14 Highly Effective Snoring Remedies You Need to Know About

Snoring occurs when airflow through the throat or nasal passages is constricted in an unnatural way (when awake, your body prevents this from happening). That's why fast air passing through clogged (read: narrowed) nasal passages often results in snoring. Experts recommend taking a hot shower—and using a saltwater nose rinse while you're in there—before bed to keep passages clear.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, certain sleep positions, such as lying on your back, cause your tongue and soft palate to press against the back of your throat, which leads to snoring. A full-length body pillow can provide support to help you sleep on your side throughout the night.

When you're dehydrated, your mouth and nose can become sticky with secretions, leading to more snoring, according to WebMD. Women should have 11.5 cups of fluids per day, with 20 percent of that coming from what you eat.

Experts at WebMD say allergens lurking in the bedroom (in dusty ceiling fans and old pillows, for example) may lead to snoring.

Cocktails can help us unwind. Unfortunately, when our throat muscles become too relaxed as a result of imbibing, our body's natural defense against airway obstruction weakens, according to the Mayo Clinic. The National Sleep Foundation recommends having your last drink no later than four hours before bedtime.

Try pushing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and sliding it backward, or raising the back of the roof of your mouth and uvula (the fleshy part of the soft palate that hangs above the throat) while sounding out the vowel "A." A recent Brazilian study published in the journal CHEST found that certain mouth exercises exercises significantly reduced snoring in a study group of patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Find more exercises here.

If the aforementioned remedies don't work, you can try adhesive nasal strips. If the issue is with your nose (and not your soft palate) these strips can help reduce snoring by lifting and opening nasal passages.

Again, if nasal congestion is the root of your snoring woes, an over-the-counter saline nasal spray may help open up passages. But don't waste your money on throat sprays—medical professionals say they're completely useless. Need something stronger? The American Academy of Otolaryngology says prescription nasal-steroid spray may help some patients.

Snore guards like this one from the American Sleep Association move the jaw forward, opening the airway to prevent or lessen snoring. One of the more expensive over-the-counter remedies, guards like this typically cost between $45 and $100.

A piece of new technology in development, bedside device Nora is designed to gently shake a snoring sleeper's pillow before the sound of their snoring wakes their partner. It's scheduled to enter the market at $239 per bedsider kit in May 2016.

If your partner snores, consider getting them one of these. It won't treat the problem, but it will at least treat the most irritating symptom. Silent Partner, a wearable device that's

If your partner points out that your snoring is very loud or if you wake up gasping for air, see a doctor to rule out sleep apnea, a serious condition that could lead to heart trouble. Treatments that use local anesthesia may be the best solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea or other sleep-related disorders. These procedures include:

• Somnoplasty (also known as radiofrequency) shrinks and tightens the soft palate by delivering a low-powered electric current to the area.

• Palatal implant therapy stiffens the soft palate with polyester implants, reducing the vibration that causes snoring.

• Injection snoreplasty: Another means of stiffening the palate, this procedure uses chemicals (like sodium tetradecyl sulfate, used in the treatment of vericose veins) to do so.