Snoring that disturbs
your nights
There is a laser treatment that tightens the soft palate, and we are good at it. But it only works if the sound starts there. If it is in your nose, your tongue or the position of your jaw, it gives nothing, and you would rather hear that now than after three sessions.
So this page starts with the source and not with the device.
Laser on the soft palate, with no cutting and no mouthguard.
- How long
- 30 minutes
- How often
- A series of three, with about three weeks in between.
- Recovery
- After NightLase you can eat and talk normally.
Whether this works for you depends on where the sound starts. We establish that at the intake.
Four places where
snoring can start
This is a signpost and not a diagnosis; the real answer comes from looking at the back of your mouth. But the recognition below already brings most people to the right door, and sometimes that is not ours.
The soft palate
This one is ours- How you notice it
- A low, rattling sound with your mouth open. Often worse on your back and after a glass of wine.
- What it means
- The slack tissue at the back of your mouth vibrates with the airflow. This is the most common source and the only one a laser changes anything about.
- What we do
- Here NightLase makes sense. We first look at the back of your mouth and then agree a series.
Your nose
Not here- How you notice it
- You sleep with your mouth open because your nose is blocked, or you snore mostly during a cold or hay-fever season.
- What it means
- A blocked or crooked nose forces you to breathe through your mouth, and only then does the palate start vibrating. The cause then lies a good deal earlier.
- What we do
- We do not start here. This belongs with your GP or an ENT specialist, and they can often do more about it than we can.
Your tongue
Not here- How you notice it
- Only on your back, with a deeper and more irregular sound. On your side it is often gone.
- What it means
- The tongue slides back in your sleep and narrows the airway. That is a different mechanism from a vibrating palate.
- What we do
- Here we say honestly that a laser on the palate changes little. There are other solutions, and they lie outside this clinic.
Your jaw position or teeth
Not here- How you notice it
- Your lower jaw sits back, or you already wear a brace or an anti-snoring mouthguard.
- What it means
- The space at the back of your throat is then smaller than average, however tight the palate is.
- What we do
- This belongs with the dentist or orthodontist. Sometimes it does combine with NightLase, and then we discuss it together.
Snoring is not
the same as apnoea.
Snoring is sound. With sleep apnoea your breathing briefly stops during sleep, and that is a medical problem with consequences for your heart and your blood pressure. They often occur together.
Making the sound quieter while breathing pauses sit underneath it is switching off the alarm and leaving the problem in place. So we always ask about it, and so this is here and not at the bottom.
Do you recognise any of this?
- Your partner hears you stop breathing in your sleep
- You wake up feeling as though you are gasping for air
- You are unusually sleepy during the day, even after a full night
- You often have a headache in the morning
- You have high blood pressure or a heart condition
One yes is enough to start with your GP first. A sleep study belongs with that, and a doctor arranges it, not us. If nothing comes of it, you can always come back.
How NightLase
If the sound comes from your soft palate, this is what we can do. No cutting, no needles, and nothing you have to put in at night.
- Step 1
Look first at where the sound sits
Not every snoring sound comes from the soft palate. That decides whether this gives you anything.
- Step 2
Pulses on the palate
In a fixed pattern across the tissue, in about half an hour. You are sitting up and fully conscious.
- Step 3
Three times, with weeks in between
The tissue tightens between sessions. After the third you know what it does for you.
- How long it takes you
- A series of three, with about three weeks in between. The effect builds across that series and is not permanent; repeating after a while belongs with it.
- What you notice afterwards
- After NightLase you can eat and talk normally. Some people feel a slight scratching in the throat for a while.
NightLase, on the soft palate
We treat snoring with NightLase
Laser against snoring. The soft palate becomes firmer, with no surgery and no mouthguard.
- How long
- 30 minutes
- Per session
- On request
What helps and what we advise against
With snoring the value sits mostly in what does not happen. Half the people who call about this hear from us that they should start somewhere else.
This works
- Looking first at where the sound comes from, because that decides whether this gives you anything
- Referring to your GP if there is even one warning sign, even when you are already standing here
- NightLase as a series of three, with agreed moments beforehand to see whether it is working
- Saying honestly that the effect is not permanent and that repeating belongs with it
- Weighing what else plays a part: weight, alcohol before bed, sleeping position
We advise against this
- Starting without knowing where the sound sits. Then you are selling a series and not a solution
- Treating on a suspicion of sleep apnoea. A sleep study comes first there
- Promising the snoring disappears completely. Less is realistic, gone is not always
- Selling a nasal spray or a mouthguard alongside the treatment. That is not our trade
Frequently asked questions
Where does the sound actually come from?
From tissue vibrating with your breathing. In your sleep the muscles in your throat relax, so that the soft palate and the uvula flutter on the airflow. The narrower the passage, the louder the sound.
Is snoring the same as sleep apnoea?
No. Snoring is sound; sleep apnoea is your breathing briefly stopping during sleep. They often occur together, which is why we always ask about it. If there is a suspicion, a sleep study comes first and we do not start.
Do I need a general anaesthetic for NightLase?
No, and there is no cutting either. You are sitting up, fully conscious, and you walk out yourself afterwards.
How many sessions do I need?
Usually three, with about three weeks in between. The effect builds across that series; after the first session there is rarely anything to hear yet.
Does it stay away?
Not on its own. The tissue gives way again after a while, and then a repeat is needed. So we do not call it permanent, and you hear beforehand that a repeat belongs with it.
What does this cost?
The rate for NightLase is on the price page as soon as it is settled.
Book a consultation at Diba Clinics
In the first conversation we look at where the sound starts and ask about your nights. After that you know whether this gives you anything, and so do we.
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