Essential Oils Snoring Remedies

Over the last few decades, seeking treatment for many common conditions by using essential oils has become increasingly popular. One of these common ailments is snoring – whether it’s your own, your partner’s, or that of a friend. Helping your snoring habit with natural essential oils is probably one of the least intrusive ways that you can stop snoring.

Snoring is obviously a severe irritant to one of the partners when trying to go to sleep. It is possibly not the most sexy topic to think about, but it happens none the less. Luckily, there are several great essential oils to use to help stop snoring. Read on to learn how you can start treating snoring at home.

Can Essential Oils Stop Snoring?

Research suggests that yes, essential oils can help with people suffering from snoring. An interesting study¹ scientifically recorded and tested snoring and the relief thereof after using essential oils before bed time.

In this study, both the snoring patients and their partners were quizzed before and after the application of essential oils. An astonishing 82% of patients using the essential oils to help stop snoring had partners reporting a reduction in snoring. The partner is most suited to be interviewed for this study as they would be the ones that could reveal a possible change in snoring after treatment. The partners are also the ones most likely to be affected by insomnia while their significant other peacefully dozes away in dream land, snoring.

The 4 Best Essential Oils To Help With Snoring

Essential oils that have a reputation for helping snoring are: thyme, mint, lemon, clove, pine, fennel, sage, citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, marjoram, valor and pine. Some of these we will look at in more depth in this article. Here is some insight on the best essential oils to use for snoring relief:

1. Thyme Essential Oil For Snoring

The best essential oil for snoring relief is believed to be thyme essential oil. Many studies have been done on thyme to show it may be used to support respiratory wellness, the immune system, muscular health and joint support. It can also be used in cleaning because of its purifying qualities.

To use thyme essential oil for snoring relief, mix it with a carrier oil (THIS IS IMPORTANT AS UNDILUTED THYME WILL IRRITATE THE SKIN), and apply it at the bottoms of your big toes each night. Traditional reflexology charts describe these spots at the bottom of your feet as the reflex for the neck area – so this is a great spot to get the best benefit from using thyme to help with snoring.

You can also diffuse thyme essential oil into the air using your essential oil diffuser unit. Start your diffuser about half an hour before planning to go to bed to ensure a bedroom filled with thyme aroma for easiest breathing as soon as you are ready to go to sleep. If the scent of pure thyme oil on its own is a bit too strong for you, you can also find thyme in some common essential oil blends that target the airways and breathing, such as Breathe Easier (Eden’s Garden) $4.95, Breathe (doTerra) $22.00, or R.C (Young Living) $18.00.

Please always remember to test your choice of essential oil brand carefully and make sure you can use it as it was intended.

Avoid thyme oil during pregnancy and keep out of your nose, ears or eyes. Talk to your doctor if you have high blood pressure.

2. Marjoram Essential Oil For Snoring

Another reportedly powerful essential oil to help with snoring is Marjoram essential oil. By smelling the Marjoram oil prior to and while sleeping, the airway passages are opened up and in effect, help you not to snore.

Once the effect of Marjoram essential oil kicks in and your body reacts to it –  you don’t need it any more. This means, that if you’re running Marjoram in your diffuser, it’s totally ok to have your diffuser on the 2-hour shut-off setting, and not feel like you have to have the unit running all night for the snoring help from Marjoram essential oil to kick in.

The effectiveness of Marjoram as a snoring remedy depends from person to person as each body reacts differently to any particular oil. There have been quite a few cases where snoring sufferers have reported their snoring stopped on the first night of using Marjoram oil – other snorers have taken 6 weeks to stop snoring. These reports just show that each person is different – so just don’t give up too quickly!

Avoid marjoram oil during pregnancy.

4. Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Snoring

Eucalyptus is a herbal decongestant that helps to open your air passages. Apart from help for snoring, eucalyptus is also commonly used as a home remedy treatment for the common cold for the same reasons – because it opens up your nose for better breathing. It can also help with clearing of mucus in your nose, further opening up your ability to breathe more freely.

Eucalyptus is best taken via steam inhalation. It really works wonders and smells amazing!

Prepare a medium-sized bowl of steaming hot water and add a 3-5 drops of eucalyptus oil into it. Place a clean, dry towel over your head, lean your head and nose closely over the bowl, and breathe deeply. Try to stay in this steam inhalation treatment for 4-6 minutes. This is best option to use eucalyptus essential oil to get rid of snoring and it is completely safe for both adults and children alike.

Find Eucalyptus Essential Oils

4. Valor Essential Oil For Snoring (Blend)

The valor essential oil blend by Young Living is an empowering combination of oils that has been found to help the body self-correct its balance and alignment.

It is a blend of rosewood, blue tansy, frankincense, spruce and frankincense. Spruce has been identified in the scientific study discussed earlier¹ as one of the essential oils that significantly helped reduce snoring symptoms in patients. The study concludes that snoring and the relief thereof was not a mere placebo effect also. You can find a link to this study in full under “Further Resources” at the bottom of this page.

While the Valor blend will be a slightly pricier option for a snoring relief home remedy, it is a very balanced smell and comforting aroma that might be worth the investment if you or your partner are acute snoring sufferers.

You can use valor essential oil blended with a carrier oil and rub it onto the bottoms of your big toes before going to sleep. If you add valor to your oil diffuser at night, many people have had success with stopping the snoring with essential oils.

Shop for Valor on Amazon

Less expensive alternatives for the Valor Blend

If you find the Young Living Valor blend too pricey, you can try the following 3 alternatives to Valor. They are not EXACTLY the valor blend, but pretty close.

1. Plant Therapy “Self Esteem” Blend (~$12.95 for 10ml) – contains Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, and Frankincense
2. DoTerra “Serenity” Blend (~$33.00 for 15ml) – contains Lavender, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood, Vanilla Bean
3. Young Living Valor II (~$35.00 for 5ml) – contains Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, Frankincense

In Summary

Essential oils are a great way to naturally treat snoring and help you stop snoring altogether. With any of the essential oils to stop snoring discussed here, you can either:

1. Diffuse them into the air of your bedroom with your electronic diffuser or a simple spray mixture with purified water (if you like the smell – some of them are very strong), or
2. Apply them to the base of your feet, especially at the bottom of the big toe, mixed with some carrier oil like sweet almond oil or jojoba oil. (Find out more about carrier oils here).
3. Do a steam inhalation with a bowl of hot water, essential oil droplets in it, a towel over your head, and 4-6 minutes of deep breathing.

However, I do think some of the essential oils best for snoring smell quite strongly on their own, which is why many essential oil companies also have “breathe easy” types of blends that actually have many of the oils mentioned above in them, combined into a nice, well-rounded blend.

Check out these:

• Breathe Easier (Eden’s Garden) – $4.95
• Breathe (doTerra) – $22.00
• R.C. (Young Living) – $18.00 (less pricey than the valor blend)
• Respire (Living Pure Essential Oils) – $14.95 (current best seller in cough & cold chest rubs)

Further Reading

¹ The Use of Essential Oils to Treat Snoring

Also, here is a handy essential oil comparison guide between ingredients of Plant Therapy, doTerra, and Young Living blends: Plant Therapy Comparison Chart, Alternative to Young Living Valor

What Worked For You?

Are you currently using essential oils to help stop snoring? Please share with us in the comments below what’s working for you!

Images courtesy of marin and FrameAngel at FreeDigitalPhotos.net