Is your mattress making you snore?

Snoring is a common affliction and there can be a myriad of causes, but have you ever considered whether it’s your mattress that’s making you snore?

If you are a snorer, you may be suffering from disrupted sleep. Snoring can wake you several times a night, disturbing your natural sleep cycle and leading to poor-quality sleep and daytime fatigue. But if your partner is the snorer then the disruption to your sleep is often far more severe – living with a noisy snorer can be a miserable, exhausting experience and you should definitely check out the best earplugs in the meantime.

While factors such as pregnancy, medication, alcohol and other lifestyle considerations can all lead to snoring, if you’ve ruled many of these out and are still struggling to achieve a peaceful night’s sleep then it may be worth investigating whether your mattress is to blame.

Read on for our troubleshooting guide to identifying whether your mattress is causing your snoring and, if so, what to do.

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What causes snoring?

Snoring generally occurs when the airways are obstructed. This can be down to ear, nose and throat problems or just your natural anatomical makeup, but it can also be caused by poor head, neck or spine support. On top of all this, your jaw may open to try and increase the airflow, but this often only succeeds in making the snoring worse.

How does my mattress cause snoring?

If your mattress doesn’t support the natural alignment of your head, neck and spine then this is a problem. Your mattress should ideally conform to the curvature of your spine, leaving your airways straight, clear and open. If your mattress is old, sagging or just plain wrong, it will not be able to offer you the right amount of support in the right places – a big red flag for snoring.

A mattress that’s too soft is one of the biggest culprits, but a mattress that’s too firm and doesn’t allow your spine to curve isn’t the answer either. Choosing a mattress with the right amount of support for your body, while still having the right level of comfort, is important. You can read more on this topic in our guide ‘Firm, medium or soft: Which mattress should I choose?’

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What kind of mattress helps prevent snoring?

Any kind of mattress with the right support can potentially help prevent snoring. Whether you prefer memory foam, latex or pocket-spring mattresses, or whether you are a back, side or front sleeper, it doesn’t matter as long as your airways are clear and open with proper spinal support.

Take a look at our picks of the best mattresses for side sleepers, best mattresses for front sleepers or best mattresses for heavy people for some ideas. Or consider the Nectar Premier Hybrid, which we found “ideal if you or your partner are restless sleepers” and “works well for back sleepers” in our review.

Should I replace my mattress?

If you think your mattress may be contributing to your snoring then something certainly needs to be done; however, you may not need to replace your mattress entirely – sometimes all that’s needed is a good quality mattress topper to completely revolutionise your sleep.

In our roundup of the best mattress toppers, we found the John Lewis Soft Touch Mattress Topper provided “the kind of comfort you get in five-star hotels, yet won’t break the bank and isn’t prone to sagging.” It’s also machine-washable and can even be tumble-dried.

You can check out our guide, ‘Should I buy a mattress topper or a new mattress?’, to aid in your decision, but you should note that putting a topper on a mattress that’s too soft, sagging or completely worn out, will not help.

Can pillows affect snoring?

Uncomfortable or worn-out pillows that fail to offer sufficient support can also exacerbate snoring. The head should be cradled in alignment with the neck and spine and, ideally, turned to the side to prevent airways from becoming obstructed. But even back sleepers can find relief: in our roundup of the best anti-snoring pillows, we commended the CompuClever Memory Foam Pillow for its adjustable pillow height and its great value.

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