I snored loud enough for twenty years that my wife Darlene got used to sleeping on the couch. It wasn't until she told me she'd watched me stop breathing in my sleep that I finally went in for a sleep study. That's how I ended up with a moderate obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis and a CPAP machine my doctor prescribed, and I want to be clear about that from the start: if you snore, get checked. No strip, pillow, or gadget replaces a sleep study or a prescribed CPAP. But once you've done that, a little extra help breathing through your nose can make the whole night easier. That's where Breathe Right Extra Strength nasal strips come in. I bought my first box of 44 on my own dime back in March, and eight months later there's a box on my nightstand at all times. Here are the ten reasons why.
The 44-count box that's been on my nightstand since March
I keep a fresh box of Breathe Right Extra Strength strips on the nightstand because they're the one snoring aid I've actually stuck with for eight months. If your nose is part of your snoring problem, they're worth trying tonight.
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I've tried every nasal spray on the drugstore shelf, and most of them work for a while and then wear off or leave me with a dry, drippy mess. I remember one cold snap last January when I used a spray three nights running and woke up with a nose so dry it hurt to breathe. A Breathe Right strip doesn't put anything in my nose, so there's no medicine to wear off and no rebound stuffiness the next day. The flexible spring-like band lifts from the outside and opens my nasal passages so I can actually pull air through my nose instead of mouth-breathing all night.
They work in about a minute, which is faster than any gadget I own
I've bought chin straps, mouth guards, and a pillow shaped like a wedge. The wedge pushed my head up so high my neck ached by two in the morning, and the chin strap slid off before I ever fell asleep. Every one of them took getting used to, and most of them ended up in the guest room closet. The Breathe Right strip takes about ten seconds to peel and stick. I put it on right before I lay down, and by the time I'm settled, my nose is already open. That's the whole routine, and it's why I actually use it every night instead of letting it gather dust.
Extra Strength means the band is 50% stronger, and I can feel it
The box says these Extra Strength strips use flexible spring-like bands that are 50% stronger, and after eight months I believe it. I've got a big nose and years of congestion, and the regular strips I tried once didn't hold me open the way these do. The Extra Strength version lifts like it means it, and I notice the difference the moment I put one on.
They're made for sensitive skin, and my skin agrees
I was worried about sticky adhesive pulling on my nose every night, but these Original Clear strips are hypoallergenic, flexible, and non-porous, made with 3M materials. I've worn one every night since March and I haven't had a red patch or a sore spot yet. Darlene has sensitive skin too and she's borrowed one on a stuffy night without any trouble.
They play nice with my CPAP, which surprised me
I was sure the mask and the strip would fight each other, but they don't. Before I added the strip, I was waking up two or three times a night with a dry mouth so bad I'd have to get up and drink a glass of water. Now most nights I sleep through until my alarm, and the dry mouth is mostly gone. The strip opens my nose, the CPAP does its job, and I still use my prescribed CPAP every single night. The strip is just an extra layer of help on top of it. If you're on CPAP and you mouth-breathe, this combination is worth asking your doctor about.
They stop the stuffy-nose spiral before it starts
I breathe through my mouth whenever my nose is stuffy, and mouth-breathing dries me out and makes my throat sore by morning. The strip heads that off at the pass. When my nose is open, I breathe through it, my mouth stays shut, and I don't wake up feeling like I swallowed a handful of sand. That alone is worth the price of the box.
They're small enough to take anywhere
The box is 1.5 by 4.49 by 6.77 inches and weighs 1.45 ounces, which means it disappears into a duffel bag. I've taken strips on every trip since March, including a week in the Smokies. Hotel pillows are bad enough without adding my snoring to the problem, so having a strip in my bag is non-negotiable now.
They give Darlene her side of the bed back
This is the honest one. Darlene is a light sleeper, and for years my snoring drove her to the couch more nights than I want to admit. One night last month the power flickered and I slept without my CPAP, and she was back on the couch by midnight. That was all the proof I needed that the combination is what's working. Since I started wearing a strip with my CPAP, she's stayed in our bed almost every night. She still says I'm not quiet, but I'm quiet enough for her to sleep, and that matters more to me than any number on a box.
They're cheaper than the gadgets I threw away
There's a drawer in my dresser with a mouth guard that never fit right and an anti-snore wristband I wore twice. Both of them cost more than the strip, and both were in the drawer within a month. I've spent real money on snoring gadgets that went the same way, and the strip is a fraction of that cost. I actually use it. I'm not going to quote a price because it changes, but a 44-count box has lasted me a long time at one strip a night. When something this simple outlasts every gadget I bought, that's the definition of value.
They remind me that the little things count
The strip didn't fix my sleep apnea. My CPAP is what treats that, and my doctor is the one who diagnosed it. But the strip is the small thing that makes the big thing work better. It keeps my nose open so I sleep through the night, and it keeps Darlene in our bed. Eight months in, that's a pretty good reason to keep a box on the nightstand.
What I'd Skip
If you snore because of your tongue or your throat, a nasal strip probably isn't going to fix that, and I'd skip it for that job. If you haven't had a sleep study and you're hoping a strip will solve your snoring on its own, skip it and see a doctor first. And if your nose is completely blocked from a cold or allergies, the strip can only lift so much. It's a tool for nasal congestion and mouth-breathing, not a cure for snoring or sleep apnea. I still use my CPAP every night, and the strip is the sidekick, not the hero.
The strip didn't fix my sleep apnea. My CPAP is what treats that. But the strip is the small thing that makes the big thing work better.
Eight months later, the box is still on my nightstand
If your nose is part of your snoring problem, a Breathe Right Extra Strength strip takes about ten seconds to try. It's the one snoring aid I've kept using for eight months, and Darlene's been sleeping in our bed because of it.
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