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:
- Excessive smoking and alcohol consumption
- Sleeping position
- Swollen tonsils
- Cold or flu
- Sleep deprivation
Some of these causes are only temporary, which means that your partner’s snoring is short-term and can be resolved when they quit their unhealthy habits However, if the snoring tends to be loud and consistent, it may signify other underlying health problems, such as sleep apnea.
When a person has sleep apnea, the air cannot flow freely because the airway is partially blocked on the throat or nose. Their upper airway muscles and tissues will then relax and vibrate when lying down, producing the snoring sound.
If their airway muscles relax too much, it’ll cause complete blockage of the airflow, interrupting their breathing, and causing the person to gasp, choke, or cough.
Sleep apnea could pose serious health threats to your partner, such as stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. 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 significantly and important aspects of your life are severely affected, you may buy him an anti snoring mouthpiece with great reviews. This will help you get restful sleep and improve your partner’s breathing.
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 recommend having an imaging test to check the structure of your partner’s airway. They could also be asked to stay at a sleep center for further studies. In the sleep center, specialists will conduct an in-depth analysis so that you’ll get the best appropriate treatment for whatever illness the snoring is attributed to.
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).
You have to make sure that you’re buying earplugs that are intended for sleeping otherwise, you might not achieve the result you’re aiming for. Most earplugs for sleeping are made from soft silicone that would conform to the shape of your ears and would not injure your outer ear after resting on them for an extended period.
They should also have a noise reduction rating of 22 decibels to help you stay asleep.
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.
Just twenty minutes of mindful meditation before you go to sleep can clear your mind of stubborn thoughts and lull you to deep slumber. It would be best to do this before your spouse goes to sleep so you’re into a deep sleep and hard to wake before he begins to snore.
5. Change Your Partner’s Position
Did you know that your partner’s sleeping position can also affect the severity or volume of their snoring? Sometimes, lying on their backs will only worsen their snoring sounds, making it even harder for you to get some shuteye.
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
This padded weight belt is designed to prevent the wearer from sleeping on their back. They’ll be forced to roll to the side and eventually help 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 a cost-effective way to remedy your partner’s snoring.
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. So, try out these techniques until you find which one resolves your partner’s snoring issue.
It’s essential to address this challenge early on before it hurts your relationship with your spouse. Healthy communication and support go a long way. There are many solutions available and though it may take some time to fully eradicate the problem, doing something about it will help ensure your relationship is intact and strong.
