Sleeping next to your spouse may be intimate and comforting, but their snoring can deter anything loving or romantic, especially if you are suffering from exhaustion cased by lack of sleep… caused by their snoring! Here are some tips to finally get some rest.
Suggest that your partner seek medical attention.
Snoring often accompanies a dangerous condition called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing several times while you are sleeping. It causes you to be extremely tired and unrested the next day. It can also cause death if your breathing stops and does not start again.
While snoring can’t really be cured, depending on the cause, there are alternatives that your doctor can suggest. For some people, snoring is caused by a physical problem with the nose and can be corrected by surgery. For others, it can be reduced by losing weight, and if you have sleep apnea, you may need to visit a sleep disorders clinic or sleep with an oxygen mask. The rewards of waking feeling refreshed and rested outweigh the inconvenience of the mask.
Go to sleep first.
Sometimes someone else’s snoring just keeps you from falling asleep. If you go to sleep first, you may not have a problem staying asleep and will be in your REM stage before they hit the hay. Problem solved!
Buy ear plugs!
There are many brands on the market, and there are several kinds. There are two types most commonly sold for help with sleeping. There are wax ear plugs and foam ear plugs, and there are many brands of both. A good brand that makes both the wax and foam ear plugs is Mack’s, and you can find them at most drugstores and grocery stores.
Tips on Ear Plugs
Ear plugs have a “noise reduction rating” that lets you know how much noise they are able to block. Most of the brands have around the same rating, but there is a brand called “Leight Sleepers” by Sperian that have a noise reduction rating of 32dB. That is higher than any of the other foam ear plugs and it makes a big difference. Ear plugs are relatively inexpensive, just a few dollars a box, so you can try a few and see which ones you like.
The Leight Sleepers are shaped differently than the standard foam earplugs. They are narrower for easy insertion, but also are wider at the end for easy removal. Don’t worry, they are also very comfortable to sleep in.
Sometimes the foam ear plugs may irritate your ears, especially if you also use Q-tips and there is no wax left in your ears to buffer them from the foam. When that happens, you can switch from the foam to the wax ear plugs. The wax ear plugs don’t go inside your ear, they only cover the opening. They don’t block as much sound as the foam, but they are very comfortable and non-irritating; just make sure you read all the instructions.
Sleep in Another Room
The last suggestion on how to deal with your partner’s snoring is to sleep in another room – however, this may not be healthy for your relationship, and should be considered as a last resort.
If you haven’t done it already, talk to your partner about your lack of sleep. They may not realize it is happening. Be loving and supportive – if you feel angry and frustrated, try to let that go and understand that they are not snoring on purpose. Hopefully, they will hear you and seek help. If not, at least you can have control of your own sleep with the suggestions listed above.
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