Snoring was making me a living zombie. Here are the 8 solutions I tried, and the 4 that worked

There’s an unfortunate truth about being a chronic snorer: I’ve never in my adult life woken up feeling genuinely refreshed, no matter how many hours of kip I've racked up. Presentable, functioning, pepped by caffeine – yes. But refreshed? Sadly not. It turns out when you spend eight hours fighting with your own airway, your sleep quality suffers.

Of course, it’s not just my sleep being ruined. My incredibly accepting partner diplomatically describes my snoring as “like a giant straw finishing the last of a milkshake in one sharp blast”. But according to Dr Sonia Szamocki, sleep expert and founder of Aerox Health, 47% of recently divorced Brits cited snoring as a contributing factor to their marriage breakdown.

On top of this, a quarter of singles say sleep-related issues have affected their ability to form or maintain a relationship. Snoring is very much a relationship liability. It’s also a public health concern.

"I often see regular snoring as the early warning light on the dashboard," Dr Szamocki told me. "Snoring associated with sleep apnoea is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Chronic snoring fragments sleep for both the snorer and their partner – showing up as daytime fatigue, irritability, low mood and poor concentration."

Dr David Garley, GP and director of The Better Sleep Clinic put it even more starkly: one in five car crashes relates to poor sleep, with obstructive sleep apnoea a major factor, particularly among professional drivers. The biggest myth about snoring, he said, is simply that it should be ignored.

There’s also a damning bottom line to consider too: a 2026 study found that obstructive sleep apnoea is costing the UK and US economies £137bn a year.

If you’re one of the 25% of UK adults who snores regularly and wants to tackle it, what can be done? “I always say the best starting point should be to talk about it with friends and family,” says Dr Szamocki. “There’s still a huge stigma that surrounds snoring, which actually makes people less inclined to get it checked out. Seeing a healthcare professional is next on the list.

“For many, the first step would be to make simple but disciplined lifestyle changes. For example, reducing or eliminating smoking and drinking, losing weight and even sleeping on your side can have profound effects on snoring.”

However, for those of us who have exhausted those options, more drastic changes might be required. Like lots of my family, I seem anatomically built to snore. Add to this the fact I’m staring down the barrel of menopause – a time when snoring can become more likely due to hormone changes – I feel I'm stuck with my noisy fate. But in the name of investigative journalism and long-term relationship preservation, I set off on a months-long study to track and (hopefully) solve my nightly snoring.

The products I trialled to end my snoring

To set myself up, I started recording myself using an app called SnoreLab to figure out my baseline snoring level. The app takes a bedside audio recording overnight and gives you a 'snore score' on a range from 'quiet' through to 'epic'. It also samples soundbites for your listening pleasure and it must be said that hearing snippets of myself grunting, creaking and rattling through the night was a genuinely humbling experience.

With my typical snoring levels logged, I tested each solution for a minimum of three nights, across a project running several months. I tracked results nightly via SnoreLab, noting any factors that might skew results – things like alcohol, a cold, late eating and exhaustion can make snoring worse.

My study was domestic rather than clinical. I am not a scientist, merely a tired woman with a long-suffering partner and a slightly alarming audio archive.

1. Anti-snoring pillow

What is it?

Anti-snoring pillows are ergonomically designed to position the head and neck in a way that promotes better breathing during sleep.

Product tested: Levitex Sleep Posture Pillow, £80

Does it work?

A pillow is about as low-stakes a snoring intervention as it gets. The Levitex is firm and structured, which takes getting used to, and in isolation it didn't dramatically alter my scores. The team at Levitex recommended adding a second pillow between the knees to encourage side sleeping – snoring is typically worse on your back, as gravity causes the jaw and tongue to fall backwards – and this combination nudged things in the right direction.

Dr Garley gave additional advice on sleep positioning: "We're all very different in the way we sleep. If your snoring is dramatically worse on your back, side sleeping is something you should consider. People tend to roll back because it's more comfortable – so the challenge is engineering a workable side position. A pillow between your legs helps with spine alignment, which keeps you in posture."

Score: 7/10 (when combined with side sleeping)

2. Snoring lozenges

What are they?

Snoring lozenges work by hydrating the soft tissue at the back of the throat, with the aim of reducing the vibrations that cause the snoring sound. They’re cheap, available over the counter, and require no instruction manual or charging cable.

