Nasal Strips vs. Mouth and Throat Exercises for Snoring: What a Trial Found

Snoring often gets louder after menopause, and the fixes range from a strip on the nose to apps that coach you through tongue and throat exercises. Here is what a head-to-head trial found.

The trial

Researchers enrolled 39 adults who snored and had either simple snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea. For 3 months, they did one of two things:¹

• Control group: nasal dilator strips at night plus breathing exercises
• Exercise group: daily mouth and throat (oropharyngeal) exercises

Snoring was measured with overnight sleep studies, not just partner reports.¹

Results: the exercise group had a significant drop in measured snoring. The nasal strip group saw no significant change.¹ The authors called the exercises a possible treatment for the many people who snore.¹ This was a small study, so larger trials would help confirm it.

Where the nose fits in

A review of the nose’s role in snoring found that a blocked nose is linked with snoring and mild sleep-disordered breathing, but how blocked the nose is doesn’t line up neatly with how severe the apnea is.² For most people with moderate to severe sleep apnea, the nose isn’t the main problem.²

• Nasal steroid sprays may improve sleep quality in people with nasal allergies, but they aren’t an adequate treatment for most sleep apnea on their own.²
• Nasal surgery can help snoring in a subset of people with a deviated septum and mild sleep-disordered breathing.²

So a nasal strip may help if your nose is stuffy, but it’s unlikely to fix snoring that starts in the throat.

Comparing options

	Nasal strips	Mouth and throat exercises
Cost	Low, ongoing	Free or app subscription
Effort	Apply nightly	Daily practice for weeks
Trial result	No significant change1	Less measured snoring1
Best for	Stuffy or narrow nose	Snoring from the throat

Our guide to boil-and-bite anti-snoring mouthpieces covers another option.

Rule out sleep apnea first

Loud snoring with gasping or pauses, morning headaches or daytime sleepiness can signal sleep apnea, which needs a medical evaluation. Our article on home vs. lab sleep apnea tests explains the testing.

Try: “My partner says my snoring has gotten much louder since menopause, and I’m tired during the day. Should I have a sleep test before trying strips or exercises?”

Did I Do That in My Sleep? includes a 14-Night Lights-Out Record and a Visit Brief. Use them to log snoring reports, tiredness and anything you try. See the book.