10 Easy and Natural Ways to Stop Snoring

There are many natural ways to stop snoring, not just herbal teas. You can also find a rue and olive oil based balm to act as a decongestant.

Reviewed and approved by the doctor José Gerardo Rosciano Paganelli.

Written by Daniela Echeverri Castro

Last update: 30 May, 2022

Although snoring isn’t considered a health problem, it can interrupt sleep and be a sign that something isn’t quite right with your body. Therefore, you should consult a doctor if you find yourself snoring frequently. However, there are some natural ways to stop snoring and in turn, improve your sleep.

Snoring can be a big problem for the person who snores. The irritating sound can also disrupt the sleep of anyone sharing their bed. The snoring sound occurs when something blocks the free flow of air through the nose and mouth.

Snoring can also be a symptom of a condition known as sleep apnea, which is when a person can stop breathing partially or completely for about 10 seconds at a time while he or she sleeps.

Before we look at ways to stop snoring, it’s important to understand why you do it in the first place. The best ways to stop snoring are identifying the cause and nipping it in the bud.

Why do you snore?

Snoring can be a result of excessive drinking, obesity, colds, allergies, or other conditions related to nasal congestion, the last trimester of pregnancy, nasal deformities and poor nutrition, among other reasons.

10 Natural Ways to Stop Snoring

There are many natural tricks and ways to stop snoring. After you have seen your doctor to rule out any other serious issues, give these ideas a try.

1. Avoid alcohol and tranquilizers

Excessive alcohol consumption, like other tranquilizers, relaxes the central nervous system, diaphragm muscles, and the jaw which increases the chance of snoring.

2. Fight being overweight and obesity

If you are overweight or obese, you should pursue a healthy diet, exercise, and other ways to lose weight. These factors are one of the most common reasons you may snore since it puts pressure on the respiratory passages and makes it harder to breathe.

3. Treat allergies

People who have allergies are also more likely to snore. This is why we recommend you treat your allergies with a decongestant or antihistamine. You should also make sure to not let dust build up on furniture, carpets, and curtains since this makes the problem worse.

4. Sleep on your side

Many studies have shown that people who sleep on their backs tend to snore more. This is why we recommend you sleep on your side. To get used to this, a good trick is to put some tennis balls wrapped up in socks in your bed so that the discomfort causes you to sleep on your side.

5. Choose a firmer or thicker pillow

Using two pillows or using a higher, thicker pillow improves air flow through the nasal passages and mouth, which reduces your likelihood to snore.

6. Onion

An old trick that has worked for many is cutting an onion in half and pouring a fair amount of salt on it. Once you have done this you should put it on a plate and leave it near the head of the bed until the next day.

7. Saline solution

A saline solution can help clear  congested nasal passages, which allows you to sleep with your mouth closed and reduces your likelihood to snore. All you need to do is mix a half teaspoon of salt with a cup of room temperature water. When you’ve done this, put a little bit of the solution in each nostril.

8. Nettle herbal tea

Nettle herbal tea is another good remedy to ease snoring. You just need to mix a spoonful of dry nettle leaves in a cup of boiling water, cover it for 10 minutes, and drink it before you go to bed.

9. Sage herbal tea

Sage is one of the best ways to stop snoring because it helps treat many different respiratory problems. Simply prepare some sage herbal tea by adding several sage leaves to a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes, strain it, and drink it before sleeping.

10. Olive oil and rue

For this remedy, you just need to mix a cup of olive oil with 50 grams of rue in an airtight container. The mixture should marinate for two weeks and after this, you can strain it, and apply it with nose strips. The rest can be stored in a dark container.