Product tested: Snoreeze Lozenges, £9, Boots

Does it work?

The mildly minty lozenges took a while to dissolve on the tongue, but the results genuinely surprised me. On the nights I used lozenges, I recorded some of my lowest snore scores of the entire study. The SnoreLab data showed snoring substantially quieter in the first half of the night, gradually creeping back as the night progressed – suggesting the lubricating effect wears off by the small hours, but not before doing meaningful work. For £9 and zero effort, the return was strong.

Dr Garley offered some useful context: "If it has a decongestant component that opens up nasal passages, that can definitely help. If it reduces inflammation in your airways and opens things up a bit, that will make a difference. It's probably not the solution for a solid, structural snorer, but if you're a borderline snorer – or snoring is worsened by a cold or seasonal allergies – this kind of thing makes sense."

Score: 7/10

3. Air purifier

What does it do?

Air purifiers draw in air via a fan, pass it through filters to remove particles like dust, pollen and pet dander and recirculate it as cleaner air. These particles can cause nasal congestion and airway inflammation – two things a snorer does not need more of.

Product tested: Philips PureProtect Mini 900 Series Smart Air Purifier, £119.99

Does it work?

As someone with two cats who’s not the most thorough at dusting, I was excited for the general improvement an air purifier would make to my environment. But on top of this, my snore scores for the following nights with the purifier running were consistently good, ranging from 7 to 14 – some of the best results across the whole study. The machine makes a noise, which might trouble light sleepers; as someone who sometimes falls asleep to white noise, I found it actively soothing. One of the more appealing aspects is that its benefits extend to the whole room, not just the snorer.

Dr Garley was cautious about overstating its benefits for the general population: "For most people, keeping a clean environment in your bedroom – hoovering, dusting – is probably going to make more difference to your air quality than a purifier. But if you've got particular allergies, a HEPA filter can genuinely help.”

Score: 7/10

4. Nasal strips

What do they do?

Nasal strips widen the nostrils to improve airflow. They’re applied like a plaster across the nose at bedtime.

Product tested: Boots Sleepeaze Snoring Relief Congestion Nasal Strips, £13.99

Does it work?

The strips claim to allow up to 31% more airflow and wearing one did produce a noticeable sensation of the nostrils widening. Nose-breathing felt marginally easier, and they stayed put through the night. My snore scores, however, showed no meaningful improvement, which aligns with both Dr Szamocki's expert view – nasal strips are among her "repeat offenders" for ineffective over-the-counter remedies, because they don't address the root cause, which is throat collapse rather than nostril width – and the limited clinical literature on the subject. Potentially useful if you have a cold. Less useful if, like me, you are simply built this way.

Score: 3/10

5. Throat spray

What does it do?

Throat spray coats the back of the mouth with a lubricant to reduce vibrations. It’s intended to act immediately and last the whole night.

Product tested: Snoreeze Snoring Relief Throat Spray, £9.80

Does it work?

Easy to apply, inoffensive in flavour and almost entirely without effect. On one night my snoring was marginally quieter; on others it reached loud and epic without apparent awareness of the intervention. There are no reliable clinical studies backing the efficacy of throat spray, and Dr Szamocki lists it among the interventions she regularly sees patients waste money on. It's a no from me, though at least it's a cheap no.

Score: 2/10

6. Olbas oil

What does it do?

A medicine cabinet classic, this traditional ointment is a blend of essential oils including eucalyptus that acts as a natural decongestant. A few drops on a pillow or tissue are said to open the airways and promote easier breathing.

Product tested: Olbas Oil Decongestant Drops, £7.99

Does it work?

In measured doses, Olbas oil is a genuinely pleasant addition to the bedtime routine: nostalgic, calming and associated in some hard-wired way with being looked after. It did not, however, make a dent in my snore scores. I had several nights of unusually deep sleep, which I'm tentatively attributing to the aromatherapy effect rather than any genuine airway intervention. Not a snoring cure, but a pleasant addition to a pillow nonetheless.

Score: 3/10

7. Zeus anti-snoring device

What is it?

Developed in collaboration with King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Hospital, the Zeus is a miniature TENS machine worn under the chin. It works via electrical nerve stimulation – tiny pulses activating the throat and tongue muscles to keep the airway open during sleep. It comes with an app and a money-back guarantee if it doesn't work for you.

