For some people, steam can help stop snoring and improve sleep quality. If you smoke, have issues with congestion, live in a dry climate, or find your nasal passages are irritated by allergies and air quality, try this simple home remedy.
When I was younger, and broke, I would boil water in a pan, apply some Vicks Vapor Rub to my chest, put a towel over both my head and the boiling pan of water, and inhale the steam for 15 minutes to ease congestion. I hate the stickiness of that stuff but I swear by how well it works. All three of my kids have been slathered in it at some point in their lives.
Easing your congestion or suffering nasal passages with humidifiers or steam is a home remedy that helps stop snoring.
I have, and use regularly, the Vicks Personal Steamer, because it gives me a direct dose of steam. I also have a humidifier for the bedroom but I found the personal steamer to be more effective because the 24/7 ceiling fan and nightly air conditioning used to keep our room comfortable seeems to counter any positive affects of the humidifier. Plus, the hard water here in the desert causes the humidifier to leave a white film on everything around it.
Living in Arizona for the past 13 years has done a number on my nose and my chest. As our seasons change (all two of them), and the air becomes more dry, my congestion and coughing increase. It feels like the mucus dries in my chest, I can hear myself wheezing a bit when I lay down to sleep, and I sometimes cough to the point of getting a severe headache. All of this combined makes sleeping nearly impossible. It also increases how often and how loudly I snore at night.
Using the steamer once when I first wake up, maybe once in the middle of the day, and then again right before I go to bed clears out my nasal passages and stops the snoring, wheezing and coughing. Considering that the dryness of my chest and nose are the problem, applying steam is like watering a dry flower bed. My chest and nose suck up the moisture and feel refreshed.
My parents have a similar problem but in their neck of the woods they were able to install a whole house humidifier to their heating and air conditioning system in order to control the amount of moisture in their home.
Honeywell offers a host of whole house humidifiers and control options for any size home.
Ways to Use Steam as a Home Remedy for Snoring
- Take a hot shower before bed.
- Use a personal steamer like the one I use from Vicks before going to bed.
- Resort to the old boiling-pan-of-water trick.
- If your bathroom shower adjoins your bedroom, run the shower to build up steam and moisture in your bedroom (not the most “green” remedy)
- Soak in a hot tub or steam room before sleeping.
Again, this home remedy for snoring doesn’t work for all kinds of snoring. It’s specifically suited for those who suffer from congestion related snoring or nasal passage inflammation. Of course, good old steam is just good for your skin, too, making it a snoring tip with double benefits.
