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While I breathe, I hope Newsletter (Turkish)

Sleep / Myth or fact?

Do nasal strips stop snoring?

Introductory · 2 min read · ■■□□ low evidence

By: NefeslyFirst published: 18 October 2026Last updated: 29 October 2026Editor: support@nefesly.com

Not enough evidence. A nasal dilator strip can open the nose a little. But there is no controlled study showing that it stops snoring. The few controlled studies we have found no difference in snoring either1,2.

What we know

  • The strip widens the narrowest part of the nose by pulling the sides of the nose outwards3.
  • It does not work the same for everyone. In healthy volunteers, it lowered nasal resistance during normal breathing in fewer than half of people; the effect was seen most in those whose nose was already narrow3.
  • In a study of heavy snorers, the strip was compared with a sham strip. People felt their nose was more open; but the duration and intensity of snoring did not change1.
  • In a study of pregnant women who snored, the strip did not change measures of breathing problems during sleep2.

What we do not know

  • Whether it works in a small group whose snoring comes only from a blocked nose is not clear1.
  • There is no good study of long-term use.

No evidence is not the same as not working. Two things apply here at once: there is no evidence that it reduces snoring, and the few controlled studies done found no difference. Because these studies are small, we do not give a firm "it does not work" verdict. The strip may make the nose feel more comfortable; the sound of snoring, though, comes from the vibration of soft tissues in the throat. We explain this in When does snoring matter?, and a blocked nose in What affects snoring.

When to see a doctor?

If your nose has been blocked for a long time, or your snoring comes with pauses in breathing, see a doctor. When to see a doctor · Sleep centres in Türkiye

In depthmechanisms, studies, limitations

In the posterior rhinomanometry study by Kirkness and colleagues (n=20), 9 were "responders" in whom the strip significantly lowered nasal resistance during quiet breathing; responders had higher baseline inspiratory resistance3. The strip both widened the nasal valve and stabilised the lateral vestibular wall3.

In the randomised, placebo-controlled crossover study by Djupesland and colleagues (n=18, mean AHI 9.3, heavy snorers reporting nocturnal nasal congestion), the active strip increased nasal dimensions; snoring time and intensity did not change in any subgroup1. In a subgroup of 6 with marked morning congestion, mean saturation improved; in 12 people with wider noses, the AHI increased1.

In the study by Maxwell and colleagues (n=54, pregnant, habitual snoring), the respiratory event index on two consecutive home sleep tests did not differ between the night without and the night with the strip (median 5.30 and 4.80)2. The authors proposed the strip as a placebo condition for pregnancy studies2.

Limitations: the controlled studies are small and cover a single night; there are no long-term data. There is no adequately powered RCT that selects subgroups with severe nasal obstruction in advance.

Sources

  1. Djupesland PG, Skatvedt O, Borgersen AK. Dichotomous physiological effects of nocturnal external nasal dilation in heavy snorers: the answer to a rhinologic controversy?. American Journal of Rhinology. 2001;15(2):95-103. doi:10.2500/105065801781543745
  2. Maxwell M, Sanapo L, Monteiro K et al. Impact of nasal dilator strips on measures of sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2022;18(2):477-483. doi:10.5664/jcsm.9624
  3. Kirkness JP, Wheatley JR, Amis TC. Nasal airflow dynamics: mechanisms and responses associated with an external nasal dilator strip. European Respiratory Journal. 2000;15(5):929-936. doi:10.1034/j.1399-3003.2000.15e20.x
Cite

APA 7

Nefesly. (2026, October 18). Do nasal strips stop snoring? Nefesly. Retrieved: 30 October 2026, https://nefesly.com/en/guide/do-nasal-strips-stop-snoring/

BibTeX

@misc{nefesly2026donasalstripsstopsnoring,
  author = {{Nefesly}},
  title = {Do nasal strips stop snoring?},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://nefesly.com/en/guide/do-nasal-strips-stop-snoring/}},
  note = {Last updated 2026-10-29; accessed 2026-10-30}
}

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Corrections

  • 2026-10-23: English version published.
  • 2026-10-29: For children layer added.

Disclosure: This article has no sponsor.