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How do I Manage with a Snoring Partner?

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

There are a number of ways to deal with a snoring partner that include the use of various contraptions, but one of the first and most important things to do is to make sure that the snoring is not part of a medical condition. Snoring may be the result of sleep apnea, which can be dangerous if it goes undiagnosed and untreated. It may also be the result of allergies, which are less serious, but can also be treated medically. Once medical conditions have been ruled out, a snoring partner can use nasal strips, change sleeping positions, or elevate his pillow. Nasal strips help to open up the passageways in the nose, cutting down on snoring, while changing position and pillow elevation can cause snoring to cease altogether.

If these measures fail to stop the snoring, it may be necessary to take other steps to deal with the noise. Consider investing in a white noise machine. These machines might not completely drown out the sound of loud snoring, but they may be able to mask it enough so that the sound is less disruptive. A less expensive alternative to a white noise machine is a fan, which also creates white noise and can be used even in cold weather as long as it is not directed at the bed.

One person's snoring can be a problem that affects both partners.
One person's snoring can be a problem that affects both partners.

Another way to deal with a snoring partner is to wear ear plugs. There are some dangers to this method, both to one's physical well being and to one's career. Ear plugs can block out important sounds such as fire alarms and alarms that help one to get up on time. For those who are willing to try anything to deal with a snoring partner, however, ear plugs are a possible solution.

There are a few options that should only be explored as last resorts. These include surgery and sleeping in separate rooms. There are some surgical procedures that can help people to stop snoring. Like all surgical procedures, however, they do involve risk. Sleeping in separate bedrooms can cause problems in one's relationship as it may cut down on important one-on-one time. This method, however, can work for couples who make sure to spend quality time together outside of the bedroom and who work to make sure that the separation does not affect their sex lives.

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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Discussion Comments

mrwormy

I can't wear ear plugs. All I hear is the blood rushing through my head. When my wife starts snoring too loud, I tap her on the shoulder and she'll usually turn over and quit.

Reminiscence

@Phaedrus, I'm glad your snoring situations worked out well. I wish I could say the same. My snoring problem turned out to be sleep apnea, just like this article suggested. I couldn't control what sounds I made after I fell asleep, but my wife told me it was terrible. I'd let out a few loud snores, then stop breathing for what seemed like a full minute to her. She would wait for me to take a gasping breath, and then try to go back to sleep.

The sleep clinic did all of those tests for sleep disorders, then prescribed a CPAP machine to open my breathing pathways. It helped my snoring, but wasn't much of an improvement for my wife's sleeping situation. I finally volunteered to move into my son's old room with the CPAP machine. My wife and I still spend evenings in our original bedroom, but when it's time to sleep, I go to the other room and strap on the CPAP face mask. She gets more sleep and I don't have to worry about the machine noise or my breathing waking her up.

Phaedrus

One thing I've learned after twenty years of marriage is that some snoring problems are cyclical, not permanent. My spouse snored very loudly for the first year or so, but then she lost a little weight and the snoring got much quieter. She told me I was snoring loudly, too, and I started taking sleep aids to get into a deeper stage of sleep. My snoring also died down after a few months. Sometimes it pays to overlook a partner's snoring if the root cause is fixable. It might not happen every single night, or the volume may come way down after a while.

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    • One person's snoring can be a problem that affects both partners.
      By: WavebreakmediaMicro
      One person's snoring can be a problem that affects both partners.