Millions of men and women worldwide suffer from snoring. It’s a common problem, and about 70% of snorers claim it’s a genetic trait.

Snoring can affect your quality of life, health, and sleep. But there are ways you can avoid it. Since it’s such a common problem, there are a multitude of snoring solutions available on the market.

Let’s have a look at a few of them:

• Nasal Dilators
• Tongue Retaining Device (TRD)
• Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD)
• Chin Straps
• Anti-Snoring Pillows
• Anti-Snoring Drops

Pro tip: According to SnoreAustralia.co.au, weight loss can decrease the severity of snoring.

In this article, we will learn everything there is to know about chin straps.

What Is a Chin Strap?

Chin strap for snoring is a device constructed from stretchy neoprene and placed under your chin. The flexible fabric keeps the jaw and mouth closed shut, effectively forcing the snorer to breathe through their nose.

The strap supports your jaw and chin, goes around your head, and secures at the back with an adjustable Velcro belt.

People also buy chin straps to help with sleep apnea.

How Does a Chin Strap for Snoring Work?

A chin strap is one of the most typical treatments for open-mouth snorers. It could help you sleep better and consequently improve your health, too.

Plus, your bed partners will stop complaining, too. Win-win!

Did you know that snoring is the third leading cause of divorce in the United States?

The belts of the chin strap keep the air from moving across your throat. Since the air no longer passes through your mouth, the vibration decreases, and you no longer snore.

This results in good quality sleep without any interruptions and noise.

However, if you’re a nose snorer, the chin strap may not be an effective snoring solution. On the other hand, for mouth snorers, chin straps are one of the best snoring aids available.

What Does Science Have to Say About Chin Straps for Snoring?

While the studies conducted on the effectiveness of chin straps are far from extensive and at best contradictory, they do take precedence over other snoring aids.

A study proves that a patient suffering from Obstructive sleep apnea used chin strap for snoring and found a remarkable improvement in his snoring habits.

The patient was initially using a CPAP machine with a chin strap but found the chin strap alone was effective in improving his condition.

Since he led a physically active lifestyle, including athletics, hiking, and trekking, he found chin straps more convenient.

Additionally, doctors also report a decrease in headaches and drowsiness by using a chin strap. Both of these conditions are a common symptom of Obstructive sleep apnea.

Hence, the study concluded that a chin strap is a useful snoring aid device.

The patient also showed a more reliable heart function with the use of a chin strap over time.

Fact: Snorers run an 80% higher chance of having insulin resistance, which could be a risk factor for developing type II diabetes.

Moreover, research says that a chin strap increases the air pathways at the base of the tongue. So, if you’re a mouth snorer, a chin strap could work wonders for you.

According to more research conducted in Japan, anaesthesiologists found that the use of chin straps enhance breathing in children suffering from Obstructive sleep apnea.

What Are the Different Types of Chin Straps for Snoring?

A few minor changes in design make chin strap products different from each other. While the primary purpose of using a chin strap remains the same, the tendency of the device to adjust and maximize comfort could differ.

Most brands offer multiple sizes of chin straps – small, regular, and large.

Most chin straps come with a 30-day warranty. Some also offer more than a 90-day warranty. You may even find some chin strap products money-back guarantee.

What Are the Advantages of Using a Chin Strap?

A chin strap for snoring has plenty of benefits to aid sleep quality. It’s less intrusive than TRDs and MADs, and you don’t actually have to put it in your mouth for use.

With chin straps, you seldom have to worry about disturbed sleep or hygiene issues. This proves to be one of the most significant advantages of a chin strap.

CPAP machines are perhaps the most popular OSA treatments out there. But they require extensive cleaning and run a high hygiene risk. With a CPAP machine, you could develop a chronic sinus infection or other conditions.

Moreover, CPAP machines are super noisy, which defeats the purpose of using them to curb the snoring noise. Chin straps, on the other hand, are neither loud nor do they run a hygiene risk.

Plus, as with MADs and TRDs, you do not have to deal with toothache or pain in the jaw.

Science Tidbit: 70% of people claim that MADs helped them and their bedmates achieve restful sleep.

With a chin strap, you can skirt around all oral hygiene issues, and have a quiet and restful sleep.

With that said, chin straps could aid ongoing treatments for more severe snoring problems.

Overall, chin straps are convenient, super easy to clean, and non-invasive. They have a pretty decent lifespan as compared to other anti-snoring aids.

What Are the Side Effects of Chin Straps for Snoring?

A chin strap shuts your mouth close and prevents breathing through the mouth. As a result, it obstructs the airway in the mouth, which makes seep uncomfortable.

If you are looking for a long-term sleeping solution, it’s best to invest in a good quality chin strap to ensure it does not affect the quality of sleep and works effectively at the same time.

Another major disadvantage of a chin strap is that if you have a clogged nose and your nasal passage is not passing air easily, a chin strap will be painful and very uncomfortable to use.

It will keep you from breathing through your mouth, and you wouldn’t be able to breathe through your nostrils due to the blocked nasal passage.

In situations like these, a chin strap is not of much use.

