Snoring often goes unnoticed as a disease. One who snores or the one who shares bedroom with such a person remain disturbed due to snoring but most of the time, it is not taken so seriously as to take measures to stop it. But snoring is a risky habit! Seventy five percent of people who snore suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. It means their breathing gets disrupted for short periods when they sleep. This increases their risk of developing heart disease. Therefore, it is essential to treat this condition not only because persons who snore do not feel refreshed on getting up in the morning and have the risk of developing heart disease but also because it poses risk to their marriages! In most of the cases, spouse of a snoring partner sleeps in a separate bedroom! So, if you snore, take help of these home remedies for snoring and save your marriage as well as heart.
Home Remedies for Snoring
1. Homemade Saline Nasal Spray Remedy for Snoring
Not always is sleep apnea the cause behind snoring. Sometimes it is as simple a reason as nasal congestion. Sinus problem, allergies, or infections such as cold can cause swelling in the inner lining of your nose. This swelling, in turn, makes the soft palate vibrate which creates the sound of snoring. When you use a saline spray, it reduces the inflammation inside the nose and stops snoring. However, some people cannot even stand the commercially available saline nasal spray due to its preservatives which can actually make your nose more congested. So, why not make a saline water at home!
Get this:
- Salt (preferably kosher or canning salt that do not contain anti-drying agents)- ¼ tsp
- Water (distilled or boiled)- ½ cup
- Empty nasal spray bottle OR a bottle with dropper (clean it properly)
Do this:
- Add the salt to water.
- Stir well to make the salt dissolve completely in the water.
- Now store this saline water in spray bottle or bottle with dropper.
- At bedtime everyday, pour 2-3 drops of this homemade saline water into each of your two nostrils.
- Use the saline water within 5 days. Throw away the left over saline water, if any, after 5 days and make a fresh one.
2. Peppermint Oil Remedy for Snoring
The anti-inflammatory properties of peppermint oil can help in reducing inflammation in the membranes of the inner lining of your nostrils. This is enough to stop snoring if it happens due to nasal congestion.
Ways to use peppermint oil for snoring
- Pour a few drops of peppermint oil on your finger and rub this onto the lower portions on both the sides of your nose.
- Steam inhalation using peppermint oil may also reduce swelling in your nostrils. Pour few drops of peppermint oil in hot water and inhale its steam.
- Mix one drop of peppermint oil with a glass of water. Gargle with this water. Ensure that you do not swallow the water with peppermint oil, just gargle with it.
3. Ayurvedic Ghee Remedy for Snoring
According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine, ghee or clarified butter has many medicinal properties. It is used for curing many diseases including snoring. Not only plain ghee but Brahmi ghee too is used for the purpose. For making this ghee, Brahmi herb is boiled along with pure ghee made from cow’s milk. Some other herbs are also mixed to this. Traditional way of using it is apply Brahmi ghee lightly to the inside of the nose.
Get this:
- Ghee OR Brahmi ghee OR Brahmi oil- 2 drops
Do this:
- Heat the ghee to warm it up a little.
- Pour two drops of lukewarm clarified butter or Brahmi ghee in each nostril.
- Repeat this every night before going to bed and also in the morning.
4. Olive Oil Remedy for Snoring
Apart from its many health benefits, olive oil can also get you rid of snoring. Sometimes a person snores because there are excessive tissues at the back of his nose or throat. These tissues can partially block the airway which causes the sound of snoring. Here is one traditional remedy for snoring where it is recommended to sip a little olive oil. If thought logically, it can be said that when tissues remain moistened, there will be less friction due to their contact with each other. This will make the air move through smoothly reducing the chances of snoring. Oils are also said to tighten the muscles under the palate to keep the airways open. Olive oil therapy is also recommended even by Homeopathy.
Get this:
- Olive oil- 1-2 tbsp
Do this:
- Take the olive oil and take 2-3 sips of it.
- Do it every day in the evening or some time before going to bed.
5. Sage Herbal Remedy for Snoring
Along with being anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, and anti-microbial, sage herb is also anti-inflammatory. Thus, it can reduce the inflammation and mucus congestion in airways which can considerably reduce your snoring too.
1st way of using sage for snoring: steam inhalation
Get this:
- Sage leaves- a handful of them
- A pot with boiling water
- Apple cider vinegar (optional)- 1-2 tbsp
- Towel- 1
Do this:
- Put some sage leaves in the pot of hot water.
