London, May 26 Expensive gadgets that claim to treat snoring can actually keep you awake instead of guaranteeing a peaceful night's sleep, warns a consumer watchdog.

The study by 'Which?' found that over 70 per cent of people who have tried the over-the-counter remedies were disappointed.

And these so-called snoring cures include wire up the nostrils, nasal strips and even a three-month singing course on a CD.

However, such remedies rarely solve the problem because nocturnal noisemakers have no idea of the cause of their snoring.

'Which?' tested various remedies on nearly 2,000 of its members who suffer from excessive snoring.

And the failed treatments also included a dental device that was too uncomfortable to use, a plaster that kept the user awake and a foul-tasting spray.

The survey revealed that almost one in four Britons have had to spend a night in a different room to a partner because the snoring has been so loud.

Thus, the researchers selected couples for testing the various products to get the views of both the user and their bedfellow. They even consulted sleep experts about the effectiveness of cures.

"It's important to find out why you snore before buying a snoring aid,' The Telegraph quoted a spokesman as saying.

He added: "You may snore for several reasons so buying a single cure may not solve your problem.

"While some types of aid have a good basis in science, some specific brands have no direct evidence yet to support their claims.

"Even where there is evidence to support a product this doesn't mean it will help all users as snoring occurs in different ways."

The study also said that while almost half of its test subjects tried nasal strips, only 19 per cent of those found them very or fairly effective and a similar result was observed for other snoring treatments. (ANI)