Why Back Sleepers Are More Prone to Snoring

The Science of Supine-Dependent Snoring

While snoring can occur in any position, scientific research clearly shows that sleeping on your back (the supine position) is one of the most significant triggers for airway collapse - which then causes snoring. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, titled "Continuous and Loud Snoring Only in the Supine Posture" (Source), documented cases where patients experienced "loud and continuous snoring" exclusively while sleeping on their backs, with symptoms virtually disappearing when they switched to a lateral (side) position.

The reason is simple physics: gravity. When you lie flat on your back, gravity pulls the tongue and the soft palate (the fleshy tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth) downward. According to biomechanical modeling studies, the soft palate acts almost like a "one-way valve" in this position. As you relax into deep sleep, the muscles in your throat lose tone, allowing these tissues to fall backward and narrow the airway.

As air forces its way through this narrowed passage, the tissues vibrate, creating the sound of snoring. Research indicates that this "supine-dependent" snoring is highly prevalent. One study found that nearly 65% to 70% of non-apneic snorers are "positional snorers," (Source) meaning their snoring is primarily caused by their sleeping position.

Why Switching to "Just Sleeping on Your Side" Rarely Works

The Challenge of Changing Your Sleep Position
If you are a natural back sleeper, you have likely heard the advice to "simply sleep on your side." Doctors refer to this as positional therapy. While effective in theory, it is notoriously difficult to maintain in practice.

Humans are creatures of habit, and our bodies naturally revert to their most comfortable position during unconscious sleep. Studies on positional therapy devices show that while they can reduce snoring, many users struggle with long-term adherence because forcing a new sleeping position can lead to shoulder and hip pain, sleep fragmentation, and ultimately involuntary reversion of your sleeping position. So you are back to square one!

How the VitalSleep Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece Effectively Solves Supine Snoring

The VitalSleep Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece is a Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD), which is clinically proven to treat the root cause of supine snoring: airway collapse.

Since gravity pulls the lower jaw and tongue backward when you lie on your back, VitalSleep works by gently advancing the lower jaw forward. Because the tongue is attached to the lower jaw, moving the jaw forward pulls the tongue away from the back of the throat. This helps overcome snoring due to sleeping on one's back for several reasons:

• Airway Stabilization: By holding the jaw in a forward position, the device mechanically prevents the tongue from collapsing into the airway, regardless of gravity.
• Unrestricted Breathing: Unlike chin straps that clamp the mouth shut, VitalSleep features a unique airflow design that allows you to breathe freely through your mouth if necessary—a crucial feature for back sleepers who may experience nasal congestion.
• Freedom of Movement: You don't need to strap a tennis ball to your back or buy expensive specialized pillows. You can sleep in the position that is most comfortable for your spine and joints, without the noise.

Other Common Snoring Remedies for Back Sleepers (And Why They Often Fall Short)

Before settling on a solution, it helps to understand why other common remedies might not have worked for you:

• Wedge Pillows & Elevated Beds: Conceptually, elevating your head reduces the gravitational pull on the throat tissues. In practice, however, this solution is only helpful for cases of mild snoring. Many back sleepers find themselves sliding down the wedge during the night, ending up flat on their back again by morning.
• Nasal Strips & Dilators: The idea here is that opening up the nasal passages helps improve airflow. The problem: Snoring mostly occurs because you breathe through your mouth when you sleep. So unless your snoring is caused by nasal congestion (which it rarely ever is), this approach won't work for you.
• Chin Straps: Chin straps help keep the mouth closed to prevent mouth breathing. The issue with this strategy is that if your tongue is falling back and blocking your throat as you sleep, clamping your jaw shut without moving it forward can actually trap the tongue further back, potentially worsening the obstruction.