This tiny device could cure snoring once and for all

A quarter of all adults snore regularly when they sleep. That can be disruptive and frustrating for those who have to listen to it during the night - but it can also be dangerous.

The sound happens when airflow gets obstructed at the back of the mouth and nose. That can disturb a snorer's sleep cycle, and in more extreme cases also be a symptom of sleep apnea, a disorder in which a person's upper airway collapses during sleep, causing them to pause ten seconds or more between breaths.

The current solution to sleep apnea is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device, a breathing apparatus that keeps a steady stream of air flowing into a patient's breathing tubes to keep them from collapsing. The device requires the user to strap on a plastic mask before going to bed, however, which can be uncomfortable and unsightly.

But a new invention called the Airing aims to combat sleep apnea - and snoring in general - by using air pressure to keep breathing tubes open in a much less obtrusive way.

Here's how it works.