No more snoring thanks to these nasal patches? If only...

Nasal patches are touted as an effective remedy for snoring. Er, hang on... Nasal patches sound familiar.... And with good reason: in the mid-1990s, all football stars were wearing them. Loads of professional players swore by the effectiveness of these little nose plugs. Not least cult striker Olaf Marschall of former Bundesliga 1 club FC Kaiserslautern. In fact, it earned him one of his nicknames: "Godfather of Nasenpflaster".

Olaf Marschall and all the other skaters hoped that this strip of plastic glued to the bridge of the nose would improve their performance by increasing the oxygen supply. Science was quick to disprove these theories. In 1997, researchers actually came to the conclusion that the patch effect was useless in sport, because human beings don't breathe through their nose at all during effort.

I still decided to give these little strips of plastic a chance, because after all, I have as much affinity with top-level sport as a cow has with cycling. What's more, I have no restrictions on my sleep and prefer to breathe through my nose. So far, my wife is the only victim of my snoring. And if sticking a harmless patch on my nose can relieve her, then I'll gladly give it a go.

Sleep therapy

Breathe Right Normal

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Sleep therapy

Breathe Right normal

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Sleep therapy

Breathe Right Nose plaster

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Sleep therapy

Breathe Right Normal

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Sleep therapy

Breathe Right normal

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Sleep therapy

Breathe Right Nose plaster

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Wings grow on my nose

How exactly does the patch work? "Breathe Right Nasal Strips are flexible, feather-like strips that gently lift and widen the nasal cavity to allow more air to pass through." That's what the leaflet says. Further on, I also read, "Breathe Right Nasal Strips make it easier to breathe through the nose rather than the mouth and can therefore help reduce or even eliminate snoring." The strips are also said to help decongest the nose.

A patch and to bed

So before I go to bed, I stick a patch on my previously cleaned and dried nose. The instructions state that the positioning of the patch is important. It should be positioned on the bridge of the nose so that the side strips adhere to the nostrils and lift them slightly. If it is stuck too high or too low, it will have no effect.

Once in bed, I notice that I am indeed breathing better through my nose than usual. I fall asleep satisfied and wake up well rested after a good night's sleep. The next morning's disillusionment is all the greater: my wife lets me know that, despite the nasal patch, I've been snoring. I tested the patch a few more nights, but the results were no more conclusive. My wife did point out that the intensity of my snoring varied. Still, they're always there.

So the patches have the same effect as the nasal spray that I tested earlier. Both make it easier for me to breathe through my nose and help me fall asleep. However, neither the patches nor the spray stop my snoring.

Patches for the price of gold

Aside from the fact that it doesn't produce the desired effect, I don't have much to criticise about the nasal patch. It's very easy to use, holds well and doesn't bother me when I go to sleep. In the morning, I can remove it without any problem and it doesn't leave any marks.

I do have one major criticism though: its price. The large pack of 30 nasal patches costs almost 27 Swiss francs on our shop. Nearly 90 centimes for a little piece of plastic is too much for me. So much for breathing a little better through your nose. Sorry, Breathe Right. There are certainly cheaper products on the market, but not with us.

Try again

"Missed again," I say to myself before grabbing the next anti-snoring product to try. This time it's something for the mouth. A sense of unease washes over me as the memory of the anti-snoring drip comes flooding back. "Well... It can't get any worse," I console myself as I place the new product in front of the bathroom mirror. You'll soon find out how this new test goes here.

Follow my author profile so you don't miss an episode of my snoring crusade. If you've already been on this journey and found THE solution, I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.