- Take the towel and put it over your head.
- Bring your mouth close to the pot and inhale the steam with your nose and mouth too.
- You may also put a little apple cider vinegar to this hot water before inhaling steam as many people find it to be helpful in stopping snoring.
2nd way of using sage for snoring: gargle
Get this:
- Sage leaves- 1 bunch
- Boiling water- 1-2 glasses
Do this:
- Put the sage leaves in the hot water.
- Let it steep for 5-10 minutes.
- Strain and allow the water to cool down.
- Once the herbal water cools down, gargle with this water.
- Do it every night before going to bed.
Warning: Don’t use sage if you suffer from any kind of seizure disorder.
6. Nettle Leaf Tea Remedy for Snoring
Sometimes when your sinus passage gets inflamed due to allergies of upper respiratory tract infections such as cold or sinusitis, you may snore a lot. Nettle leaf tea can prove to be one of the best home remedies for snoring of such type. Nettle leaves are a known antihistamine. They may help reduce congestion by inhibiting the release of histamines. Histamines are the inflammatory substance that are triggered by allergens. Nettle leaf tea has bioflavonoids in it which opens up the sinuses and stabilize white blood cells that make histamine. Just ensure to have dried nettle leaves for your tea.
Make Nettle leaf tea for snoring
Get this:
- Dried nettle leaf- 1 tsp
- Boiling water- 1 cup
Do this:
- Place the dried nettle leaves in a pot.
- Pour boiling water over it.
- Steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain and have this tea.
- Have 3 cups of nettle leaf tea daily.
Precaution: Nettle is diuretic in nature. You may have to get up in the middle of night for urinating.
7. Thyme Essential Oil Remedy for Snoring
If you are too exhausted and tired, your snoring may get worse. There is this one traditional remedies for snoring which uses thyme essential oil, neat or diluted, for relief from snoring. While thyme oil is has anti-aging, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antiviral, and anti-parasitic properties, what seems to mostly effect you, the snorer, is its calming effect on your mind which helps in giving you a restful sleep. Here is how to use thyme oil for snoring.
Get this:
- Thyme essential oil- 2 drops if using neat and 4-6 drops if using diluted
- Carrier oil (any vegetable oil like olive oil or coconut oil)- 4-6 drops
Do this:
- Take the thyme oil and rub on the bottom of bot the feet before going to sleep.
- If rubbing neat without diluting, use only 2 drops of thyme oil.
- If diluting with a carrier oil, keep a 50:50 ratio. This means, you should dilute 4-6 drops of thyme oil with 4-6 drops of vegetable oil and then rub the bottom of your feet.
Thyme oil can also be added to humidifiers. Thyme tea can also help soothe nerves for restful sleep.
Precaution: If you suffer from high blood pressure, use thyme oil cautiously. Pregnant and breast feeding women as well as kids below six years of age should not be treated with thyme oil.
8. Eucalyptus Oil Remedy for Snoring
Eucalyptus oil can excellently liquidify the mucus so as to keep your airways clear for smooth breathing. Eucalyptus oil is also a natural anti-inflammatory agent which when applied to your nose, reduces swelling in the inner lining of the nostrils and nasal passageways. You may rub eucalyptus oil, diluted if you feel it to be too strong, outside your nose. However, the best way to use it is to inhale its steam.
Get this:
- Eucalyptus oil- 2-4 drops
- Hot water
- A pot to contain hot water
- A towel
Do this:
- Take the hot water in the pot.
- Pour eucalyptus oil in this water.
- Put the towel around your head.
- Bring your mouth close to the pot of hot water.
- Inhale the steam coming out of it through nose and mouth.
9. Mint Tea Remedy for Snoring
Just as peppermint oil can be useful for curing snoring, mint tea too can help it. Mint contains menthol which reduces mucous from lungs. It also reduces inflammation of air passageways. Have a cup of mint tea before sleeping every day. The vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that you get are the added benefits.
Make mint tea for snoring
Get this:
- Mint leaves- 8-10
- Hot water- 1 cup
- Honey (optional)- 1-2 tsp
Do this:
- Put mint leaves in a cup
- Pour hot water over them.
- Let steep for 5-10 minutes.
- Strain if you wish to otherwise you may have mint tea with leaves in it too.
- Add honey if using.
- Take the cup near to your nose and inhale the minty steam coming out of the hot cup of tea.
