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Tuesday, 11 December, 2001, 00:02 GMT
Snoring cures success 'exaggerated'
![]() Snorers seek help from over-the-counter cures
Sleep-deprived partners may look to them for salvation, but claims for products which promise to stop or reduce snoring are exaggerated, say consumer experts.
Health Which? looked at eight products, and asked manufacturers to back up their claims.
Sleep experts welcomed the findings and said people experiencing significant problems with snoring should see their family doctor. Emma Copeland, principal researcher for Health Which?, said: "Many snoring products simply don't live up to their claims. "Some of these products may work for you, but we remain unconvinced by most of the evidence provided to support the claims. "Partners of snorers will know that a dig in the ribs can sometimes stop the noise - so you may find that resorting to this is the only way to stop the night time noise." Product ratings Previous research has estimated that 40% of people in the UK snore regularly. The habit can be caused by being overweight, drinking alcohol, having collapsed airways, a blocked nose, or by taking some types of medicine such as sleeping tablets before bed. This, says Health Which?, means products aimed at one cause may not work if the snoring is due to another reason. If snoring is combined with feeling sleepy during the day and experiencing pauses in breathing during sleep, people may be suffering from the more serious sleep apnoea - which affects 10 to 20% of snorers - and should see their GP. The Health Which? panel gave each of the stop snoring products a "research rating", based on the quality of the evidence provided.
Neil Douglas, professor of respiratory and chest medicine at the Scottish National Sleep Centre, told BBC News Online: "People have to be very careful before spending money on devices advertised when there's no objective evidence that they work. "I know of some people who have wasted hundreds of pounds on such devices, with no benefit." He advised snorers to consider if they are overweight or use alcohol. "If those two don't work, don't waste your money."
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