Will a Snoring Chin Strap Work For You?

The snoring chin strap is one of the products available to help your partner get a better night’s sleep. If you snore very loudly, you might even be waking yourself up. So it could help you get a better night’s sleep, too.

Keeping your nose clear is the most common advice for snorers. In order to accomplish that, breathing strips, humidifiers, decongestants and even surgery to remove or reduce the size of the nasal septum could be suggested.

What still may happen, even after trying all of these techniques, is that the mouth falls open when you relax. As you pull air into the lungs, the soft palate at the upper part of the back of the throat begins to vibrate and you snore.

You should have a physical exam to determine that you have no medical problems. Enlarged tonsils or adenoids for example can cause you to snore.

If your partner has noticed that you seem to stop breathing for several minutes, having a sleep apnea evaluation is a good idea. Sleep apneas reduce the blood oxygen content which results in daytime fatigue and other health problems.

A continuous positive airway machine is sometimes recommended to keep the breathing passages open. A snoring strap would not be a good idea for someone with apnea.

Sleeping on the side instead of the back is almost always effective for the snorer, but some people simply cannot get to sleep that way. In addition, they tend to rollover onto their backs during the night. So, they start to snore again. A night shirt with a tennis ball inserted has been sold at times in the past to force the snorer to roll back onto his or her side.

Specially designed pillows that hold the neck up can help to keep the breathing passages open and the mouth closed while you are sleeping on your back. A snoring mouthpiece that pushes the jaw forward is another option.

One type of snoring chin strap provides the support that keeps the jaw up and forward as well. Either the mouthpiece or the straps could help to keep the airway open in the back of the throat. This could be beneficial.

Another type includes magnet therapy. While the benefits of magnet therapy have never been proven, many people say they work. In the case of snorers, the magnets would provide additional magnetic support to keep the air passages open.

Another type of snoring strap adds acupressure into the mix. Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, except that no needles are used.

The added benefit of acupressure is to make it easier to fall asleep on your side or make it easier to fall asleep faster. It’s like getting a soothing massage right before bed.

Some snorers cannot be treated with strips to hold the nasal passages open or straps to hold the mouth closed. Those are the cases in which an actual health problem is involved. That you snore may be the only symptom you are aware of, but others could be seen in a sleep study.

Companies that manufacturer a snoring chin strap will provide the same advisory as mentioned here. They should not be used to treat sleep apnea.

The studies referred to in the advertisements for the straps are company sponsored. The studies don’t show up in data indexed by PubMed or in medical journals.

The snoring strap has been on the market for decades. The first reference to them at PubMed is from June of 1957. In the title, the devices are referred to as “so-called mouth breathing preventative” straps.

Prices vary. For the most part they are relatively inexpensive. Some people would be physically uncomfortable by the confinement. Others would be uncomfortable with the appearance, but if it will help you and your partner get some sleep it would be well worth it.

If you decide to try a snoring chin strap you can get a good quality one at the Talk About Sleep Online Store. They offer low prices, great service, trusted brands and free shipping.