Best Sleeping Positions to Stop Snoring Naturally

Whether you’re a snorer or share a bed with one, you’ll likely already know that snoring can disrupt your sleep.

However, this isn’t a rare problem! According to expert research, snoring is quite common, with 44% of men and 28% of women between ages 30 and 60 snoring regularly (Rowley, 2019).

In this article, we’re exploring the best sleep positions to stop snoring to help you alleviate the problem. We’ll also touch on natural ways to stop snoring and when you should reach out to your doctor. Get comfortable, and let's dive in.

How Does Position Affect Sleeping

Finding a good sleeping position isn’t just about getting comfortable. Your sleeping posture can also impact your sleep quality, chances of snoring, back pain, and certain health conditions.

For example, sleeping with your arms above your head makes you more likely to experience shoulder pain. Or interestingly, if you sleep on your left side, you experience better digestion and less acid reflux (Simadibrata et al., 2023).

Snoring is caused by having a partially blocked airway. The tissues in your throat touch and vibrate, causing the snoring sound.

We’ll explore the best positions to stop snoring below, but the key takeaway is that the ideal sleeping position prioritizes proper alignment and keeps your airways open—avoiding hunching or twisting your back.

After years of sleeping in an awkward position, suddenly training yourself can be difficult. This is where memory pillows and sleep aides come in handy.

These ergonomic pillows use memory foam and adjustable materials to support your body, ensuring a healthier position and better sleep quality.

Best Positions To Stop Snoring

When it comes to the best sleeping positions to stop snoring, your best bet is to sleep on your side. This is because side sleeping keeps your airway open and reduces the chance of it becoming partially blocked.

Let’s explore the most common sleeping positions and their benefits for snorers:

• Back Sleeping — Back sleeping, or the supine position, is the worst for snoring as gravity compresses your airway by pulling down your tongue and throat.
• Stomach Sleeping — Stomach sleeping can reduce snoring, as it keeps your airway open. However, it’s not as healthy for your back and spine, so it’s not recommended over side sleeping.
• Side Sleeping — Side sleeping is the best of the sleeping positions to stop snoring, as it keeps your airways open and can be optimised for spinal alignment and back health.

How Memory Foam Pillows Can Help

Alongside choosing a healthy sleeping position, you can use memory foam pillows to support your posture.

Ergonomic and memory foam plays a crucial role in these positions by aligning the head, neck, and spine, ensuring proper airflow and reducing the likelihood of snoring.

Natural Ways To Stop Snoring

Alongside embracing the sleep positions to stop snoring, you can make small lifestyle changes to lessen the problem.

Here are some natural ways to stop snoring:

• Use nasal strips or dilators — These help open nasal passages, improving airflow and reducing snoring.
• Weight loss — Losing weight can reduce the severity and frequency of snoring, putting less strain on your airways.
• Anti-snoring mouthpieces — These position the jaw to keep the airway open and reduce snoring. You can find these online or from specialist shops.
• Quit smoking — Smoking can inflame your airways, and quitting leaves them less irritated.
• Avoid alcohol before bedtime — Avoiding alcohol before bedtime helps prevent the relaxation of throat muscles, as this leads to potential snoring (Burgos-Sanchez et al., 2020).
• Mouth exercises (e.g., strengthening your tongue muscles) — Stronger mouth and throat muscles are less likely to collapse and cause snoring.

When To Contact a Doctor About Snoring

For many, snoring is a frustrating problem and not anything serious to worry about. But in some cases, snoring can indicate an underlying health issue.

If snoring persists despite lifestyle changes and you feel sleepy during the day, consult a doctor.

You should also see a doctor if you make choking sounds or stop breathing during sleep, as this may indicate sleep apnea.

Final Words

Finding the best sleeping positions and learning how to stop snoring go hand in hand.

Hopefully, this article has helped you understand how your posture affects the chance of snoring, and that you should try to sleep on your side where possible to ensure your airway is clear.

Sleep aids and ergonomic pillows can help you achieve a quieter night.

See all of the Groove memory foam pillows here

Back to the Groove blog.

REFERENCES

1. Burgos-Sanchez, C., Jones, N.N., Avillion, M., Gibson, S.J., Patel, J.A., Neighbors, J., Zaghi, S. and Camacho, M. (2020). Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Snoring and Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 163(6), pp.1078–1086. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599820931087.
2. Rowley, J. A. (2019). Snoring in adults. In A. F. Eichler (Ed.), UpToDate.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/snoring-in-adults
3. Simadibrata, D.M., Lesmana, E., Amangku, B.R., Wardoyo, M.P. and Simadibrata, M. (2023). Left lateral decubitus sleeping position is associated with improved gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Clinical Cases, [online] 11(30), pp.7329–7336. doi:https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v11.i30.7329.