Sleeping next to someone who snores is one of the most common sleep complaints, and there are real, tested strategies that work for both you and the snorer. The key is a combination approach: reduce the snoring at its source while also protecting your own sleep quality on nights when the noise persists.
Why Your Partner Snores
Snoring happens when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat, tongue, and soft palate during sleep. As someone moves from light sleep into deeper stages, the muscles in these areas relax and sag inward, partially narrowing the airway. Air pushing through that narrower space causes the tissues to vibrate, producing sound. The more the airway narrows, the more forceful the airflow becomes, and the louder the snoring gets.
Several factors make this worse: sleeping on the back (which lets gravity pull the tongue and palate backward), alcohol before bed (which further relaxes throat muscles), nasal congestion, excess weight around the neck, and simply having a naturally thicker soft palate or elongated uvula. Understanding the cause helps you pick the right fix.
Get the Snorer Off Their Back
Back sleeping is the single biggest controllable factor. When someone lies face-up, gravity pulls soft tissue toward the back of the throat, narrowing the airway significantly. Research on positional therapy found that snoring rates dropped from about 37% to 16% just by switching from back sleeping to a side position. That’s a reduction of more than half.
The simplest trick is the tennis ball method: attach a tennis ball (or a similar bulky object) to the back of a sleep shirt so rolling onto the back becomes uncomfortable. Positional sleep trainers, which are small wearable devices that vibrate gently when they detect back sleeping, are a more refined version of the same idea. A firm body pillow wedged behind the snorer can also keep them on their side throughout the night.
Nasal Strips and Dilators
If congestion or a narrow nasal passage contributes to the snoring, opening the nose can help. Both external adhesive strips (placed across the bridge of the nose) and internal silicone dilators (inserted into the nostrils) work by mechanically widening the nasal valve. Studies show this type of dilation can increase nasal airflow by up to 25%, comparable to using a decongestant spray, but without any medication.
These won’t cure snoring that originates in the throat, but for someone whose snoring worsens with allergies, colds, or a naturally narrow nose, they can make a noticeable difference. They’re inexpensive and worth trying as a first step.
Mouth Devices That Reduce Snoring
Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) look like sports mouth guards and work by holding the lower jaw slightly forward during sleep, which pulls the tongue and surrounding tissue away from the back of the throat. In a randomized trial, 68% of patients achieved a meaningful reduction in snoring and sleep-disordered breathing with a MAD. Compliance was strong: about 82% of users wore the device every night for at least six hours, and 91% said they preferred it over the alternative device tested.
Tongue stabilizing devices (TSDs), which use gentle suction to hold the tongue forward, had a lower success rate of 45%. More than half of users removed the TSD involuntarily during sleep, and nearly two-thirds stopped using it within three weeks. If your partner is willing to try an oral device, a MAD is the more practical and effective choice. Custom-fitted versions from a dentist tend to be more comfortable than over-the-counter options, though boil-and-bite models can work as a low-cost trial.
Protecting Your Own Sleep
While you work on reducing the snoring itself, you also need strategies for your side of the bed.
Earplugs
Foam earplugs are the most widely available option and typically block 25 to 33 decibels of sound, enough to take the edge off moderate snoring (which usually falls in the 40 to 70 decibel range). Silicone putty earplugs mold to the outer ear and can be more comfortable for side sleepers. The goal isn’t total silence but reducing the snoring to a level where your brain stops registering it as disruptive. If you need to hear an alarm, set your phone to vibrate under your pillow.
Sound Masking
White noise machines are popular, but pink noise may actually work better for snoring specifically. Pink noise emphasizes lower frequencies, which creates a deeper, more even background hum. This reduces the contrast between quiet moments and the sudden, jarring burst of a snore, which is what actually wakes you up. Think of it like the difference between a snore in a silent room versus a snore near a waterfall. A fan, a dedicated sound machine, or even a phone app playing pink or brown noise can all serve this purpose. Place the speaker between you and the snorer for the best masking effect.
Fall Asleep First
This sounds overly simple, but it genuinely helps. Once you’re in deeper sleep stages, your brain is less reactive to consistent background noise. If the snorer tends to read or watch something before sleeping, use that window. Going to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier, or having the snorer delay their bedtime slightly, gives you a head start on reaching deeper sleep before the noise begins.
Sleeping in Separate Rooms
Sometimes called a “sleep divorce,” sleeping apart carries an unfortunate stigma, but the research paints a more nuanced picture. Studies using movement-tracking devices consistently show that people sleep more restfully when alone: fewer nighttime awakenings, less disrupted sleep architecture. Yet those same studies find something interesting. Participants reported feeling less satisfied with their sleep when they slept without their partner, even though objective measurements showed their sleep was better. Women in particular said they felt more secure with their partner present.
The takeaway is that sleeping apart is not a sign of a failing relationship. It’s a practical solution that many couples use successfully. What matters more than the sleeping arrangement itself is how openly you discuss it. Framing it as “we both sleep better this way” rather than “your snoring is driving me away” makes a real difference. Some couples split the week: together on weekends, apart on work nights when quality sleep matters most.
When Snoring Signals Something Bigger
Not all snoring is harmless. Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where the airway fully collapses repeatedly during sleep, affects an estimated 20 to 30% of habitual snorers. The hallmark signs are loud snoring interrupted by silent pauses (where breathing actually stops), followed by a gasp or choking sound. If you notice your partner stops breathing for several seconds at a time, that warrants a sleep study.
Other red flags include excessive daytime sleepiness despite a full night in bed, morning headaches, and waking with a dry mouth or sore throat. Sleep apnea is diagnosed through a sleep study that measures how many times per hour breathing is disrupted. Treating it, most commonly with a CPAP machine that delivers gentle air pressure, doesn’t just fix the snoring. In studies where the snoring partner started CPAP treatment, the bed partner’s sleep improved measurably: fewer awakenings and better overall sleep efficiency, even during the same night treatment began.
A Combined Strategy Works Best
Rarely does a single change eliminate snoring entirely. The most effective approach layers several strategies together. Start with positional changes and nasal opening, since these are free and immediate. Add sound masking or earplugs for yourself. If the snoring persists, try a mandibular advancement device. And if nothing helps, or if you spot signs of apnea, a sleep study can identify whether something medical is driving the problem. In the meantime, be honest with each other about how the situation affects both of you. The snorer often feels guilty, and the sleep-deprived partner often feels resentful. Treating it as a shared problem to solve, rather than one person’s fault, keeps both the relationship and the sleep on track.