How to stop snoring tonight: 6 quick fixes, plus what works long term

To stop snoring tonight, sleep on your side, skip alcohol for the evening, clear your nose, raise the head of your bed and put on a nasal strip. If your mouth tends to fall open and your nose is clear, mouth tape can keep it closed. These quick fixes help many people from the first night, but if your snoring comes with gasping, choking or pauses in breathing, see a doctor instead.

This is the short, practical version for tonight. For the full picture of why people snore and the medical options, see our main guide on how to stop snoring.

What can you do tonight to stop snoring?

The quickest snoring fixes are the ones that change your airway on the night itself: your position, your nose and what's relaxing your throat. The table below lists six to try, roughly in the order you'd do them in the evening.

Should you skip alcohol tonight?

Skipping alcohol is one of the fastest snoring fixes if you've noticed you snore more after a drink. Cleveland Clinic suggests avoiding alcohol for several hours before bedtime, because it may cause your airway muscles to relax. A 2020 meta-analysis of 13 studies with 279 people found alcohol was associated with worse snoring, along with more breathing interruptions and lower oxygen levels, in people prone to snoring and sleep apnea.

If you've already had a drink tonight, the other fixes below still help. Just expect the night to be noisier than a dry one. The NHS also says sleeping pills can sometimes cause snoring, so don't reach for one as a fix.

How do you clear a stuffy nose before bed?

Clearing your nose before bed matters because a blocked nose pushes you toward mouth breathing. Cleveland Clinic says people with allergies are more likely to sleep with their mouth open and snore more often, and that in people with chronic congestion, antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays can help.

For tonight, a salt water rinse is the simplest step. The NHS lists salt water sprays or rinses among pharmacy options for allergic rhinitis and explains how to make a rinse at home. It also warns that decongestant nasal sprays shouldn't be used for more than 5 days, because they can make a blocked nose worse. Our step-by-step guide on how to use a saline rinse covers technique.

Does raising your head stop snoring?

Raising the head of your bed can reduce snoring, and you can set it up in a few minutes. Cleveland Clinic suggests propping up the head of your bed to help keep your airway open and stop your tongue from blocking the back of your throat.

A 2024 systematic review backs this up. It found that positional devices and raising the head and trunk reduced snoring by increasing the airway's cross-section, though it noted some people find prolonged elevation uncomfortable. Our guide to sleeping elevated for snoring compares the setups.

Do nasal strips work the first night?

Nasal strips can work from the first night if your nose is part of the problem. The NHS lists nasal strips or dilators that hold your nose open as a treatment when the airways in your nose are blocked or narrow.

The best trial is small. In a 2000 randomized, placebo-controlled study of 12 people with chronic rhinitis, each tested over an overnight sleep study, snoring frequency dropped from about 258 snores an hour with a placebo strip to 173 with a real strip. Loudness didn't change. Strips go on clean, dry skin, and getting the position right makes a difference: see how to apply nasal strips.

Can you use mouth tape tonight?

You can use mouth tape tonight if your mouth tends to fall open, your nose is clear and you've practiced for a few minutes while awake. The NHS lists a mouth that falls open in sleep as one cause of snoring, and mouth tape keeps your lips together so you breathe through your nose.

The early results are encouraging. In a 2022 study in Healthcare, 20 mouth breathers with mild sleep apnea had a second sleep test a week after the first, taken with their mouths taped, and 13 of them cut their snoring index by at least half. Give it several nights before you judge it, since the first nights are about getting used to the feel.

Safety comes first. Cleveland Clinic says never to tape if you have nasal obstruction or congestion, chronic allergies, a sinus infection, enlarged tonsils, a deviated septum or heart issues. Take our nose test before bed. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

How do you stay on your side all night?

Staying on your side is the fix most people struggle with, because you roll onto your back in your sleep. It's worth the effort: in a 2003 study of 72 habitual snorers, most of those without sleep apnea snored less on their side, in both time and loudness.

The NHS suggests taping or stitching a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear, or using a special pillow or bed wedge, so you don't roll onto your back. Our guide to sleep position and snoring covers the longer-term options.

How do you know if tonight's fixes worked?

The easiest way to know if a fix worked is to compare nights, not to rely on how you feel. Ask your partner how loud and how often you snored, or record yourself with a phone app or voice recorder, once before you change anything and again after. The NHS says it helps to bring someone who can describe your snoring to a GP appointment, so those notes are useful later too.

Change one or two things at a time if you can. If you skip alcohol, raise the bed and add a strip all on the same night, you'll sleep more quietly but won't know which step did it. A week of steady use is a fairer test than a single night, especially for mouth tape, which takes a few nights to get used to.

What works for snoring in the longer term?

Longer-term snoring fixes take weeks, but they tackle causes the quick fixes can't. Here are the ones with research or medical advice behind them:

• Losing weight if you carry extra. Cleveland Clinic explains that fatty tissue in the neck can press on the throat when its muscles relax, and the NHS lists weight loss first.
• Mouth and throat exercises. In a 2015 randomized trial of 39 people, three months of daily exercises roughly halved the snore index.
• Quitting smoking. The NHS says smokers are more likely to snore, and Cleveland Clinic says quitting improves nasal congestion.
• Treating ongoing allergies. Cleveland Clinic suggests an allergist or primary care provider can help find the right medication.
• A dentist-fitted mouthpiece. The NHS lists a device that brings the tongue forward for snoring caused by the tongue, and Cleveland Clinic suggests getting it customized, because a badly fitting one can strain the jaw.

Keep the quick fixes going while the slower ones take effect.

When is snoring a sign to see a doctor?

Snoring is a sign to see a doctor when it comes with other symptoms. The NHS says to see a GP if you feel sleepy during the day, your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, or you make gasping or choking noises, because you may have sleep apnea. It also says to go if lifestyle changes aren't helping or your snoring has a big impact on you or your partner.

None of the quick fixes on this page treat sleep apnea. Skip mouth tape on any night your nose is blocked, and if you're pregnant, ask your midwife or doctor before trying tape or strips.

Our pick (paid partner): Titan Sleep System

For tonight's two product steps, our pick is the Titan Sleep System, which pairs TitanAir Nasal Strips with Titan Mouth Tape as one nightly system. We haven't tested or ranked products ourselves, and no published study used Titan's products. This is our recommendation, based on what Titan says about them.

Titan describes TitanAir Nasal Strips as drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands, designed to pair with its tape. It suggests applying them just above the flare of the nostrils on clean, dry skin, and skipping moisturizer. For the tape, Titan suggests 20 to 30 minutes of daytime practice before the first night, which fits the advice above. It says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and its 30-night guarantee refunds you if your sleep isn't better after 30 nights.

Read next

• Why do I snore some nights and not others?
• Using mouth tape and nasal strips together
• Snoring vs. sleep apnea: how to tell the difference

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.