More Home Remedies

If your snoring is loud and irregular, involves witnessed pauses in breathing, gasping, or choking, or comes with daytime fatigue or morning headaches, that's a different situation — those are signs it may be more than simple snoring, and worth a proper evaluation rather than another home remedy.