- Now sip the mint tea.
10. Neti Pot Remedy for Snoring
If nasal congestion is your cause for snoring and if no home remedy is enough for you to clear of your stuffy nose, try neti pot. A neti pot is a pot made either of clay, ceramic, plastic or metal. It is an ancient Indian system of sinus irrigation. The neti pot is filled with saline water or plain water and the long mouth extruding out of the pot is used to take in and out the water from nose.
Get this:
- Neti pot- 1
- Plain or saline water- enough to fill the neti pot
Do this:
- Fill the neti pot with water or saline solution.
- Tilt your head over a basin and using the open beak of the pot, pour water from one of the nostrils but don’t let the water go into your throat. Instead, tilt your head to get the right position so that the water comes out of the other nostril.
- Now repeat the process, this time pouring water into the other nostril and taking it out of the first nostril.
- Turning your head continuously will controls the pressure of the neti pot and also bring out the water from the other nostril.
- It will need a little practice before you can do ‘neti kriya’ or ‘neti process’ correctly.
11. Goldenseal Remedies for Snoring
Goldenseal is one of the well known nasal decongestants. It has been used since years to soothe inflamed and infected mucous membranes. Goldenseal is often taken combined with other herbs like echinacea and licorice for cold flu and other respiratory infections.
Ways of using goldenseal for snoring
- Make goldenseal tea: Take 2 tsp of dried goldenseal herb. Pour 1 cup of hot water over it. Cover and let it steep for about 15 minutes. Strain and have this tea. You may also add 1-2 tsp of honey to this tea.
- Sinus irrigation with goldenseal: Take ½ tsp of goldenseal extract. You may also use ½ tsp of goldenseal tincture. Put this in a neti pot and rinse sinus by mixing water to it once or twice daily. See how to use neti pot in the remedy about using neti pot given earlier in this article.
- Gargle with goldenseal: Mix 1 tsp of goldenseal tincture with a cup of lukewarm water. Use this water to gargle.
Do not use goldenseal for more than 7 days at a stretch.
Warning: Goldenseal should not be used for maximum of a 3 weeks at a time. If you have used it for 3 weeks, discontinue its usage for at least two weeks before you take it again. People with high blood pressure, diabetes or glaucoma should avoid using this herb. Pregnant and nursing women must not use goldenseal.
12. Ginger Remedy for Snoring
Ginger has been known for its various properties along with its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. It also increases secretion of saliva which then coats the throat to provide you with a soothing effect. When honey is used with ginger, it further lubricates the tissues and also opens up nasal cavity as well as throat by reducing the swelling therein. All this helps in reducing snoring incidence. The best way to use ginger for snoring is to make fresh ginger tea.
Get this:
- Fresh ginger root- 1-2 inch piece
- Water- a little more than 1 cup
- Honey- 1-2 tsp
Do this:
- Wash, peel, cut and crush the ginger.
- Put the crushed ginger into a pan and add water.
- Heat the mixture and bring it to boil.
- Let the water boil for about 3-4 minutes.
- Put off the flame, cover and let it steep for another 5 minutes.
- Strain and add honey to the ginger tea.
- Mix well and have it.
- You may have 3-4 cups of ginger tea in a day.
13. Garlic Remedies for Snoring
Hot foods such as garlic, onions and horseradish are said to reduce snoring. The probable reason for this may be that these foods help dry up nasal passages and airways which in turn, reduces mucus build-up that blocks your sinus. If sinus blockage is the cause for your snoring, you might get relief by using garlic. Some of the herbalists, however, say that garlic can even treat snoring due to sleep apnea as it helps soothe and reduce enlarged tonsils as well as inflammation in the respiratory system. Anyway, garlic is good for health and having this food would not do any harm.
Ways to use garlic for snoring
- Chew on raw garlic, preferably before bedtime. However, this may be unacceptable as it will not only disturb your but your partner’s sleep as well!
- The better way to use garlic is to add it in your dinner menu. For example, crush raw garlic and mix it with butter to make a toast spread or add raw garlic to your salad dressing!
14. Essential Oils Blend to Cure Snoring due to Improper Sleep
Sometimes its just that you are not getting restful sleep, rather a deep sleep! And when you don’t go deep into sleep, you tend to snore. Here is a recipe of essential oils blend to give you a restful sleep every night so that you may get rid of snoring. While you can make a lavender and rose essential oils blend and experiment with it if you are getting a good night’s sleep. If not, make this blend.