Product tested: Smartech Zeus Anti-Snoring Device, £250

Does it work?

£250 demands a certain level of scepticism. Set up involves charging a dock, applying hydrogel pads and finding the correct placement under the chin, which requires initial patience. Once sorted, application each night takes about 30 seconds. The pulses begin around 20 minutes in; they're subtle enough that I fell asleep without difficulty. The results were immediate and cumulative: my scores dropped progressively as I used the Zeus each night.

Dr Garley offered his take on the mechanism: "Back in the 90s, if you looked in the Littlewoods catalogue, it always had people with six packs using those electrode pads. It's basically that, but it works on a tongue muscle called the genioglossus – it brings the tongue very slightly forward, giving you the kind of airway tone you have when you're awake. You adjust the power until you can just feel it, then click it back one notch. It won't work for everyone, but I like that you can send it back if it doesn't."

For those for whom snoring is significantly impacting health or relationships, this is a serious piece of technology at a serious price point. It means business.

Score: 8/10

8. Mouth tape

What is it?

This is a social media phenomenon. Mouth tape involves sealing your lips shut at bedtime to force nasal breathing, which is claimed to improve sleep quality, reduce snoring and – according to some corners of the internet – define your jawline. Clinical evidence is thin. Some experts warn it could be dangerous.

Does it work?

I procured the tape. I applied the tape. I ripped off the tape approximately four seconds later in a surge of claustrophobic panic. As a committed mouth breather, the sensation of sealed lips triggered an immediate and visceral anxiety response. I appreciate that some people report good results, and that the evidence – though limited – is not entirely dismissive. But I would urge caution, particularly for anyone who breathes through their mouth out of necessity rather than habit.

Dr Garley was unambiguous: "We don't encourage it at all. It tends to be promoted for quite vague reasons – better sleep, nose breathing, various purported benefits – but none of this is properly documented and there's no real evidence. Having your mouth taped during sleep could be claustrophobic. Some people vomit in their sleep. People have strokes in their sleep. You don't want your mouth taped shut.". I’ll pass on this one, thanks.

Score: 0/10

So, what actually works?

After several months of testing, tracking and a significant quantity of audio recordings of myself at my least dignified, the verdict was in: the lozenges moved the needle at the lowest cost. The Zeus produced the most impressive and consistent results but requires the most investment. The air purifier delivered universal benefits. The pillow and Olbas oil are pleasant without being transformative. Nasal strips and throat spray, despite their shelf presence and bold packaging claims, did little. Mouth tape nearly gave me a panic attack.

Both experts are clear that the most effective solutions address the root cause of snoring: partial airway collapse. Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) – custom-fitted mouthguards approved by NICE that hold the lower jaw slightly forward to keep the airway open – are available through dentists and work for both snoring and sleep apnoea. They're portable, require no power supply and, Dr Szamocki notes, tend to see better patient adherence than more invasive treatments.

If you snore significantly, or notice pauses in your breathing, gasping, or extreme daytime fatigue, please see a doctor. Sleep apnoea responds well to treatment. CPAP therapy – a device that pumps air through a mask worn during sleep – has, according to Dr Garley, a near-immediate effect: "When you get on CPAP, which very briskly restores quality sleep, you're sometimes looking at a completely new person within two days. It can be really quite dramatic."

For home diagnostics, a device called the Acupebble – recently approved by NICE – sits on the neck overnight, records your breathing and sends the data directly to a clinical lab. It has made getting a diagnosis considerably less arduous. If you have any suspicion that snoring is more than just snoring, it is worth speaking to your doctor and starting there.

As for my partner: he’s been issued the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds (£129), which use active noise cancellation and AI brainwave audio to block out sound, and an app to track your sleep quality. He rates them highly. Dr Garley called this noise-blocking approach "a diplomatic mission" and "really, really sensible", more validation than I have received for any other decision I made during this project. If the price tag puts you off, our review of the best earplugs for sleeping has options starting at £7.99.

And my ultimate snoring cure? I’ve found a combination of actively prioritising better sleep, essential oils, the air purifier whirring, snoring pillow and occasional lozenge or Zeus use are all realistic remedies that at least mitigate my snoring. Do I wake feeling buoyant? Not quite. But my SnoreLab scores are generally lower than they were before my mission, and after decades of snoring that’ll do for me.

Enjoyed this? Read more:

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