I’m a sleep surgeon and here’s my verdict on 9 gadgets that ‘cure’ snoring
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SLEEP next to a foghorn? Or are you the rowdy snorer in your bedroom?
The experts says to sleep on your side to avoid that middle of the night shove and grumbles of, 'Turn over, you're snoring', but it's often not that simple.
Now an intelligent pillow - which monitors your movements and breathing while you sleep - could offer a solution.
The ‘Motion Pillow’, unveiled for the first time at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, contains four built-in airbags that adjust to encourage you to move into a new position when the tell-tale rumbling starts.
While the Korean invention is still a long way from being available to the general public, there are already dozens of potential snoring solutions being touted to snorers – and their long-suffering partners.
Vik Veer, Consultant ENT Sleep Surgeon at the Royal National ENT Hospital in London, UCLH, gives his expert verdict on some other tech and techniques already on offer, to help you - and whoever may be sharing your bed - get a good night’s sleep...
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Sentik Snore Stopper Bracelet (£15, )
This bit of kit contains a tiny microphone designed to detect snoring and sends an electronic pulse to the wrist.
In theory, these pulses cause you to wake and shift slightly, to alter your sleep position and stop snoring.
DR VIK’S VERDICT: In theory this would work to reduce snoring because what it does is wake you up slightly every time the machine notices you are starting to snore.
This however would give you poor quality sleep and does not actually stop you from snoring.
Also known as a jaw supporter, this contraption wraps around the back of your head to hold your jaw in place during sleep and keep your mouth closed.
Open mouth sleeping can lead to extra pressure on the throat, which may lead to the vibrations that cause snoring.
This new device is pretty pricey - and you have to replace the mouthpiece every three months.
However, as one of the few devices you don’t have to wear at night, it’s used to strengthen up the muscles in the tongue during the day to help prevent snoring when you’re asleep.
It works by passing a small electrical current through four electrodes, two above and two under the tongue.
Recommended to be used for 20 minutes each day for six weeks, it causes the tongue muscles to contract rapidly, which in time is thought to result in stronger muscles and less snoring.
One of many similar products on the market, this small plastic ring featuring two magnets - you attach it to your nose overnight with a view to open the nasal passage, increase air flow and prevent snoring.
DR VIK’S VERDICT: I cannot recommend these devices, there is no evidence that they work and if anything, they are likely to make things worse by blocking your nose.
Rating: 0/10
iNAP Sleep Therapy System ( £695)
This is basically a straw that goes into your mouth and creates a vacuum to draw the tongue and palate forward, in order to stop them from blocking your throat - which can cause snoring.
“In extreme cases the airway can completely collapse, leading to a condition called sleep apnoea where the sufferer has to wake him or herself up sometimes hundreds of times a night to breathe – leaving them feeling utterly exhausted the next day.
“In cases like these, it’s paramount to seek proper medical advice through your GP.
It can be detrimental to everything from your relationship, to your job, to your safety driving, so get help before it’s too late.”
SomniShirt Anti Snore T-shirt (£32.95, )
Featuring a hard foam roll in the back panel, this t-shirt design aims to educate your body to sleep on your side.
This helps “prevent the tongue from sinking backwards into the throat when sleeping”, which in turn should help stop you from snoring.
DR VIK’S VERDICT: I think that the foam stitched into the back is too small to force you to sleep completely on your side.
Sleeping at a three-quarter angle rather than completely on your side would not stop you having problems with your tongue falling back and blocking your breathing.
A new type of memory foam pillow which the manufacturer claims to be ‘gravity defying’ – not just supporting your head and neck, but actively pushing it up. By doing so, the theory goes that your airways are kept properly aligned and fully open as you sleep, resulting in reduced snoring.
DR VIK’S VERDICT: I’m not a massive fan of snoring pillows as people often work out a way to sleep on their back despite their clever designs.
These include strengthening the tongue to stop it falling back into your throat and blocking your airway - stick your tongue as far out as possible, move it left and right, up and down for at least fifteen repetitions of this exercise and gradually increase this.
These are similar to gum shields that boxers wear, but they pull your lower jaw forward and help with snoring and sleep apnoea.
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Many dentists are able to make these devices to mould to your own mouth for a perfect fit, but this Oniris one is off the shelf and adjustable.
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DR VIK’S VERDICT: There’s a huge amount of research to back up their efficacy and they are a part of the national guidelines for snoring and sleep apnoea.
Rating 10/10