You can reduce or eliminate your husband’s snoring with a combination of sleep position changes, lifestyle adjustments, and, if needed, over-the-counter devices. The right approach depends on what’s causing the snoring in the first place. Men are more likely to snore than women due to naturally narrower airways and how fat distributes around the neck and throat. That means many of the fixes are straightforward, but persistent, loud snoring with pauses in breathing points to something that needs medical attention.
Why Men Snore More Often
Snoring happens when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat, causing them to vibrate. Men tend to carry more soft tissue around the pharynx (the back of the throat), which narrows the airway and makes vibration more likely. Being overweight adds to this: extra tissue in the back of the throat physically crowds the airway, and fat deposits around the neck compress it from the outside.
Sleeping on his back makes things worse because gravity pulls the tongue and soft palate backward, partially blocking airflow. Nasal congestion, allergies, or dry bedroom air can also force mouth breathing, which increases turbulence in the throat.
Lifestyle Changes That Actually Help
If your husband is carrying extra weight, this is the single most impactful change. Research published in the journal Lung India found that reducing body mass index to 25 or below produced clinically meaningful improvements in snoring. You don’t need to push past that target; getting to a normal BMI is enough. Even modest weight loss can reduce the tissue bulk pressing on the airway.
Alcohol is a major contributor. It relaxes the muscles that keep the airway open, including the genioglossus, the main muscle of the tongue. That relaxation lets the tongue fall back and obstruct airflow. The body metabolizes roughly half a standard drink per hour, so two to three drinks could take four to six hours to fully clear. If your husband drinks in the evening, finishing well before bedtime (or cutting it out on weeknights entirely) can make a noticeable difference.
Sedating medications, including some antihistamines and sleep aids, have a similar muscle-relaxing effect and are worth discussing with a doctor if he takes them regularly.
Simple Fixes to Try Tonight
Start with sleep position. Side sleeping prevents the tongue from falling back over the airway. A body pillow or a tennis ball sewn into the back of a T-shirt are classic tricks that work surprisingly well. Some people use wedge-shaped pillows that elevate the head 30 to 45 degrees, which reduces tissue compression even during back sleeping.
Bedroom humidity matters more than most people realize. Dry air irritates nasal and throat tissues, increasing swelling and vibration. Keeping humidity between 30% and 50% with a cool-mist humidifier can reduce that irritation. If your husband has nasal congestion, a saline rinse before bed helps open the nasal passages so he breathes through his nose instead of his mouth.
Over-the-Counter Devices Worth Trying
Nasal strips and external nasal dilators work by physically widening the nostrils. They’re inexpensive and easy to try, but they only help if the snoring originates from nasal obstruction. If the vibration is coming from the throat (which it usually is in loud snorers), nasal strips alone won’t solve it.
Mandibular advancement devices, sometimes called snoring mouthguards, are a step up. These fit inside the mouth and push the lower jaw slightly forward, which pulls the tongue base away from the back of the throat and widens the airway. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine considers oral appliances a reasonable treatment for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, though they’re less effective than CPAP machines for more severe cases. Custom-fitted versions from a dentist work better than boil-and-bite drugstore options, but even the cheaper versions can make a real difference for straightforward snoring.
When Snoring Signals Something Bigger
Not all snoring is harmless. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition where the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, cutting off breathing for seconds at a time. It raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. The signs to watch for: your husband gasps or chokes during sleep, stops breathing for noticeable pauses, wakes up with headaches, or feels exhausted despite a full night’s rest.
Doctors use a screening tool called the STOP-Bang questionnaire to assess risk. It scores eight yes-or-no factors: loud snoring, daytime tiredness, observed breathing pauses, high blood pressure, BMI over 35, age over 50, neck circumference over 17 inches, and male sex. A score of 0 to 2 is low risk. A score of 5 to 8 is high risk. With a score of 3 or 4, additional factors like BMI help determine risk level. The screening catches 93% of moderate-to-severe cases and 100% of severe cases.
If your husband scores in the moderate or high range, a sleep study is the next step. At-home sleep tests are now widely available and reasonably accurate. They detect about 80% of OSA cases and correctly rule it out about 83% of the time. An in-lab study is more precise if the home test is inconclusive, but most people start with the home version for convenience.
Medical Options if Nothing Else Works
For confirmed sleep apnea, a CPAP machine remains the gold standard. It delivers a steady stream of air through a mask to keep the airway open. Many people resist it at first, but modern machines are quieter and more comfortable than older models, and the improvement in sleep quality for both partners is often dramatic.
For those who genuinely cannot tolerate CPAP, newer options exist. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation is an implanted device that gently activates the tongue muscle during sleep to keep it from blocking the airway. Candidates must have moderate or severe OSA, a BMI under 32, and must have tried and failed CPAP first. It’s not for everyone, but for eligible patients, it’s an effective alternative.
Protecting Your Own Sleep in the Meantime
About one-third of partners of snorers report that it causes friction in their relationship, and women living with snorers are three times as likely to develop insomnia symptoms compared to women whose partners don’t snore. This isn’t a small thing. Your sleep deprivation is a real health concern, not just an inconvenience.
While you work through solutions, protect your own rest. Good earplugs (silicone or foam rated NRR 30 or higher) can cut noise enough to sleep. White noise machines help mask the irregular sound pattern that makes snoring so disruptive. If the snoring is severe, sleeping in separate rooms some nights is a practical choice that roughly a quarter to a third of couples already make. It doesn’t reflect poorly on your relationship. It reflects a commitment to both of you functioning well during the day.
The most effective approach is usually layered: start with position changes and alcohol timing, add a mouthguard or humidity adjustment, and pursue a sleep study if the snoring is loud, involves breathing pauses, or doesn’t improve within a few weeks of consistent effort.