Shopping for a snoring device is easier with five questions in hand. Answer them in order and the shortlist shrinks fast.
If you also grind your teeth, see what to buy first for night grinding on a budget.
Before you shop, rule out the cause if you wake up gasping, and our budget order for finding out why shows how.
This guide is for simple snoring. If apnea is possible, see a doctor first.
1. Does It Happen Only on Your Back?
If yes, position may be the main driver. One systematic review saw side sleeping help back-dominant apnea, with CPAP still stronger.
A side-sleeping pillow is the low-cost test. See our snoring solutions overview for options.
2. Does Your Jaw Slide Back?
Then a mouthpiece is the usual pick. Sleep and dental groups issued a AASM and AADSM guideline that favors mouthpieces for plain snoring.
Compare designs with our mouthpiece buying checklist.
3. Do You Breathe Through Your Mouth?
A chin strap seems logical. A randomized trial found no gain for snoring or apnea when it was used alone.
Use it, if at all, as a helper to another tool.
4. Could It Be Apnea?
Choking awake, drowsy days, and a partner who sees pauses are red flags. Loud snoring alone was a poor test in a 1995 population study.
If apnea is confirmed, CPAP leads. This 2020 meta-analysis measured about seven additional events per hour removed versus a mouthpiece.
5. Will You Actually Use It?
The best device is the one you wear. A 2018 meta-analysis found a mouthpiece got about an hour more use each night than CPAP.
Read about CPAP machine alternatives if CPAP is on the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Short Version
Match the device to the cause. Test it for two weeks, and see a doctor if warning signs show up.
More On the Topic
See also: A Short Script for Raising Snoring With Your Partner.