Since snoring can have far-reaching consequences on your health and wellbeing, a popular anti-snoring device now being recommended by ENT specialists and dentists is a mouthpiece to be worn at night. In fact, research indicates that these contraptions, that are also called ‘mandibular advancement splints’ or dental appliances, have helped many snorers including those with mild to moderate sleep apnea.

So how do they work? These small plastic contraptions, placed in the mouth at bedtime, stop floppy throat tissue from falling backwards into the airways. They may even be designed to push the lower jaw forward or gently lift up the soft palate. Some are meant to prevent the tongue from blocking the throat. Clearly, one size does not fit all, and your doctor has to first figure out the cause of your snoring, and then devise an apparatus best suited for you.

Enterprising ‘How to stop snoring’ specialists suggest that before opting for expensive dental intervention, snorers should first try a cheaper soft plastic alternate available online. The ‘boil and bite’ device has to be softened in water and placed in the mouth where it gets molded to your jaw’s shape. If this proves to be a good anti snoring device, then go for a more advanced solution. These mandibular appliances have some minor side-effects like dryness and tooth pain but they do help in considerably reducing loudness and sleep disturbances in many users.

A popular anti snoring device is an orthopedically designed pillow that rectifies your sleeping position to reduce snoring. These pillows help by aligning the head with the vertebral column to keep airways open. Users say that these therapeutic pillows also provide relief from other conditions such as neck and shoulder pain, headaches and whiplash.

Sometimes a vibrating soft palate can cause snoring. The Pillar Procedure that involves surgically inserting implants into the palate as an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia, helps to stiffen the palate and stop snoring.

In the race for figuring out how to stop snoring, especially for people with sleep apnea, it is important to consider other interventions such as ‘Continuous Positive Airway Pressure’, or CPAP. This involves supplying a continuous stream of air into the upper airways through a mask worn while sleeping. Since apnea is characterized by temporary cessation of breathing, CPAP ensures a steady supply of air into the throat to prevent this. Nasal sprays and warm humidifiers also help.