Roughly 45% of adults snore at least occasionally. If it is not you, there is a good chance it is the person sleeping next to you.

Beyond the relationship friction, snoring is worth taking seriously. People who snore regularly have a higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where breathing actually stops and restarts throughout the night. That disrupts sleep quality for everyone involved and can have health consequences over time.

Before reaching for expensive gadgets or procedures, there are several straightforward approaches that may help reduce snoring. None of these are guaranteed to work for everyone, but they are low-risk and worth trying first.

Why Snoring Happens

Snoring is the sound of air moving through a narrowed airway. When the muscles in your throat relax during sleep, the soft tissue can partially block the airway. Air passing through causes those tissues to vibrate, which produces the sound.

Several things can narrow the airway or cause the throat muscles to relax more than usual: sleeping position, weight, alcohol, allergies, and nasal congestion are among the most common. That is good news, because many of these are things you can actually change.

1. Sleep on Your Side

This is one of the most consistently suggested changes for snorers. When you lie on your back, your tongue and soft palate tend to fall backward and partially block the airway. Sleeping on your side removes that pressure.

The challenge is staying on your side through the night. A full-length body pillow can help by giving you something to lean against. Some people also find that sewing a tennis ball into the back of their pyjama top discourages rolling onto their back, though it takes some getting used to.

2. Cut Back on Alcohol, Especially in the Evening

Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat more than usual. Even people who do not normally snore will often snore after a few drinks. If you drink regularly in the evenings and snoring has been a problem, this is worth experimenting with.

The effect is strongest in the hours right after drinking, which is why timing matters. Having a drink with dinner is quite different from having one right before bed.

3. Stay Well Hydrated

When you are dehydrated, the soft tissue in your nose and throat can become stickier, which some research suggests makes snoring worse. Keeping well hydrated throughout the day may help keep things moving more smoothly.

General guidance is around 8 cups of water a day for women, more in hot weather or if you are physically active. Drinking most of it earlier in the day also means fewer trips to the bathroom at night.

4. Clean Your Sleeping Environment

Dust, pet dander, and other airborne allergens can irritate nasal passages and cause congestion, which forces you to breathe through your mouth and makes snoring more likely. This is an easy one to overlook.

Some things that may help:

• Wash bedding more frequently, at least once a week in hot water
• Replace old pillows, which accumulate dust mites over time
• Keep pets out of the bedroom if possible
• Dust ceiling fans, which can circulate allergens through the room
• Consider an air purifier if allergies are a significant issue

If you tend to wake with a stuffy nose or notice snoring is worse at certain times of year, allergens may be a factor worth investigating.

5. Consider Whether Weight Might Be a Factor

Not all snorers carry excess weight, and not everyone who is overweight snores. But there is a clear connection between weight gain and snoring for many people. Extra tissue around the neck and throat can put pressure on the airway and make it more likely to narrow during sleep.

If you started snoring after gaining weight, or if snoring has gotten worse alongside weight gain, this is worth considering as part of the picture. Even modest weight loss sometimes makes a noticeable difference.

When to Talk to a Doctor

These approaches may help with straightforward snoring, but there are times when medical assessment is important.

See a doctor if:

• Your partner notices you stop breathing during sleep, even briefly
• You wake gasping or choking
• You feel excessively tired during the day despite what seems like enough sleep
• Snoring is loud enough to be heard through walls or closed doors

These can be signs of obstructive sleep apnea, which is treatable but does need to be properly diagnosed. A sleep study can confirm whether that is what is happening.

Snoring that responds to lifestyle changes is one thing. Snoring that comes with daytime exhaustion or breathing pauses is another, and it deserves proper attention.

Also on this site: Snoring vs sleep apnea: what is the difference  |  The 2 types of sleep apnea explained  |  How to get quality sleep

External resource: Mayo Clinic: Snoring — Diagnosis and Treatment — when snoring needs medical attention and what treatment options are available

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Exploring natural approaches to better sleep? The Health Bandit guide covers some options that may be worth looking at.