In short
- In a sleep lab study of 72 habitual snorers, most snorers without sleep apnea snored less, and less loudly, on their side than on their back.
- The NHS suggests taping or stitching a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear, or using a special pillow or bed wedge, to stay on your side.
- In an Australian follow-up of people prescribed the tennis ball technique, fewer than 10% were still using it about 2.5 years later, and most quit because it was too uncomfortable.
- In a one-month trial, 75.9% of people used a vibrating sleep position trainer enough to count as compliant, compared with 42.3% using the tennis ball technique.
- In a six-week study of 30 positional snorers without sleep apnea, a vibrating trainer improved snoring scores reported by both snorers and their bed partners.
- A German snoring guideline says there aren't enough studies to rate back-avoidance for snoring, but still recommends offering it to people who snore mainly on their back.
The simplest way to stop snoring on your back is to make lying on your back uncomfortable, or to get a gentle cue to roll over when you do. A tennis ball sewn into your sleepwear, a positional belt or backpack, a vibrating trainer and a side-sleeping pillow all aim at the same thing. They all work while you use them. The difference between them is mostly how long people put up with them.
Our guide to sleep position and snoring explains why position matters. This article is about the tools that keep you there.
Why does sleeping on your back make snoring worse?
Sleeping on your back makes snoring worse because your tongue can relax back toward your throat and partly block your airway. Cleveland Clinic says back sleepers are more likely to snore than side sleepers. The NHS lists sleeping on your back among the things that make snoring more likely, and suggests side sleeping as one of its first self-help steps.
The clearest data on snoring itself comes from a 2003 sleep lab study of 72 people who complained of habitual snoring. Among those without sleep apnea, most snored less on their side, both in how much of the night they snored and in how loud it was. People with sleep apnea were less predictable, and many kept snoring on their side.
That gives you a quick test. If a partner or a recording says your snoring is much worse on your back, a positional device is worth trying. If you snore just as loudly on your side, start with snoring on your side instead.
What devices help you stop sleeping on your back?
Research: moderate (what this means)Devices that help you stop sleeping on your back fall into a few groups. Sleep Education, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's patient site, describes devices worn around the waist or back that make it hard to turn over, a backpack or tennis ball that makes back sleeping uncomfortable, and newer devices that vibrate when you start to roll onto your back. The NHS adds special pillows and bed wedges.
| Device | How it works | What the evidence says | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennis ball in sleepwear | A hard lump on your back makes lying on it uncomfortable | Keeps people off their backs; under 10% still used it after about 2.5 years | Uncomfortable, so most people stop |
| Positional belt or backpack | A bulky foam block worn on the back or around the waist | Same idea as the tennis ball; Sleep Education lists both | Little research of its own |
| Vibrating trainer | A small sensor on the chest or neck buzzes when you roll onto your back | 84% less time on the back in a 2017 meta-analysis; better adherence than a tennis ball | Mostly studied in sleep apnea, not snoring alone |
| Side-sleeping or anti-snoring pillow | Supports your head and neck in a side position, or shifts your head when you snore | One small randomized trial of a head-shifting pillow reduced snoring | Small studies only |
| Bed wedge or raised head | Raises your head and upper body | Reduces snoring in some studies, per a 2024 review | Some people can't tolerate it |
Does the tennis ball technique work?
The tennis ball technique works while you wear it, but most people give it up. It's the oldest version of positional therapy: a tennis ball taped or stitched into a pocket on the back of a sleep shirt, so rolling onto your back is uncomfortable enough to make you turn back over. The NHS still suggests it.
The problem is comfort. A 2009 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine mailed a questionnaire to everyone prescribed the technique at an Australian sleep clinic over four years. Of the 67 who replied, an average of 2.5 years later, only 6% were still using it. Another 13.4% had stopped but said they had learned to avoid sleeping on their back. The remaining 80.6% were neither using it nor avoiding their back, and most of them said it was simply too uncomfortable.
That small middle group is worth noticing, though. Some people use a tennis ball for a while, learn the habit and then don't need it, so it makes sense to treat it as training rather than a permanent fix.
Do vibrating positional devices work better?
Vibrating positional devices seem to work about as well as a tennis ball at keeping you off your back, and people stick with them much better. These small devices sit on the chest or the back of the neck. Sleep Education explains that they vibrate gently when they detect you rolling onto your back, are meant to make you shift position without waking you, and stop once you're on your side.
A 2015 trial in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine compared a vibrating sleep position trainer with the tennis ball technique for a month in 55 people with mild positional sleep apnea. Both cut time on the back to a median of zero and improved breathing to a similar degree. But 75.9% of people used the vibrating trainer enough to count as compliant (at least four hours a night, five nights a week), compared with 42.3% for the tennis ball. Sleep quality and quality of life improved more with the trainer too.
A 2017 meta-analysis pooled seven studies of these new-generation devices in people with positional sleep apnea. On average, time spent on the back fell by 84% and breathing events fell by 54%. The authors called the evidence strong for short-term results but couldn't assess long-term adherence for lack of reliable data. Our article on positional sleep apnea covers what that means for people with a diagnosis.
Do positional devices help snoring without sleep apnea?
Positional devices probably help snoring without sleep apnea, but the snoring-only research is thin. Most trials were done in people with positional sleep apnea, where the main outcome is breathing pauses rather than noise.
