Do stop-snoring devices really work? The debate over whether or not you should invest your money and effort into curing your snoring problem with the aid of stop-snoring devices hinges upon the issue of achieving short-term relief versus long-term, long-lasting, or permanent relief from snoring. The fact of the matter is that there is no one-size-fits-all, absolute best device to help alleviate snoring.
Which one of the many stop-snoring devices you choose to use depends on a number of factors: the severity of your snoring problem, the actual, physical cause of your specific case of snoring, your sense of urgency in curing the problem, and of course how much money you can afford to or are willing to spend to cure your snoring problem.
Nasal strips, nasal sprays, and throat sprays are three of the most common over-the-counter stop-snoring devices available at your local drug store. You simply affix a nasal strip just below the bridge of your nose at night, and this is supposed to open up your nasal passages, by prying your nostrils open. Sprays work to lubricate the throat. Unfortunately, these synthetic solutions vary in effectiveness from person to person.
Other stop-snoring devices include mouth guards and chin strips, to help keep the mouth closed while you sleep, to encourage breathing through the nose and not through the mouth. However, even this solution may vary in its effectiveness from one person to the next.
And then there are sleep positioning devices, such as pillow wedges, to encourage the snorer to sleep on his or her side, and to discourage sleeping flat on the back. Sleeping on the back can cause the tongue to "fall back" into the throat for many people, causing an air passageway obstruction that lends itself to the conditions ripe for snoring. But again, even in this case, the effectiveness of this type of solution can vary depending on the individual. Could you reliably count on any of these devices as a long-lasting, permanent solution for snoring? The answer is plain and simply: no.
Their effectiveness is only as good as how well these match up to your individual needs. Ultimately, though, these stop-snoring devices do nothing to actually cure your snoring problem. All they do is suppress your snoring on a limited basis, only for the duration of time that you use the device. If you ever find yourself sans device for even one night, you will be snoring again.
