How To Deal With A Snoring Partner
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As much as you love ending a tiresome day with your partner every night, one thing that probably annoys you most is their snoring habits. Their loud snoring won’t only be a nuisance, but it’s enough to keep you awake. Furthermore, some loud snorers tend to be restless in bed, disturbing you even more.
Thus, you wake up feeling lethargic, sleepy, and irritated.
Although this is a common problem among couples, the good thing is that there are ways to manage this situation, so you and your partner both get excellent sleep quality.
Read the rest of the article to find out more.
Why Does Your Partner Snore?
There are several reasons why your partner snores. Some of these causes are:
- Smoking, and drinking alcohol or taking sedatives near bedtime
- Being overweight
- Sleeping position
- Swollen tonsils
- Nasal congestion from a cold, flu or allergies
- Sleep deprivation
Some of these causes are only temporary, which means that your partner’s snoring may ease once a cold clears or they change their habits. However, if the snoring tends to be loud and consistent, it may signify other underlying health problems, such as sleep apnea.
Snoring happens when breathing is partly blocked during sleep and tissues at the top of the airway vibrate. In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep.
Breathing pauses and restarts, often with a gasp or choking sound, and the person may feel tired the next day even after a full night in bed.
Untreated sleep apnea raises the risk of stroke, heart attack and other serious problems, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Thus, if your partner’s snoring is consistent, it may be best to take them to a sleep apnea clinic for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
How To Deal With Your Partner’s Snores?
Whether your partner’s snoring is only temporary or consistent, several things can help you deal with it and get a good night’s sleep for yourself. If your partner’s snoring is troubling you and a doctor has ruled out sleep apnea, they might try an anti snoring mouthpiece with great reviews. Mouthpieces don’t work for everyone, so it’s worth asking a dentist or doctor which type fits.
1. Encourage Them To See A Doctor
Before you start hating or glaring at your partner for their snoring, it may be best to take them to a doctor first. As mentioned, sleep apnea is one of the possible causes of snoring. Taking them to a doctor will help your partner get the proper treatment if they are diagnosed to have such.
The doctor may recommend that your partner use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or other treatment devices against sleep apnea to improve their breathing pattern and prevent snoring. Once your partner gets treated, you’ll enjoy the following nights with a quieter and more peaceful slumber.
The doctor may order a sleep study, done at home or overnight at a sleep center, to check for sleep apnea. The results help the doctor choose the right treatment.
2. Wear Earplugs
Meanwhile, if your partner’s snoring isn’t caused by a serious sleep disorder, you can wear earplugs to eliminate the sound of their snoring. Several earplugs are available that differ depending on the volume of the snoring you’re trying to muffle.
You can go for the cheapest one, the soft foam earplugs available in drugstores, or buy the noise-reducing or noise-canceling silicone earplugs designed to eliminate loud sounds (e.g., airport runways, concerts, loudspeakers).
Look for earplugs designed for sleep. Soft foam or silicone plugs that fit snugly are usually more comfortable to wear all night.
Make sure you can still hear your alarm clock and smoke alarm while wearing them.
3. Listen To White Noise Or Soft Music
If stuffing earplugs on your ears aren’t comfortable for you, you can listen to soft music, or white noise can also help muffle the sound of your partner’s snoring. You can play your favorite songs with a soft melody or go for white noises like the sound of crashing waves, waterfalls, chirping birds, or rustling trees. These calming and soothing sounds can help lull you into sleep.
4. Meditate Or Listen To Mindfulness Meditation
If your partner’s snoring isn’t too loud or severe, you can try distracting yourself from the snores by meditating or listening to mindfulness meditation.
Meditation is an excellent way to redirect your attention away from their snores and instead focus on putting yourself to sleep. Plus, it has other benefits too that can improve your overall well-being.
A short mindfulness session before bed may help quiet your thoughts. If you can, try to fall asleep before your partner does, so the snoring is less likely to keep you up.
5. Change Your Partner’s Position
Did you know that your partner’s sleeping position can also affect their snoring? MedlinePlus advises snorers to avoid sleeping flat on their back, and to cut down on alcohol and sedatives at bedtime.
To resolve this issue, you can encourage your partner to change their sleeping position and avoid lying on their back during their sleep.
If your partner finds it difficult to control their sleeping position, you may try some of these strategies:
Invest in a snore-reducing trainer
These belts or vests have padding on the back to discourage the wearer from sleeping on their back. They’ll tend to roll to the side, which may reduce their snoring.
Place a tennis ball on their back
If you don’t want to invest in the snore-reducing trainer, you can also try slipping a tennis ball or any smooth object underneath your partner’s back to make it uncomfortable to sleep on their back.
Use an anti-snore pillow
An anti-snore pillow, also known as a head-positioning pillow, is designed to align the person’s neck and reduce snoring. They are ergonomically designed to support the head and the neck which helps improve breathing. Other than that, this pillow may also help improve their sleep quality.
These pillows are an inexpensive thing to try, but results vary from person to person.
Takeaway
Trying to get some sleep with a snoring partner beside you can be frustrating. Thankfully, these strategies may help reduce their snoring and improve your and your partner’s sleep quality. Losing excess weight can also help some snorers.
If the snoring is loud most nights, or your partner gasps in their sleep or feels tired during the day, encourage them to see a doctor. Healthy communication and support go a long way, and dealing with the problem early helps keep your relationship strong.
Sources
- Snoring, MedlinePlus
- Sleep Apnea: What Is Sleep Apnea?, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
