Snoring Prevention Devices

A number of readily available devices can be purchased from local drugstores or over the Internet that can help people with snoring problems. Before purchasing such a device, check with your doctor to see if your snoring may be caused by an underlying medical condition. If so, treatment for the condition will cure your snoring. Different devices use different techniques to help stop snoring. Most of these devices help stop snoring by opening the airways during sleep. Results for the same device can vary from person to person.

Oral Devices

When you go to sleep, the muscles in your mouth relax. This causes your tongue to slide back in such a way that part of the throat becomes blocked. The tissues at the back of your tongue vibrate with each breath, causing snoring. One solution is an oral device that you wear over your teeth to help keep the air passages open during sleep by adjusting the position of your jaws. It can cost $40 to $60 in 2009 and is available without a prescription.

Sleep Pillows

A number of companies sell pillows that they claim can help people sleep better and snore less. The pillow is constructed in such a way that you are forced to sleep on your side. This keeps the mouth closed during sleep, so that even if some snoring occurs, the sound doesn't escape the mouth.

Snore Balls

A snore ball serves the same purpose as a snore pillow. It is placed under the back so that you are forced to sleep on your side. Baseballs or golf balls can be fashioned into snore balls by placing them in the pajamas in such a way that you are unable to sleep on your back.

Nasal Devices

Among the most popular antisnoring devices are nasal strips and nasal dilators. Plastic nasal strips are Band-aid-like strips with a rigid center; when placed over the nose, they help to open the nasal passage so there is an unobstructed air flow. Nasal dilators consist of small coils that are placed inside the nostrils; they serve the same purpose as nasal strips. Some claim that these nasal devices promote a more comfortable sleeping experience.

Snore Stopper

This device can be worn on the arm or the wrist. Every time you snore, the tiny microphone built into the device senses the sound and sends a small electrical shock to wake you and stop the snoring. A variation on the device aims to "shock" the tongue so it doesn't block the throat. The Snore Stopper is available for about $80.