Buying guide for best anti-snoring chin straps
Does your spouse or significant other keep poking you in the ribs at night to stop snoring? Do you wake up with a dry mouth and tongue because you’ve been breathing through your mouth and drying it out? This is almost always caused by snoring.
Snoring takes place while we’re sleeping. The muscles in our throat and neck relax, sometimes too much. The result is that our upper airway passage becomes partially blocked. Because air has to travel through a narrower passage than it’s meant to, it creates a vibration in the throat. That vibration is what we call snoring.
Sometimes the passage narrows so much that it closes completely, leading to sleep apnea, technically known as “obstructive sleep apnea.” This is opposed to “central sleep apnea,” which is a failure of the brain to send the appropriate signals to the muscles to breathe. Central sleep apnea requires medical attention from a doctor, but obstructive sleep apnea, along with snoring, can be addressed with a simple device you wear on your head at night.
That device is called an anti-snoring chin strap. It raises your chin back to its normal position as you sleep, keeping your airway open and eliminating snoring.
Considerations
Size
Anti-snoring chin straps are a one-size-fits-all product. They have Velcro straps that can be adjusted to an individual’s head size. It may take several nights to get the strap adjusted so it won’t slide, twist, or move when you toss and turn. You should expect there to be a learning curve.
Hair length
The length of your hair may cause slippage during the night. People with short hair and those who are bald will have fewer problems than people with long or thick hair. Men with beards will have some initial problems adjusting the fit. This is part of the learning curve associated with anti-snoring chin straps.
Heat
Most chin straps are made with neoprene because it stretches and has a comfortable fit. It also heats up after being worn for a few hours. You may need to turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees to compensate.
Comfort
Some anti-snoring straps have only one adjustment strap on them. That strap normally fastens in the back with Velcro. If you’re trying to sleep on your back, your head may come to rest directly on the area of overlap, creating discomfort. Therefore, this type of anti-snoring product is better suited for people who sleep on their side.
Other models have two straps: one on each side of the head. These products are suitable for people who sleep on their backs.
Features
Nose vents
Nose vents, also known as nasal dilators, are small, cone-shaped inserts that fit inside your nose to hold the passageway open at night so you can breathe properly. Sticky straps that fit across the outside of your nose to pull your nostrils open are not considered nose vents.
Nose vents alone will reduce but not eliminate snoring. The reason: the root cause of most snoring takes place farther down your throat. When combined with a chin strap, however, the difference is noticeable. The chin strap keeps your mouth closed, and the nose vents keep your nostrils open, forcing you to breathe through your nose when you’re sleeping just like you normally do during the day. Thus, chin straps that include nose vents have a better chance of reducing snoring than chin straps alone.
Adjustments
As mentioned, most anti-snoring chin straps are one-size-fits-all, which means they’ll have to be adjusted to fit your head size. There are usually either one or two adjustable Velcro straps. If there is one adjustment strap, it will likely be found in the back. If there are two, they will be on either side of the head.
Single-strap adjustable anti-snoring headsets will fit almost anyone, but double-strap adjustable products will be easier to adjust for each person’s unique size and head shape. The trade-off is that those with double-strap adjustments are more expensive than those with only one adjustment strap.
Materials
This is the area with the greatest variety. Some anti-snoring chin straps are made of an elastic material covered with a piece of stretchable fabric. Others simply use an elastic cloth or textile. Unfortunately, manufacturers do not always specify which materials or fabrics they use in their products. For consumers with allergies to specific fabrics or textile products, this lack of information could be problematic.
A lot of anti-snoring chin straps specify neoprene as the material used in their construction. Neoprene is the same material used in wetsuits for divers and surfers. It’s stretchy with good durability and tensile strength. This combination of characteristics makes it an apt choice for pulling your chin up into the closed position when you’re sleeping.
Sweat bands
Occasionally, manufacturers will have disposable sweatbands in their chin straps. People tend to sweat at night when fabric is pulled tightly around their head. Eventually, the build-up of sweat exudes a noticeable odor. Disposable sweatbands can solve this problem, but you’ll have to buy replacements on a regular basis.
Other chin straps are washable, which eliminates the odor problem. However, machine-washing an anti-snoring chin strap exposes it to the rough-and-tumble of going through the washer and dryer.
Colors
Most anti-snoring chin straps are black, but a few of them are white. There isn’t much need for designer colors, as this is something you only wear at night.
Anti-snoring chin strap prices
There is very little difference between the low prices and the high prices of these chin straps because the differences in the products are minimal.
In the low price range, between $10 and $15, the material used isn’t always listed. If it is, it may be a low-quality cotton. These products seldom have instructions included with them.
Between $15 and $20, you will find anti-snoring chin straps made of an elastic material covered with a stretchable textile or neoprene. Some of them may include nose vents.
On the high end, above $20, neoprene is generally the material used. Nose vents are usually included, and the straps are easier to adjust.
Tips
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Once the straps are adjusted to the proper fit for you, don’t undo the Velcro. The material will stretch when you need to take it off and put it on.
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The best results are obtained when chin straps are used in conjunction with nose vents or nose dilators to open your nasal passages. Closing one passage (your mouth) forces air to travel through the only open passage (your nose), which helps reduce snoring.
- If possible, avoid putting your chin strap in the washer and dryer. Instead, wash it by hand with warm water and gentle soap, and hang it to dry. Wash it about once a week to prevent sweat stains from building up.
FAQ
Q. How much research is there on anti-snoring chin straps?
A. Very little. The studies that have been done focused on using chin straps on people who used CPAP machines at night when they slept. Only one study (on one 71-year-old man) tested the chin strap alone. The subject reported good results.
Q. Can I use a chin strap if I have trouble breathing through my nose?
A. No. The chin strap acts to lift and close the mouth, preventing air from moving in and out. If your nasal passages are clogged or obstructed (such as when you have a cold), you need your mouth to breathe and should not use the chin strap.
Q. Is a chin strap effective at treating sleep apnea?
A. Sleep apnea means you actually stop breathing during the night. If it’s a result of blockage due to your sleeping position (you snore more on your back than your side), a chin strap may be helpful. If your sleep apnea is a medical condition, then it probably won’t do any good. In either case, you should consult your physician before attempting to treat your snoring problem.
