Side-sleeping: from a pillow to a buzzer.
For many people snoring is loudest on the back. Staying on your side is the cheapest thing to try, and there’s a whole range of ways to do it.
What the evidence says
- A 2024 review of nine small studies (235 people, most of them with sleep apnoea rather than simple snoring) found mixed results, mostly from weak designs Some support.
- In sleep apnoea, a 2019 Cochrane review of eight trials (323 people) found positional devices lowered breathing events less than CPAP, but people used them more hours a night. Snoring wasn’t measured.
- England’s NICE guideline considers positional modifiers for mild or moderate sleep apnoea that is worse on the back, when other treatments don’t suit.
Free first
A firm pillow or a rolled towel behind your back, or sleeping with your arm around a body pillow. Ask your partner, or record a few nights, to find out whether you actually stay on your side.
The tennis-ball trick and backpacks
A ball sewn into the back of a T-shirt, or a small foam backpack, makes lying on your back uncomfortable. Works for some people; others simply sleep on top of it or take it off. The Cochrane review noted back and chest discomfort and disturbed sleep as the usual complaints.
Wearable vibration devices
A small sensor on the chest or neck buzzes when you roll onto your back. They are gentler than a ball and record how often you turn, which is useful in itself. Most studies of these are in sleep apnoea, short, and some are maker-funded. Prices vary widely and we haven’t verified any.
This only helps if your snoring is mostly on your back. If it’s just as loud on your side, the problem is somewhere else, and a position device is money and sleep lost.
Original sources & their limits
- Cochrane review: positional therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea (2019) ↗
Plain-language summary read. 8 trials, 323 people with OSA. Positional therapy lowered AHI less than CPAP but was used more hours per night; evidence low to moderate, all short-term. Snoring was not an outcome.
- Positional therapy for snoring: systematic review (2024) ↗
Read. Nine studies, 235 people. Mostly weak study designs; results for snoring were mixed.
- NICE guideline NG202: obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome in over-16s (2021) ↗
Read from a hosted copy of the guideline PDF (the NICE site refused our fetch). Offers CPAP for moderate or severe OSAHS; for mild OSAHS only when symptoms affect daily life; mandibular advancement splints when CPAP is not tolerated; positional modifiers for mild/moderate positional OSAHS. It does not cover simple snoring.
- S3-Leitlinie: Diagnostik und Therapie des Schnarchens des Erwachsenen (AWMF, 2019) ↗
German national guideline on snoring in adults. Read with AI-assisted translation. Its current validity was not confirmed; it may be awaiting an update.
Sources checked 26 Oct 2026.