The best snoring-specific data is a 2018 Dutch study of 36 people who snored mainly on their back and didn't have sleep apnea. Thirty completed six weeks with a vibrating sleep position trainer. Snorers' own snoring scores improved, bed partners' scores improved, and partners rated the snoring as less severe. There was no control group, so it shows what happened, not proof the device caused it. The study was also funded by the device's maker, which supplied the trainers, and one author held shares in the company.
A 2024 systematic review of position changes and snoring concluded that positional devices and raising the head of the bed can be considered reliable options for improving snoring, while noting there are only a few short-term studies and calling for proper controlled trials. A German guideline on snoring in adults says there are too few clinical studies to rate the effect of avoiding the back on snoring, but still recommends offering it to people whose snoring is worse on their back. It also recommends a pillow that shifts head position when it detects snoring, based on one small randomized trial. Our guide to anti-snoring pillows looks at those in more detail.
Which positional device should you try first?
The device to try first is the cheapest one you'll actually use. A tennis ball stitched into a shirt costs almost nothing and tells you quickly whether staying off your back quiets your snoring. If it does but you can't stand the lump, that's when a vibrating trainer or a positional belt is worth considering.
A few things make any of them easier:
- Ask a bed partner, or use a recording app, to compare a week of back-friendly nights with a week of side nights.
- If the ball is too much, try a side-sleeping pillow or bed wedge, which the NHS also suggests.
- If a raised head suits you better, see sleeping elevated for snoring.
- If your nose feels blocked at night, deal with that too (see below).
What if staying off your back isn't enough?
If staying off your back isn't enough, something else is probably narrowing your airway. Cleveland Clinic lists a blocked nose, alcohol and weight among the other common causes of snoring. It also lists nasal strips, which stick to the outside of the nose, as one way to help keep the nasal passages open.
If your mouth falls open once you're asleep and your nose is clear, mouth tape is another piece some side sleepers add. Our guide to side sleeping and mouth tape explains how the two fit together. Check your nose first with our nose test. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.
Check this first. Skip mouth tape and see a doctor if you snore loudly, wake up gasping, have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, or can't breathe comfortably through your nose. More on safety
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if your snoring 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 these can be signs of sleep apnea. A positional device can make snoring quieter without fixing a breathing problem underneath, so get checked before relying on one. Sleep Education says positional therapy for sleep apnea is something your sleep doctor might recommend, alone or with another treatment.
Our pick (paid partner): Titan Sleep System
A positional device handles where you sleep. If your nose or an open mouth is also part of your snoring, our pick is the Titan Sleep System, which Titan says brings TitanAir Nasal Strips and Titan Mouth Tape together as one nightly system.
Titan describes the strips as drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands, and the tape as a bamboo silk strip worn horizontally across the lips. Titan says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and it offers a 30-night guarantee. We haven't tested or ranked these products ourselves; this is our recommendation for ordinary snoring, not for anyone with signs of sleep apnea.
Read next
- Does sleeping on your side reduce snoring?
- Positional sleep apnea: when sleeping on your back is the problem
- The best sleep position for easier breathing
Common questions
How do I stop sleeping on my back?
Make back sleeping uncomfortable or give yourself a cue to roll over. The NHS suggests a tennis ball taped or stitched to the back of your sleepwear, a special pillow or a bed wedge. Positional belts and backpacks work the same way, and vibrating trainers buzz when you roll onto your back.
Does the tennis ball trick work for snoring?
It keeps people off their backs, but few stick with it. In a study of people prescribed the tennis ball technique, fewer than 10% were still using it about two and a half years later, mostly because it was uncomfortable. Some who stopped said they had learned to avoid their back anyway.
Do vibrating sleep position devices work?
For keeping you off your back, yes. A 2017 meta-analysis found new-generation vibrating devices cut time on the back by 84% in people with positional sleep apnea. In a six-week study of positional snorers without sleep apnea, a vibrating trainer improved snoring scores reported by snorers and their partners.
Why do I snore more on my back?
Lying on your back lets your tongue relax toward the back of your throat and partly block your airway. Cleveland Clinic says back sleepers are more likely to snore than side sleepers. A sleep lab study found most snorers without sleep apnea snored less often and more quietly on their side.
Can you train yourself to sleep on your side?
Some people can. In a long-term follow-up of the tennis ball technique, about 13% of people had stopped using it because they said they had learned to avoid sleeping on their back. Vibrating trainers are designed to nudge you over without fully waking you.
Is positional therapy enough for sleep apnea?
Only a sleep doctor can say. Sleep Education, the AASM's patient site, describes positional therapy as a treatment for people whose breathing problems happen mainly on their back. It can be used alone or with another treatment. Don't use a positional device instead of getting tested if you have warning signs.
Sources
- Effects of body position on snoring in apneic and nonapneic snorers
- Snoring
- Positional therapy
- Snoring: causes and complications
- The diagnosis and treatment of snoring in adults
- Poor long-term patient compliance with the tennis ball technique for treating positional obstructive sleep apnea
- Sleep position trainer versus tennis ball technique in positional obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
- Efficacy of the new generation of devices for positional therapy for patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis
- Subjective effects of the sleep position trainer on snoring outcomes in position-dependent non-apneic snorers
- The potential effect of changing patient position on snoring: a systematic review
About this article
- Research
- 10 published sources, listed above.
- Evidence
- Moderate. How we rate it
- Last checked
- October 18, 2026
- Funding
- Paid partner of Titan Recovery. Their ads are labeled.
- Found an error?
- Tell us. We log fixes on the corrections page.
* 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.