Snoring and sleep apnoea solutions

Snoring and sleep apnoea

Our message to snorers

Snoring affects around 20% of the population and sleep apnoea 4%. The proportion of men is higher, but women are not spared this problem. We spend a large part of our lives sleeping, so it's important that our sleep is of good quality. For several years now, we've been passionate about this area, using our knowledge and relationships with leading sleep medicine specialists to create the best products to combat snoring and apnoea. Our snoring and sleep apnoea pages will provide you with useful information and solutions. Don't hesitate to send us your questions and comments. Your opinion counts and helps us to develop our products further.

Main causes of snoring and sleep apnoea

Generally, during sleep, the weakening of throat muscle tone and the receding of the back of the tongue reduce the opening for air to pass through. This causes turbulence that vibrates the soft palate and pharynx, the source of snoring. Aside from the annoying noise pollution for others, snoring can develop into a more severe obstruction of the air passage, characterised by breathing pauses of varying intensity. This more serious condition, known as sleep apnoea, warrants medical attention.






Main factors that aggravate snoring

  • Excess weight
  • Alcohol consumption in the evening
  • Tobacco, sleeping pills and tranquillisers
  • Sleeping on your back
  • Significant fatigue
  • Dry nasal mucosa, deviated nasal septum

Health effects of snoring and apnoea

  • Micro-awakenings disrupting the deep sleep phase (particularly in the case of apnoea)
  • Harmful changes to recovery phases
  • Fatigue during the day, drowsiness, inattentiveness at the wheel, bad mood
  • Headaches, heaviness and night sweats.
  • Increased cardiovascular risk, hypertension, strokes (see our action on blood pressure monitors).
  • Decreased libido

Recognised solutions for snoring and sleep apnoea

Here we present the main solutions for combating snoring and sleep apnoea. Passionate, we use our knowledge to help you stop snoring. Today we offer the most comprehensive range of anti-snoring treatments on the market. Download our anti-snoring catalogue.

It is advisable to consult your ear, nose and throat specialist or pneumologist, who will be able to carry out the sleep tests (polygraphy or polysomnography) needed to choose the right therapy, particularly if you suffer from sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea generally causes extreme fatigue during the day.

Mandibular advancement orthoses

During sleep, a dental splint called an orthosis moves the lower jaw forward a few millimetres. This advances the back of the tongue, freeing up the passage of inspired air.

This well-known medical solution is called mandibular advancement. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated by numerous clinical studies. It eliminates or considerably reduces snoring.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine also recommends this solution for mild to moderate sleep apnoea and snoring (less than 30 apnoeas per hour).

For more severe cases, the solution of a nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask is generally more effective. However, in cases of severe apnoea and intolerance of the mask, orthoses may be indicated.

Effective in over 90% snorers, orthoses are currently the mainstay of snoring treatment.

Positional treatment, sleeping on your side

Most snorers stop snoring when they are on their side.

Specialists agree that sleep position influences the intensity of snoring or the rate of apnoea. Sleeping on your side is therefore a particularly good anti-snoring solution, enabling you to breathe more easily and recover during the night. This is because the obstructive movement of the tongue due to its own weight is less pronounced when you sleep on your side than on your back. Snoring and apnoea are therefore reduced.

Positioning solutions to reduce snoring come in the form of backpacks, belts or anti-snoring pillows. The basic idea is to prevent people from sleeping on their backs by preventing or encouraging them to do so.

improving nasal breathing, a simple solution to reduce snoring

Breathing through the nose is essential for humidifying, warming and filtering the air we breathe. Snoring can in some cases originate in the nose. In these cases, it is important to improve airflow. However, there is no proof that this improvement reduces sleep apnoea, even if snoring does diminish. It may be useful to see your ENT doctor, who may consider a small operation to improve nasal breathing and reduce snoring. The doctor may also suggest the use of a nasal dilator or spreader to be inserted into the nose. This widens the nostrils and reduces nasal congestion. An effective solution is obtained when used in combination with an anti-snoring pillow.

Gargle, sprays and natural anti-snoring solutions  

The basic principle of these products is to lubricate the throat and clear the airways by chemical or natural means, such as essential oils. As their effectiveness is limited, we recommend using them in conjunction with another treatment to combat snoring.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask, the basic treatment for severe sleep apnoea

To prevent obstruction of the airways, the device sends pressurised air into a mask applied to the nose. This positive pressure is transmitted via a small compressor connected to the mask by a hose. The pressurised air enlarges the airways, preventing obstruction. This technique is recognised as the most effective in cases of severe sleep apnoea.

We are working to improve comfort for patients who use this treatment and offer a mini CPAP for travel and a very practical CPAP pillow that avoids noisy air leaks.

Surgery to treat snoring

In some cases, corrections can be made to improve breathing through the nose or to correct abnormalities of the soft palate, tonsils or jaw. To do this, consult your ENT doctor or maxillo-facial surgeon.

Choosing an anti-snoring product?

It's up to each snorer to find the solution that's best for them. Although mandibular advancement orthoses are considered highly effective, a number of factors come into play. These include: tolerance to the use of one or other device (oral, nasal, positional), the quality of the teeth, the type of snoring (with or without apnoea, positional) and the quality of breathing through the nose.

We also recommend combinations of anti-snoring products that act on the nose and throat, such as a nasal dilator and a dental orthosis like Somnofit or Somnolis. Also a nasal dilator and an anti-snoring pillow such as PosiForm.

Snoring
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Apnea
5/5
Positional snoring or apnoea
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Difficulty breathing through the nose
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Snoring
5/5
Apnea
1.5/5
Positional snoring or apnoea
3.5/5
Difficulty breathing through the nose
0/5
Snoring
3.5/5
Apnea
1.5/5
Positional snoring or apnoea
5/5
Difficulty breathing through the nose
0/5
Snoring
3.5/5
Apnea
1.5/5
Positional snoring or apnoea
5/5
Difficulty breathing through the nose
0/5
Snoring
3.5/5
Apnea
1.5/5
Positional snoring or apnoea
1.5/5
Difficulty breathing through the nose
5/5