More than anything, when I moved in with my boyfriend I wanted to stop snoring. My nighttime noises were keeping him awake at night and cranky during the day. It was really starting to cause problems in our relationship, but I didn't know what to do about it. I'd done some internet research, and most of the people on the message boards mentioned sleeping on your side. I looked into it, and the science behind it made sense. When you sleep on your side, gravity pulls your tongue towards the side of your mouth and away from the back of your throat, which is what causes snoring in some cases. I tried sleeping on both sides, but to no avail.

I still needed to stop snoring, so I did some more research. It turns out, if you're overweight or smoke you're more likely to snore during the night. Again, the science made sense. In the case of smokers, the cigarettes weaken the throat and make it more susceptible to getting clogged up with mucus. When you're overweight, excess fat can gather around your neck and put pressure on your throat. I now know that smoking and fat can cause snoring, but since I was at a healthy weight and had never touched a cigarette, the knowledge didn't help me much.

I ended up seeing my doctor to find out what he could do to help me to stop snoring. It was actually easier than he thought it was going to be, because I'd already done my research and knew what didn't work for me. The doctor sent me to a dentist who specializes in snoring cessation, and I was fitted for a device called a mandibular advancement splint. Custom made just for me, I wear it at night and it keeps my tongue from the back of my throat. My health insurance covered it (normally it would have cost around $2,000) and I've been snore free ever since.