Snoring

If you sound like a freight train barreling down the tracks when you sleep, odds are your loved ones have said something about it. And it probably wasn’t good.

Snoring can interfere with a good night’s sleep for you — and your partner. Those loud and sleepless nights can cause tension in your relationship. And, often, make you drowsy during the day. While you might think constant snoring is normal, it’s not something you need to live with. And it could be a sign that you may have other health conditions.

At Cleveland Clinic, we understand that snoring can be a big problem for your health and anyone in your household who can’t get their rest, either. We can figure out why you’re snoring and rule out underlying health issues, like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). More restful, healthier sleep is possible with the right treatment plan.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Snoring Care?

Trusted experts:

We’ve been treating snoring for decades. Our years of experience help us successfully diagnose and treat your snoring with a care plan designed just for you. We know what it takes to get you back to sleeping soundly. Meet our team.

Personalized care:

Snoring can mess with your sleep, your health and your relationships. We want to make things better for you. That’s why we’ll do what it takes to figure out why you’re snoring and fix it so you can rest easy.

Skilled, collaborative providers:

Your care team includes experts in sleep medicine, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) and dentists who are board-certified in dental sleep medicine. They’ll work together to design a personalized treatment plan that works for you and your sleep goals.

Snoring Diagnosis at Cleveland Clinic

Sometimes snoring — especially loud snoring — can be tied to a more serious issue. An evaluation can help rule out conditions like:

During your appointment:

You’ll fill out a questionnaire to rule out obstructive sleep apnea.
We’ll do a physical exam and review your medical history.
Our team of providers will talk to you about any additional testing you might need.

Providers Who Treat Snoring

Locations

Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio, Florida and London.

Snoring Treatment at Cleveland Clinic

When you come see us, your team will include specialists dedicated to uncovering the cause of your snoring. We’ll work together to develop a treatment plan that opens your airways to reduce snoring and improve your sleep quality. Your treatment might include:

Oral appliance for snoring

Like an orthodontic retainer, an oral appliance fits over your teeth to support your jaw and keep your airway open. Our dentists, board-certified in dental sleep medicine, customize an appliance for you.

Palate stiffening

When the tissue of your palate (roof of your mouth) loosens, it vibrates while you sleep. This vibration makes the sound we know as snoring. Our specialists use several techniques to stiffen your palate to make it vibrate less. You’ll get local anesthesia for these procedures, so you’re awake but don’t feel any pain. You might have:

Somnoplasty: We use radiofrequency energy to stiffen and shrink areas of your palate.
Injection: We inject your palate with a medication that creates scar tissue, which stiffens your palate.

Surgery for snoring

During your physical exam, we may find that you have a deviated septum. The septum is the cartilage and bone that divides your nose into a right and left side. When your nasal septum is off-center, breathing can be difficult. This can contribute to snoring.

Having a deviated septum is actually common. Healthcare professionals estimate that 80% of people have a deviated septum. This can be something that you’re born with (congenital), or you could have gotten it after a nose injury.

If you have a deviated septum, our otolaryngologists can do a septoplasty to fix your deviated septum. We may combine this surgery with other treatments to reduce your snoring even more.

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, we may implant an FDA-approved device, called a hypoglossal (under the tongue) nerve stimulator to open your upper airway. This device looks like a heart pacemaker. One of its leads senses your breathing, and the other stimulates the nerve that controls your tongue, telling it to move forward and open up your throat. This device may be an option if you’re not a fan of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure).

Plus, rest assured, your care doesn’t stop right after treatment. We provide follow-up care to make sure your snoring has improved. And if it hasn’t gotten better, we can adjust your treatment as needed.

Taking the Next Step

Constant, loud snoring night after night isn’t good for you. It’s not good for your health. And it’s not good for anyone you share your household with. The good news is that you don’t have to live with that noisy soundtrack. Cleveland Clinic’s snoring experts are here to find out why you’re snoring, and help you so you and your loved ones can catch some quality Z’s.