For anyone who has ever suffered from snoring – more likely those who have slept near someone else who is snoring – you know just how difficult it can be to fix. There are countless remedies and old wives’ tales for nixing snoring, but every sleeper is different. And there’s no real way to know if it “cures” the problem until each method is actually put to the test. For expensive medicines or equipment, this can mean tens (if not hundreds) of dollars spent with no guarantee in sight. And for intermittent snorers, the remedies become even trickier. Because it’s difficult to determine when or how severe your snoring will become each night, you never know which method to choose or how much to spend on snoring fixes.

Obviously, this is a difficult problem. Especially for the long-term sufferers of loud, snoring nights.

Snoring Cures in Action

To give sleepers a head start on what works and what doesn't, some scientist decided to put the theories to the test. From what you eat to how you sleep, check out the results (and give them a try for yourself) to find the best possible cure for all of your snoring problems.

Sleeping on your Side – Give it a try! Though not everyone prefers side sleeping, it offers an easy way to change up the way the body rests and moves air during sleep. Because the throat will “settle” depending on how you move, consider different positions to get the best – and quietest – breathing set up.

Nasal Strips – The tests say pass! While these strips can work to unclog the nasal passage when blocked from allergies or a cold, when it’s a recurring problem, the strips just don’t cut it. Instead of purchasing these types of nasal strips, look to more effective products that will help clear up the nose once and for all.

Sleeping with a humidifier – Maybe! Every snorer is different, so depending on the cause for your nighttime noise, a little extra moisture just might help eliminate the problem. Because this one only works for some, consider borrowing or renting a model so you can test it out before committing to the purchase.

Losing Weight – It works! When we put on weight, the way our body rests can actually be changed. Especially during sleep. Meaning that the neck and airways will actually sit in a different position when you’re heavier than they do when you’re thinner. Even just a few lost pounds can work to reset the body’s airways and have you lying more efficiently throughout the night.

Avoiding Alcohol Before Bed – Perhaps! Again, this is one of those “everyone is different” situations, so testing it out is worth a shot. Alcohol has been proven to relax throat muscles, adjusting how air moves through the throat during deep breathing. For some this causes louder-than-normal snoring, while for others it simply puts them deeper into (silent) sleep.

Fancy Pillows – Depends! The experts say most don’t move enough through the night to warrant strict alignment in relation to snoring. (Leaving the pillow to work toward better spine health, not necessarily a snoring cure.) But if you move frequently, a more uniform posture might readjust airways and create a more streamlined pathway for air.

If you or a loved one is a long-term sufferer of snoring, it may be time to do some research. Because every sleeper is different, most of the above come on a case-by-case basis. Before dropping excess funds or sticking to one sure-fire method, remember the causes behind each bout of snoring and look to a way to cure individual instances instead.