Snoring and sleep advice

Advice on snoring and sleeping better

Your sleep study did not show significant obstructive sleep apnoea. That is
good news, and it means CPAP is not the right treatment for you. It does not
mean the snoring or the poor sleep is imaginary, and there is a good deal that
helps.

Reducing snoring

Losing weight, if you are overweight, is the most effective single measure.
Even a modest loss can make a noticeable difference, because much of the
narrowing is caused by tissue around the throat.

Avoid sleeping on your back. Snoring is often much worse in that position. Some
people manage this with a pillow arrangement or by sewing something
uncomfortable into the back of a night shirt; there are also positional
devices.

Sleeping propped up slightly, rather than flat, helps some people.

Reduce alcohol, particularly in the evening. Alcohol relaxes the throat muscles
and reliably worsens snoring.

Stop smoking. Smoking irritates and swells the lining of the airway.

Avoid sleeping tablets and tranquillisers, which have the same effect on throat
muscle tone as alcohol.

Treat a blocked nose. Persistent nasal obstruction, hay fever or nasal polyps
make mouth breathing and snoring worse, and are treatable. Tell your GP if
your nose is constantly blocked.

A mandibular advancement splint - a device worn in the mouth at night that
holds the lower jaw slightly forward - helps many people who snore, and is also
a treatment option for mild sleep apnoea. The best results come from ones
fitted by a dentist with an interest in this; devices are also sold directly to
the public. Do not use one if you have significant dental disease or jaw joint
problems without getting advice first.

Sleeping better generally

Keep the same bedtime and rising time every day, including at weekends. Regular
timing does more for sleep quality than anything else on this list.

Get daylight early in the day, and be active during the day.

Do not exercise vigorously in the two hours before bed, but a gentle walk after
dinner is helpful.

Avoid screens and bright light for an hour or two before bed.

Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool. Too warm is a common and easily fixed
cause of broken sleep.

Avoid caffeine after the early afternoon, and avoid alcohol as a way of getting
to sleep - it helps you fall asleep and then fragments the second half of the
night.

If you cannot sleep, get up and do something quiet in low light rather than
lying there. Lying awake in bed trains the brain to associate bed with being
awake.

If poor sleep has become a long-term problem, ask about cognitive behavioural
therapy for insomnia. It works better than sleeping tablets and the benefit
lasts. It is available online as well as in person.

Come back to us if

- you or your partner notice pauses in your breathing at night
- you become sleepy during the day, particularly while driving
- you gain a significant amount of weight
- the snoring is causing difficulty in your relationship, which is a good
  enough reason on its own.

Further information: NHS advice on snoring,
www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness