When someone snores next to you night after night, frustration can build quickly. Whether you’re the bed partner of a chronic snorer or looking to help a loved one get better rest, learning how to stop someone snoring immediately can be life-changing.
Snoring isn’t just a noisy nuisance. It can seriously disrupt sleep, damage relationships, and even be a sign of serious health conditions like obstructive sleep apnoea. Luckily, there are effective strategies available to manage snoring in the short and long term.
In this guide, we’ll cover immediate solutions to stop snoring, plus long-term strategies to reduce snoring, improve sleep health, and restore peace to your nights.
Why Does a Person Snore?
Snoring happens when the flow of air through the mouth or nose is restricted during sleep. As air pushes past relaxed soft tissues, particularly the soft palate, it causes vibrations, and that familiar snoring sound.
A person snores for many reasons:
- Relaxed muscle tone during sleep
- Nasal congestion or blocked nasal passages
- Sleeping on the back, causing the tongue to fall backward
- Obesity, which adds pressure to the upper airway
- Drinking alcohol before bed
- Certain medications that promote muscle relaxation
- Physical traits like a deviated septum or a narrow airway
Snoring is common but shouldn’t be ignored. In many cases, snoring occurs alongside sleep disorders, especially sleep apnoea, a condition linked to cardiovascular disease, elevated blood pressure, and various long-term health conditions.
Is Snoring a Serious Condition?
Mild, occasional snoring may not require medical attention. However, severe snoring, particularly when loud or paired with gasping, choking, or long pauses in breathing, could indicate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
People with OSA often:
- Snore loudly
- Experience excessive daytime sleepiness
- Struggle with poor sleep
- Show signs of daytime fatigue
- Suffer from sleep deprivation
OSA occurs when the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, stopping breathing for seconds or even minutes. Over time, this impacts oxygen levels and contributes to serious health risks.
If your snoring partner shows these signs, they should be evaluated at a sleep clinic.
How to Stop Someone Snoring Immediately: 11 Quick Fixes
Here’s what you can do right now to help someone stop snoring tonight.
1. Change Their Sleep Position
Sleeping on your back allows the tongue and lower jaw to shift backward, reducing the space in the airway. This can worsen snoring.
Encourage sleeping on your side using a body pillow or by placing a tennis ball in the back of your pyjamas (to discourage back sleeping).
2. Elevate the Head
Try using an additional pillow or a wedge-shaped cushion to keep the head elevated, which helps open the airway and prevent snoring.
This is particularly effective if snoring occurs due to relaxed throat muscles or weight gain.
3. Use Nasal Strips or Dilators
Snoring caused by nasal congestion, not related to sleep apnoea, can often be resolved with:
- Nasal strips that physically open the nostrils
- Nasal dilators (worn inside the nose)
- Saline sprays or steam to reduce swelling in the nasal passages
This helps air flow freely and reduces snoring immediately.
4. Encourage Hydration
Dehydration thickens mucus in the throat, contributing to airway blockage.
Make sure they drink enough water throughout the day and avoid drinking alcohol, which dehydrates and worsens snoring.
5. Avoid Alcohol Before Bed
Drinking alcohol before bedtime causes muscle relaxation in the throat and increases the risk. The same goes for sedatives or sleep aids.
Ask your partner to skip alcohol for at least 3 hours before falling asleep.
6. Keep the Room Air Moist
Dry air can irritate the nasal passages and the upper airway. A cool-mist humidifier may help reduce inflammation and promote clearer breathing.
7. Try an Oral Appliance
A mouthguard or oral appliance helps reposition the lower jaw and tongue to prevent airway blockage.
Over-the-counter devices are available, but a dentist can provide a custom-fitted version for better results.
8. Clear Allergens
Dust, pollen, or pet dander in the bedroom can inflame the nasal tissue. Use hypoallergenic bedding, air purifiers, and wash linens frequently.
9. Adjust Their Pillow
An old or flat pillow can make the head tilt in a way that narrows the airway. Try switching to a firm, supportive pillow to keep the head and neck aligned.
10. Encourage a Shower Before Bed
Steam from a hot shower can clear nasal congestion, especially if snoring is caused by colds, allergies, or a deviated septum.
11. Consider Sleeping Separately (Temporarily)
If you’re suffering from poor sleep due to a partner’s snoring, it’s okay to sleep in another room occasionally to protect your own health. You need enough sleep to function, and so do they.
