How to Stop Snoring Immediately (or at Least Drown It Out)

If you want to learn a lot about somebody in a short amount of time, stalk them online spend a whole evening with them. Sure, you’ll gain a lot of valuable intel about their personality over drinks, and a sense of their style and interests by visiting their home. If things go really smoothly, you might even get naked and find out whether they’re a freak in the sheets. If they happen to be good at sex as well, that’s great… but that’s not the freakiness we’re talking about here. When we hook up with someone for the first time, there’s only one thing we want to know: Does this MF snore? 

Realizing somebody snores to the point of disrupting your quality of sleep can be a troubling discovery, especially if it comes to light later, after you’ve committed to sleeping in a bed with them regularly. It doesn’t have to signify the end of the relationship, though, and it certainly doesn’t mean you should start looking for an apartment with an extra bedroom—you just have to be willing to try out a few solutions until one sticks. That said (and I’m not going to mince words here), having a snoring partner or roommate can be mind-blowingly frustrating at times. It can deprive you of good sleep, and, if you let the stress go unresolved for too long, it can even drive a wedge between you. (For the record, I’m not talking about my current girlfriend, who is a beautiful, perfect angel who never, ever gets on my nerves, even when she snores at night, which doesn’t bother me at all. Love you, baby!) So once you’ve realized it’s a problem, start looking for a resolution ASAP, before the resentment builds. 

Obviously, if someone’s snoring is so horrendous and disturbing that it seems like there might actually be something wrong, it could be worth suggesting that they talk to their doctor or visit a sleep clinic to see if they have sleep apnea or another condition—but most likely, there’s an easy fix. Here are a couple options that’ll help you feel good about telling your loved one, “I’ll follow you into the dark.” (That song is about sleeping, right?)

Fight snoring at the source

A common and often successful salve is confronting the snorer (while they’re awake) and suggesting they use nasal strips, which, if they’re a cool person, they’ll try. These are like springs that prop your nose open from the outside, which can improve your airflow and eradicate snoring. Breathe Right’s strips have a reputation as a highly successful, over-the-counter solution  hence the 4.3-star average on Amazon with over 12,500 reviews. 

You can’t be disturbed by what you can’t hear

Wearing earplugs while sleeping might sound bad, but it can be a super effective solution. I’m not talking about one couple I know, where the dude uses disposable earplugs every night and, as a result, their house is literally full of gross, shriveled orange earplugs. I’m talking about extremely high quality plugs designed specifically for sleeping (meaning you might want to check out different ones for your next actual Sleep concert). Loop is a very popular brand in this lane (it also makes great earplugs for concerts), and its Quiet line can block up to 27 decibels of noise; the excellent design lets you sleep comfortably without feeling like somebody’s thumb is jammed in your ear. Long story short: Don’t count earplugs out—just get really good ones (which aren’t that expensive).

Lull yourself all night long

Don’t like your partner jammin’ snore solos til’ the break of dawn? Switch the track, bro! We get it: Unless you’re one of those healthy maniacs who can comfortably sleep on their back all night (real talk: I’m very jealous), it’s hard to find good cans or buds that are comfortable to wear while your dreams are being invaded by Leonardo DiCaprio all your hopes and fears. Fortunately, the technology gods have blessed us with comfy earmuffs that have Bluetooth and can connect to your fave tunes while you sleep. Your partner doesn’t even have to know—just tell ‘em your ears are cold as you secretly crank your preferred sleepytime tunes (I recommend Moby’s ambient music). If the muffs aren’t your vibe, we also like these wired sleep earphones, which get excellent reviews.) 

Grab ‘em a better pillow

One thing we know about sleeping is that pillows are extremely important—it’s one of the main reasons we no longer sleep in caves with our heads on rocks. Newer advances in memory foam allow for sleepers to adjust their pillows for maximum comfort (and minimum snoring), and Coop’s beloved offering is literally designed to be the most comfortable thing out there. By “beloved,” we’re talkin’ 4.5-star average rating from over 50,000 Amazon reviews. So instead of picking a random, cheap-ass pillow next time you’re at Target, give your favorite snorer this (pretty reasonably priced) masterpiece instead.

If your snoring sweetie is usually a side sleeper, reviewer Angel Kilmister has got just the thing for you. “But lo and behold, there is a platonic ideal pillow for side sleepers, and I hath found it,” she wrote in her review of Honeydew’s Scrumptious Side Pillow (yeah, that’s really the name). 

You deserve props

Adjustable mattress bases are a wonderful luxury, and Casper’s has become a central necessity for my everyday comfort. Not only is the “Zero Gravity” setting just about the most comfortable thing your body will ever experience, but there's an anti-snoring feature that will discreetly raise the head of the base slightly, which can improve airflow. If you’re asking us, this is a great purchase—even if you don’t have a snorer in the vicinity.

Defeat noise… with even more noise

If you don’t want to plug up your ears at night (totally reasonable) but still want something to drown out the snoring, try a lil’ white noise machine. We have a whole list of good ones, including the highly rated LectroFan. This bedside beast from Homedics is also a perennial favorite of many.

Stay on track

If you aren’t sleeping well, learn how to improve your overall quality of sleep (without getting a divorce) by checking out a sleep tracker—this can be a good way to see if the snorer is just really annoying, or if they’re actually affecting your health. Good trackers can tell you how long you’re in the various stages of sleep and how your sleeping body is performing; ultimately, you can find out how much sleep you ought to get, and even receive sleep coaching. Oura, a ring that exists to track how well that ol’ hunk of junk (your body) is functioning, is a great option that offers you a sleep score, analysis, and personalized guidance. The Fitbit Inspire will track your sleep score, sleeping heart rate, and cycles. 

If there’s no one snoring beside you when your soul embarks, then we’ll follow you into the dark.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.