Do Humidifiers Help Stop Snoring?

Do you or a loved one have a snoring problem? Can a humidifier help with it? Read on to find out what you need to know.

Do Humidifiers Help Stop Snoring?

is it good to sleep with a humidifier image

The short answer is it depends. It depends on the cause of the snoring, but humidifiers can definitely help with snoring if is caused by dryness of the nose and sinuses.

If you live in an area with a dry climate the lack of moisture in the air (the low humidity level) can make breathing difficult. When that happens your breathing pathways can become congested, making breathing more labored and triggering snoring.

As a humidifier adds moisture to the air it can help to stop snoring caused by congested nasal and throat passages. It’s not a guaranteed surefire solution as snoring can be caused by other issues, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Additionally, keeping a humidifier on hand is beneficial anyway if you’re suffering from dry air symptoms. That’s because a low humidity level causes a lot more issues than only those related to your nose & sinuses:

  • Dry skin symptoms and/or the reoccurrence of skin problems such as eczema.
  • Coughing
  • Dry eyes or a need to use eye drops frequently.
  • Itchy or flaky skin; cracked or chapped skin symptoms.
  • Aggravated allergy symptoms.

What kind of humidifier do I need for snoring?

what kind of humidifier do i need for snoring

There are a lot of different humidifiers available, most of which do the same thing, although a few have minor differences such as their features and water capacity.

You’ll come across two popular types sold today:

  • Cold mist humidifiers: This type uses an ultrasonic transducer (electronic component) to vaporize water, producing a super-fine mist with no heat added. Most offer an adjustable output level and amazingly quiet operation.
  • Warm mist humidifiers: This type converts water to a gentle steam mist with a bit of warmth using electric heating. They’re quiet also, but slightly noisier than cool mist models. They’re great for cold weather and congestion.

Neither of these is better than the other for snoring, although warm mist models are better for cold temperatures and have the advantage of being helpful for colds or other types of congestion. They also can be supplemented by menthol liquids or pads in some cases.

Cool mist models, on the other hand, are best for year-round use especially for people in dry climates as they don’t add any heat to a room.

Both are also very quiet during use and work well for sleeping with it running overnight, although warm mist models can make a slight gurgling or bubbling sound from time to time. Cool mist models also use less electricity than their counterparts.

What essential oil is best for snoring?

what essential oil is best for snoring

Peppermint oil is a good essential oil to help with snoring and open up nasal and throat passageways.

Some people try putting a few drops of it into their humidifier to diffuse throughout the air. This sounds nice but simply adding essential oil to a humidifier doesn’t work well in reality.

Unless the humidifier is designed with an essential oil feature (similar to a diffuser) where oil droplets can be added it won’t be diffused and spread throughout the room properly.

Image of cool mist humidifier essential oil tray example

Example of a cool mist humidifier with an optional tray built-in to allow adding essential oil droplets. This type of humidifier can properly disperse and diffuse oils in a room unlike others.

Due to being thicker than water, even a few drops of essential oil can clog up a humidifier. This can be cleaned out but it can damage the humidifier and cause mold and bacteria to build up. At the very least the oil droplets will simply merge and float in the water tank and do little to nothing.

Another way to use your essential oil for snoring

If you don’t already have a humidifier with an essential oil feature, don’t worry – there’s actually a great alternative! Before going to bed, add a few drops of peppermint oil on your pillow.

This will help to open up any congested nasal and throat passages. Leaving the humidifier running to supply healthy moisture to the air while also using peppermint oil will help to stop snoring. 

Placing the peppermint oil on the pillow instead of inside the humidifier will actually be more effective. That’s because the oil will be closer to your nose and mouth so it will be able to target the affected areas more directly.

That’s a bit different than having the small drops of oil in a humidifier. Those would diffuse throughout the room if they can get out at all, having less of a direct effect on your nose and sinuses.

Is it good to sleep with a humidifier?

is it good to sleep with a humidifier

The quick answer is yes, sleeping with a humidifier can be healthy, relieve and speed up sickness recovery, and provide better comfort and rest.

However, you don’t want the humidity to go over a comfortable level.

Humidifier sleep and rest benefits:

There are some nice reasons why using a humidifier while you’re sleeping is a good choice:

  • Skin problems: people who suffer from dry, itchy skin may find using a humidifier overnight offers them relief and lets them rest.
  • Colds, flu, and congestion: a humidifier can help reduce how bad you feel and can even help you get well sooner. When you’re sick, sinuses and other parts of your body can become uncomfortably dry. A humidifier can help replace the dryness and let you sleep better, too.
  • Respiratory problems, allergies, and general discomfort: it’s a fact that allergy symptoms can be reduced when the humidity is at a healthy level. This also helps people with some respiratory problems as their breathing passageways are moist and less difficult to breathe through.
  • Better sleep quality: if the air is comfortable and has sufficient moisture you’re less likely to wake up feeling poor or even potentially getting sick due to dry air. When you’re more comfortable your quality of sleep is better too.