Long-Term Ways to Prevent Snoring for Good
While immediate solutions are helpful, sustainable strategies will prevent snoring in the long term.
1. Lose Weight
Even a small amount of weight loss can significantly improve snoring by reducing pressure on the upper airway and improving muscle tone.
Encourage your partner to lose weight through exercise and healthy eating. It helps prevent snoring, improve sleep health, and reduce the risk of sleep disorders.
2. Use a CPAP Machine (If Diagnosed)
A CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the gold standard for treating obstructive sleep apnoea. It keeps the airway open using gentle air pressure during sleep.
If your snoring partner has been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, using a CPAP consistently, and with proper adjustment, can eliminate snoring and reduce health risks.
3. Establish Healthy Sleep Habits
Poor routines worsen snoring by increasing fatigue and muscle relaxation during sleep.
Encourage:
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time daily
- Avoiding screens before bed
- Steering clear of large meals and alcohol in the evening
- Ensuring you get sufficient rest each night, typically between 7 and 9 hours
4. Quit Smoking
Smoking irritates the airways and contributes to nasal congestion, increasing snoring. Quitting is essential for sleep health and overall well-being.
5. Identify Medical Causes
Structural issues like a deviated septum, enlarged tonsils, or jaw misalignment may require medical treatment or neck surgery. A thorough consultation can help identify the best solution based on the cause of snoring.
How to Support a Snoring Partner Compassionately
When you’re sleep-deprived and frustrated, it’s easy to lose patience with a snoring partner. But many people who snore are unaware of the impact their habits have on those around them. Approach the topic from a place of empathy, not blame.
Start by talking during the day, not when they’re falling asleep or when tempers are high. Frame the issue around your mutual goal of getting a good night’s sleep and improving each other’s sleep health.
You can suggest trying small changes together, like avoiding drinking alcohol in the evenings or investing in a body pillow to promote sleeping on your side. If snoring occurs despite those changes, consider visiting a professional sleep clinic to check for obstructive sleep apnoea or other sleep disorders.
Getting help isn’t just about the noise; it’s about long-term wellbeing. Untreated snoring linked to airway blockage or sleep deprivation may increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic health conditions.
Being a supportive bed partner means helping your loved one stay healthy and rested, while protecting your own health, too.
FAQs: Snoring and What You Can Do About It
Why does snoring get worse with age?
As we age, muscle tone in the throat naturally decreases, and weight gain becomes more likely, both increase snoring risk.
Can thin people snore?
Yes. Even people who snore with a healthy weight may have physical features, allergies, or lifestyle changes affecting their airways.
Can I really stop someone from snoring instantly?
Yes, changing sleep position, using nasal strips, or elevating the head can bring instant relief, especially if the snoring is mild and positional.
Is my partner’s snoring dangerous?
If they snore loudly, gasp for air, or experience excessive daytime sleepiness, it could be a sign of sleep apnoea. Speak with a doctor for a sleep study.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Sleep on the Problem
Snoring is more than an annoyance. Whether it’s causing sleep deprivation, harming your relationship, or pointing to a serious condition, it deserves attention.
Now that you know how to stop someone snoring immediately, you have the tools to act tonight. Start with sleep position, elevation, and nasal strips, and move toward longer-term strategies like losing weight, avoiding alcohol, and getting professional help.
If snoring is affecting your rest or you’re exploring ways to prevent long-term sleep-related issues, it may be time to speak with someone who can help. Whether you’re navigating poor sleep, ongoing fatigue, or concerns about sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnoea, the right support can make a difference.
For personalised advice and care, you can speak to the team at Melbourne Dental Sleep Clinic by calling or visiting us at our locations in:
Caulfield North : (03) 9068 5355
Footscray: (03) 9068 5357
Niddrie: (03) 9068 5316
Resources
Edwards, J. M. (2024). ‘How Much Does Weight Loss Help with Sleep Apnea?’. Healthline, 19 March. San Francisco, CA: Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-apnea/sleep-apnea-weight-loss
Higuera, V. (2019). ‘What Type of Mouthguard Do I Need?’. Healthline, 8 March. San Francisco, CA: Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/mouth-guard#types
Mayo Clinic Staff (2017). ‘Snoring’. Mayo Clinic, 22 December. Rochester, MN: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/snoring/symptoms-causes/syc-20377694
