Devices To Help Stop Snoring

Are you one of the 90 million Americans who suffer from snoring? According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 40% of adult men and 20% of adult women are habitual snorers. There are many different types of devices, over-the counter & prescription, to help you stop snoring. People will often start by buying nasal strips to help alleviate snoring and quickly move up to mouthguards. Mouthguards fall into two different categories: mandibular advancement devices (MADs) and tongue retaining devices (TRDs). Mandibular advancement devices are often molded to the user’s mouth to provide maximum comfort. Nasal strips are not effective for most cases of snoring because they tend to only be designed to relieve snoring that is due to congestion. 

How Does Snoring Impact Me and What Do I Do About It?

Snoring doesn’t just affect your sleep, although that is enough, it can impact multiple facets of your life. According to the Rush University Medical Center, snoring can have a detrimental effect on your spouse or partner. In one study, a snoring husband’s wife had a sleep efficiency rating of 73%; the average person’s sleep efficiency is closer to 90%. This was due, in large part, to her husband’s snoring issues. With some couples, snoring can contribute to significant disharmony in a relationship.

Snoring also has a significant negative impact on your health. According to the National Sleep Foundation, people who snore have issues with:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Headaches in the morning
• Weight gain
• Waking up and not feeling rested.
• Changes in level of attention, concentration, and memory.

Due to a drop in oxygen levels in the body, high blood pressure can also cause excessive and troublesome snoring. Physical exhaustion is also correlated with snoring. Excessive exhaustion can also make you more susceptible to illnesses, as it lowers the body’s immune system. If you are feeling less alert at work or school, you likely suffer from snoring.

Moreover, lack of sleep is a huge cost expenditure in the United States. According to Forbes, lack of sleep in the United States cost over $411 billion annually. Snoring, a huge contributor to lack of sleep, results in the loss of 1.2 million working days per year. People who snore tend to sleep less than six hours per night and have a 13 percent higher mortality risk than someone who gets a full night’s rest.

Here are some of the other health and wellness issues associated with lack of sleep and snoring:

• 75% of people who suffer from depression are also dealing with a lack of sleep.
• 20% of all car crashes are caused by or associated with driver fatigue.
• 20% of American adults suffer from pain due to lack of sleep.
• 82% of college students believe lack of sleep hurts their academic performance.

Many causes of snoring are lifestyle related. For instance, alcohol and smoking are major causes of snoring. Alcohol and other types of drugs relax your airway, contributing to snoring. Smoking also relaxes your tongue and throat muscles as you age, increasing your risk for snoring and sleep apnea. People who are overweight will often have excess throat tissue which is a large contributing factor of snoring.

Where People Commonly Look for Snoring Solutins

Most people start in a few obvious places:

• Pharmacies + big-box stores (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart): quick, low-cost options like nasal aids and sprays

• Online shopping (Amazon and brand websites): more variety, reviews, and side-by-side comparisons

• Dental or medical offices: when snoring is persistent, severe, or tied to breathing and sleep quality

• Sleep-focused sites + forums: people research what’s worked for others before they spend more

Where you shop is easy. Choosing the right category depends on what’s causing the snoring.