To help prevent snoring, you can:

• Avoid the use of alcohol and medicines that slow your breathing, such as sleeping pills and tranquilizers.
• Eat sensibly, exercise, and stay at a healthy weight.
• Go to bed at the same time every night and get plenty of sleep. Regular sleep patterns help you sleep better, and more restful sleep may reduce snoring.
• Sleep on your side, not on your back. Sleeping on your back can increase snoring. Try sewing a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, putting a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitching it closed. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back.
• Quit smoking. This reduces inflammation and swelling in the airway, which may contribute to the narrowing of the airway.
• Raise the head of your bed 4in. to 6in. by putting bricks under the legs of the bed. (Using pillows to raise your head and upper body will not work.) Sleeping at a slight incline can prevent the tongue from falling toward the back of the throat and contributing to a blocked or narrowed airway.
• Promptly treat breathing problems, such as a stuffy nose caused by a cold or allergies. Breathing problems can raise the risk of snoring.