How are nose clips supposed to help you breathe better at night

Nose clips

That go into the nose and pinch the septum claim they can help with snoring by keeping air passages open. So how does pinching the septum an inch from the nostril keep air passages open?

I just pinched my septum with my fingertips, and I can breathe easier through my nose.

Perhaps it’s like the opposite action of the nasal strips that pull the nostrils open; thereby keeping air passages open. By this I mean it pinches the septum itself inward instead of pulling the outer nostrils outward; both actions achieve similar results of allowing more space for air flow through the nostrils.

They don’t pinch anything, they do the opposite. They’re not clips, they’re more like stiff, flat bandages with adhesive on them. When you bend them and stick them on your nose, they “pull” the nostrils open slightly.

While what you described does exist (brand name Breathe Right), what the OP linked to is not that.

It is, indeed, a clip that goes on the septum. Most useful for people who snore because of a deviated septum - a septum that’s flopping into the nasal passage and restricting the flow of air.

They won’t work for people who snore because their mouth falls open and their soft palate falls into the airway, which is the very loud snorking snoring, often accompanied by periods of apnea (not breathing). This product works for some of the gentle nasal snorers.

Do what I did and pinch the septum with your fingertips. If your nasal passages are wide open already, I guess it won’t make a difference, but I could draw air more easily through my nose immediately. It seems to pull tissue back slightly. Perhaps it is just a tensing of muscles in the area in reaction to the pinch, and they will eventually relax and not make a difference, but it certainly works short term.