Get this:
- Mixing bottle- 1 (size 30 ml)
- Lavender oil- 5 drops
- Rose oil- 5 drops
- Eucalyptus oil- 5 drops
- Cinnamon Bark oil- 5 drops
- Clove Bud oil- 5 drops
- Basil oil- 2 drops
- Cary Sage- 2 drops
- Myrtle oil- 2 drops
- Carrier oil (Wheatgerm oil and sweet almond oil or avocado oil)- enough to top up the bottle
- Argan or Rose Hip oil (optional- If you have sensitive or sun damaged skin)- to top up the bottle
Do this:
- Pour all the essential oils in your mixing bottle.
- Top up the bottle with your choice of carrier oil.
- Shake to blend well.
- Take a little of this oil blend and massage your chest before going to sleep.
- You may also use this oil blend in an essential oil vaporizer. If doing this, you don’t need to use carrier oil in the blend.
- If you have a flame vaporise for essential oils, do not sleep leaving it to burn. Let the vapor circulate in the room for about 20-30 minutes before you go to sleep.
15. Tongue and Throat Exercises to Cure Snoring
Exercising your tongue and throat muscles makes them stronger and reduces snoring. Tight muscles will not collapse backwards when you lie down.
- Pronounce vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u). Repeat each of them loudly for three minutes at a stretch for 3-4 times a day.
- Place the tip of your tongue just behind the top front teeth. Now, slide the tongue backwards for three minutes a day.
- Close mouth. Then purse your lips and hold for thirty seconds.
- Open your mouth. Move your jaw to the right, hold for half a minute. Repeat by moving jaw towards left.
- Keep your mouth open. Contract the muscle at the back of your throat repeatedly for half a minute. Do this in front of a mirror. You will be able to see the uvula or the ‘hanging ball’ which moves up and down.
16. Sleep Pattern Remedies for Snoring
Sleeping in a wrong position can also block your air passageways and sometimes make the tissues at the back of your tongue collapse leading to snoring. Here are some tips on how you can improve your sleeping style and pattern to get rid of snoring.
- Do not sleep on your back: In this position, your tongue and soft palate will collapse to the back portion of your throat which will give rise to vibrations. If you snore, it’s better to sleep on your side. You may take help of a body pillow to keep sleeping on your side. You may also use the traditional way of sewing tennis balls to your pajama back so that whenever you try to lie on your back, it makes you shift to sides.
- Raise your head: Take some extra pillows under your head your elevate the bed in such a manner that your head remains elevated so that you do not get nasal blockage. These measures, however, may give you neck pain.
- Use humidifier: Dry air too can cause snoring. A humidifier or steam vaporizer in your bedroom will help you keep your air passages moist.
- Check your medicines: certain medicines increase muscle relaxation which leads to snoring. If you have noticed that you snore after taking certain medication, talk to your doctor for substitutes or alternatives.
17. Lifestyle Remedies for Snoring
Some of our habits too lead us towards snoring. So, you need to omit some habits and accept others to get rid of your snoring.
- Lose weight: It is not that slim people do not snore but if you have started snoring after you gained weight, you need to lose weight. More weight or fat around your neck squeezes the internal diameter of your throat. Thus, it is more likely to collapse when you sleep. Losing even just ten percent of your body weight can help you as this will ease constriction of your upper airway.
- Avoid alcohol: Alcohol and sedatives relax the throat muscles interfering with breathing.
- Clean your bedroom often: Dust mites in your bed, pillows, curtains etc. may give you allergies that too lead to snoring by making your throat and nose tissues swollen. Pets on your bed may do the same. Dusting regularly helps.
- Stay hydrated: When your body is dehydrated, the secretions in your nose as well as soft palate turn stickier leading to snoring. Drink more water and other healthy fluids.
- Don’t smoke: Smoking irritates mucous membranes leading to throat inflammation. It narrows down your airway. Smoking also causes nasal congestion.
- Exercise regularly: When you exercise, not only your arms, legs, abs get toned, the muscles in your throat too get toned. This means lesser snoring.
You need to identify what is causing your snoring. Whether its is nasal congestion, blocked air passage, weak muscles of your throat, alcohol, medicines, your sleeping habits or just exhaustion and not getting enough sleep! Once you identify the cause, apply one or more home remedies for snoring to eliminate that cause.