Pro tip: Treating chronic allergies with OTC drugs may clear the nasal passage and improve snoring.

Should You Use a Chin Strap With a CPAP Machine?

A CPAP machine is one of the best available treatments for sleep apnea.

However, when you use a CPAP machine, your mouth may fall open. The air escaping through the mouth will cause dryness and a painful sensation in your throat. Constant dryness could also affect the health of your gums and teeth.

To add to that, if air continuously escapes through your mouth, it will eventually compromise the results of a CPAP therapy, and the sleep apnea will persist.

A chin strap will help reduce the mouth leak.

Adequately priced, a chin strap is a cheap, additional expensive you could afford to reap the full benefits of your CPAP treatment.

Often patients complain of a dry, painful throat during their CPAP treatment. This is due to the air leaking through your mouth during sleep.

A chin strap will help close your mouth and help you rest peacefully during the night. It may also help secure your CPAP mask at night.

So, even if you move during sleep, the mask won’t dislodge.

Also referred to as snore guards, chin straps could sometimes prove to be dangerous without the aid of a CPAP machine. You need adequate airflow and optimum levels of oxygen in your body when you sleep.

A chin strap shuts off mouth breathing, which will affect your airflow and cause breathing difficulties during sleep.

Did you know that habitual snorers run a 5 times greater risk of developing hypertension, or having heart disease or stroke than occasional snorers?

When Should You Not Use a Chin Strap?

In a few cases, it is not advisable to use a chin strap.

For instance, when you have a congested nose or a deviated septum, the use of a chin strap is not recommended.

Similarly, if the pressure of your CPAP machine is not accurate or if it’s too high, the use of a chin strap is not a good idea. The high pressure will pry open your mouth with or without the chin strap.

As discussed earlier, if your nasal passage is not open enough for comfortable breathing, using a chin strap may be the wrong approach to dealing with the issue.

An obstructed nasal passage, either due to cold, allergy, or some other problem, blocks the flow of air through the nose.

You will need to breathe through your mouth to maintain adequate airflow, and using a chin strap will prevent that.

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Chin Strap?

Like every other non-clinical snoring aid, chin straps have their own set of pros and cons.

Let’s have a look:

PROS

• A non-intrusive anti-snoring device that does not go into your mouth
• Convenient usage, storage, and cleaning
• Long lifespan
• Suitable for those who wear dentures

CONS

• Not useful for those who snore through their nose
• Can cause pain and breathing difficulty when the nasal passage has a blockage
• May take some time before the user accustoms to wearing a chin strap.

What Factors Should You Consider When Buying a Chin Strap?

There are several factors you must consider when buying a chin strap for snoring. It’s a small purchase, but a bit of research could go a long way.

#1    Materials

Your comfort is of utmost importance. You need to find a chin strap that will not only prevent snores but also help you sleep comfortably at night.

Most of the chin straps have soft material and are not particularly uncomfortable if you can get past the feel of a fabric strapped to your chin. Most of the anti-snoring chin straps are of neoprene, elastane, or a cotton/nylon material.

Cotton offers the best breathability, but the other materials are more durable.

#2    Designs

Anti-snoring chin straps are available in a variety of different designs.

Some have a single strap while others come with double straps for a better, more secure fit. Most users find the two-strap design comparatively more snug and comfy.

Mostly, chin straps come with Velcro belts, but you may also find some with a hook and loop or a buckle.

#3    Usage

A chin strap is most effective when used as a supplement to a CPAP machine. Those with Obstructive Sleep apnea find chin straps useful in firmly securing their mouth closed.

How to Take Care of Your Anti-Snoring Chin Straps?

The caring and maintenance of chin straps are easy and comfortable. The maintenance depends on the nature of the material of your chin strap.

Some of these materials are suitable for machine wash, while you may need to wash others by hand. Make sure to consult the guide and wash accordingly for an extended lifespan.

If you do decide to give your chin strap a machine wash, be sure to use a gentle detergent and avoid any bleaching product at all costs.

If you give it a hand wash, use lukewarm water and a bar of gentle soap. Hang it out to dry in the open air.

If your chin strap is in regular use, wash it often to maintain hygiene and prevent infections.

What If Snoring Persists Even After Using Chin Strap?

If a chin strap cannot fix your snoring problem, there are many other devices you can use. There’s no guarantee that a chin strap will work for everyone.

If your snoring is a result of an underlying health issue, then a chin strap may not work for you. But for regular mouth snorers, a chin strap is very efficient.

To yield the best results from a chin strap, the best fitting is important. Changes in weight, alcohol consumption, and smoking can also affect your snoring.

Using a chin strap in addition to improved habits might prove more effective.

If a chin strap is not working for you, maybe it’s time you consider other options, such as those listed above.

Pro tip: Less frequent trips to the bottle-o may help relieve your snoring problem.

Takeaway

Snoring not only keeps you from getting ample rest but also keeps your partner awake and disturbed at night.

Severe snoring may even be hinting at an underlying health problem that requires treatment.

A chin strap can help you with snoring issues, but for severe cases of snoring, you will need additional treatment such as CPAP or surgical options.