Will Sleeping on Your Side Reduce Snoring?

Snoring occurs when your throat muscles relax during sleep, your tongue falls backward toward your throat and the walls of your throat vibrate, leading to the familiar sounds of a snore. It’s a common notion, then, that most people only snore when they sleep on their back, as this is what allows your tongue to collapse into the back of your throat and obstruct breathing.

In fact, sleeping on your back can lead to snoring in some people — the New York Times reported one study found that 54 percent of snorers were “positional snorers,” which means they only snored while sleeping on their backs. So switching to your side while sleeping is a simple trick to try if snoring is interfering with your, or your partner’s, sleep — but it likely won’t work for everyone.

Causes of snoring:

  • Aging, which leads to increased relaxation of the throat muscles
  • Obesity (particular having a lot of fatty tissue around the neck)
  • Anatomical abnormalities of the nose and throat (enlarged tonsils or adenoids, nasal polyps, or deviated nasal septum)
  • Functional abnormalities (such as inflammation of the nose or throat due to allergies)
  • Drinking alcohol before bed, as alcohol is a potent muscle relaxant, or taking muscle relaxants in the evening