You don’t want to leave a humidifier running full blast all night if it’s going to bring the humidity above a good level (around 60% and below is usually comfortable). You could end up having problems sleeping (even sweating!) and then struggling to get the rest you need.

Once the humidity is too high it’s hard to bring it back down aside from opening a window in winter or using your air conditioner. Generally speaking, to leave it running all night you’ll use a medium or low output setting.

Some more advanced models can self-regulate their output depending on the current humidity in the room.

Is it okay to sleep with a humidifier every night?

is it okay to sleep with a humidifier every night

Yes, it is fine to sleep with a humidifier every night as long as the humidity doesn’t go over about 60%. Using it frequently may increase the total humidity in a room so you’ll want to check the humidity occasionally and use a low output level.

I mean think about it for a second – running it overnight (and every night!) means that the humidifier will be misting water for around eight to ten hours just overnight alone. This is fine if you live somewhere with very dry air that requires this level of additional moisture, if you have severe skin problems, or if you have issues with snoring caused by dry air.

The only reason to not sleep with the humidifier on is if you don’t want that much moisture misted into your bedroom. If you live somewhere which is only slightly dry, it’s best to only use the humidifier in small amounts.

Excessive moisture can cause dampness and mold to develop. Infants and babies are likely to feel very uncomfortable at higher humidity levels as well (as well as adults, too).

What is the best place to put a humidifier in your bedroom?

what is the best place to put a humidifier in your bedroom

A dehumidifier should be placed:

  • At least three feet away from your bed.
  • Although on the floor is ok (if the floor is covered), at least 2 feet above it is preferred.
  • Away from direct sunlight (ex.: near windows) and heat sources.
  • On non-wooden surfaces or at least on a tray or other item to prevent water damage.
  • When possible, near the center of the room or slightly to one side.

If you place one very close to your bed you’ll be directly breathing in the mist from the humidifier. Even if you’re trying to add more moisture to stop nasal congestion due to dry air, directly breathing in the mist is not a good idea. 

NOTE: If you’re suffering from sinus problems, severe congestion, or other similar cold or flu symptoms keeping a warm mist humidifier near the bed is helpful sometimes.

That’s because warm mist products create a warm air mist in the form of steam which has a relieving effect similar to a hot, steamy shower. Heavily moist, warm air helps to open nasal and sinus passageways.

In that case, you can place it closer to your bed while you’re sick if you like although it’s not important.

If you have the space, even further away from the bed is a good idea. Try to put it in a place where the mist will be able to disperse most evenly such as on a table or shelf near the center of the room and above the floor a few feet.

The idea is to make it as easy as possible for the humidifier to add moisture to the room efficiently. Do be aware that sometimes droplets can come out of the mister of a humidifier so it’s best to protect nearby surfaces from water.

It’s also very easy to spill water when removing, refilling, and replacing the water tank so you’ll want to be careful for that reason as well.

How do I know if I need a humidifier in my bedroom?

how do i know if i need a humidifier in my bedroom

It’s actually pretty simple to know if you need a humidifier. There are two ways you can tell:

  1. By recognizing the effects of low humidity (dry air) symptoms
  2. Measuring your air’s dryness using a humidity gauge

If you can tell low humidity by the signs or if your humidity gauge shows 30% or less, you need a humidifier.

If you notice that you have developed issues with congestion, dryness, and snoring during the drier summer months, then this is a good reason to buy a humidifier.  Some people often wake up with a congested nose or begin snoring due to dry air causing congestion.

Do you have to deal with allergies? As it turns out, allergy symptoms decrease if the air is brought to a healthy moisture level. That’s because dry air allows allergens to move about more freely, irritate your skin and other parts of your body, and start your allergy symptoms yet again.

ThermPro TP50 humidity and temperature gauge

Example of a digital humidity gauge with temperature readout feature. They’re an affordable and super-easy way to know when you need to run your humidifier.

I strongly encourage you to pick up a humidity gauge. That’s because we can’t always rely on how our bodies feel at any given time to know the air condition. It’s not a reliable or consistent way to know.

They’re very affordable (some are $10 and below) and eliminate the guesswork.

What is a good humidity level?

recommended humidity level for comfort and humidifiers diagram

Most people feel comfortable with relative humidity above 30% and under 60%. However, an ideal range for humidity in your home is 40-50%. Your goal isn’t to have it perfect because that’s necessary or realistic, either.

Honestly, though, the best humidity level is the one that you find to be comfortable with and that relieves healthy and dry air symptoms for you or your family. A good rule of thumb is somewhere around 50%.

When the level begins to reach 30% and below it’s definitely time to use your humidifier.

Severe dry air conditions begin to become obvious at about 30% and below. In dry climates and during winter the level can drop to under 20% – that’s very uncomfortable!

Grant Williams

About the author

Grant is a professional engineer by trade and has experience with both maintenance and do-it-yourself home projects. He enjoys sharing his expertise & ideas with others to help them improve their comfort and quality of life. Read more »

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