Exams and Tests

Diagnosis of snoring focuses on finding out whether you might have sleep apnea. Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history. Because a physical exam and medical history cannot determine if you have sleep apnea, a sleep study almost always will be done if your doctor suspects the condition. For more information about sleep studies, see:

Sleep Apnea: Should I Have a Sleep Study?

For more information on exams and tests for sleep apnea, see the Exams and Tests section of the topic Sleep Apnea.

Children

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:³

• All children should be screened for snoring as part of a routine checkup.
• If sleep apnea is suspected, a complete sleep study generally is needed.

Treatment Overview

Snoring is treated through lifestyle changes such as losing weight (if necessary), quitting smoking, changing sleep habits (such as sleeping on your side instead of your back), and avoiding the use of alcohol and sedatives before you go to bed. If nasal congestion is the cause of your snoring, nasal dilators (such as nasal strips), decongestants, and nasal corticosteroid sprays may be used. Oral breathing devices, which push the tongue and jaw forward to improve airflow, may also be an option.

If snoring continues despite these treatments, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or surgery may be tried. Implants that stiffen your palate can help reduce snoring and the daytime sleepiness it causes.⁴ But snoring is not always considered a medical problem, so insurance may not cover treatment.

Initial and ongoing treatment

Snoring is often treated successfully by making lifestyle changes. You can:

• Lose weight (if necessary).
• Go to bed at the same time every night and get plenty of sleep.
• Sleep on your side, not on your back. Try sewing a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, putting a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitching it closed. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back.
• Avoid using alcohol and sedatives before bed.
• Quit smoking.
• Raise the head of your bed 4 in. (10 cm) to 6 in. (15 cm) by putting bricks under the legs of the bed (using pillows to raise your head and upper body will not work).
• Promptly treat breathing problems, such as a stuffy nose caused by a cold or allergies.
• Use nasal strips, which widen the nostrils and improve airflow. Or you can try nasal disks that you place over your nostrils. One disk is attached over each nostril. A valve positioned over the nostril makes it harder to breathe out, which causes a little back-pressure in the airways. This back-pressure may help keep the airways open during sleep.

If nasal congestion is present, you can try clearing your nasal passages or using medicines such as decongestants and nasal corticosteroid sprays. These open the airway, permitting a smoother airflow, and may reduce snoring. But inhaled decongestants should not be used for a long period of time.

Oral breathing devices sometimes can treat snoring, especially if it is caused by jaw position during sleep.

If your bed partner is bothered by your snoring, he or she may try using earplugs or machines that play ambient music or natural sounds. These can block or cover up the noise.

If snoring continues, your doctor may want to examine you again to see whether you have developed upper airway resistance syndrome or sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder in which you periodically stop breathing during sleep. For more information, see the topic Sleep Apnea.

Treatment if the condition gets worse

If your snoring gets worse, talk to your doctor. You may need to be tested to see whether you have developed upper airway resistance syndrome or sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder in which you periodically stop breathing during sleep.

Your doctor may suggest continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP is the standard treatment for sleep apnea but is rarely used for snoring. For more information on CPAP, see the topic Sleep Apnea.

In extreme cases, the following surgeries may be performed.

• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty removes excess tissue in the throat, widening the airway and leading to a smoother airflow.
• Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty uses a laser to remove excess tissue in the throat.
• Radiofrequency palatoplasty is a procedure that uses an electrical current to shrink and stiffen the back part of the roof of the mouth (soft palate and uvula). When the soft palate and uvula are stiffer, they are less likely to vibrate, and you are less likely to snore.
• Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy may be used if you have enlarged tonsils and adenoids that are blocking your airway during sleep.
• Plastic implants placed in the soft palate can stiffen it to prevent vibrations. This can reduce snoring and daytime sleepiness.⁴
• Nasal septoplasty repairs and straightens the bone and tissues (septum) separating the two passages in the nose. This procedure is done if a nasal deformity interferes with breathing.
• Nasal polypectomy removes soft, round tissues (polyps) that can project into the nasal passages.