For some people snoring is a lifelong diagnosis. According to research conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, every third man and every fourth woman in the United States snore nightly. Snoring has always been a joking matter. The only people who don’t consider it funny are snorers’ partners – they are the ones who suffer most. Snoring volumes can get up to 100 decibels, which is louder than power mower and hand drill. Sleeping under these circumstances is almost impossible, especially when the source of noise is lying in bed right next to you.
As stated in the report of Ohio State University, partners who sleep less than 7 hours tend to fight more. No wonder, the lack of sleep leads to fatigue and increased annoyance. It can also put snorers’ partners at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart failure. That’s why it is crucial to bring up the conversation about snoring today before it becomes a legitimate reason for breaking up. Love is blind but not deaf after all.
Understand the problem
First of all, you should understand that your partner doesn’t snore on purpose. Noone can control their snoring. That’s why you should stop ‘fighting dirty’ – waking up your snoring spouse or take revenge on them during the day can’t help solve the problem.
Secondly, you should be aware of the outcomes for your partner. According to experts in Snorewhisperer, regular snoring is a signal of health issue known as obstructive sleep apnea. Individuals with this severe condition experience repeated pauses in breathing, sexual dysfunction, headaches, impaired memory and attention and fatigue. So, in your best interest to talk about it with your partner and start treating it as soon as possible.
Start talking about it
Some people don’t even know they snore like slumbering bears. It can be explained by the fact that snorers are oblivious of their interrupted sleep. You need to bring this up and tell that it keeps you up all night long. It is so much better than angrily hitting your partner with the pillow at 3 am.
Also, it is important to add that you have concerns about your partner’s health condition. Most probably they don’t remember waking up due own snoring, but it doesn’t mean it can’t affect them.
In some cases, snorers refuse to discuss the problem due to anxiety and embarrassment. That’s where you need to show all your support and find statistics on this matter if it’s needed. Tell your partner that you are on their side and that you will help treat it.
Try to help
The first and most important step is to determine the cause of the problem. You can encourage your partner to book an appointment with the doctor. In some cases, snoring is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate surgery. The most common causes are the wrong sleeping position, alcohol intake, smoking before going to bed, and being overweight. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to treat snoring. Your partner can change their lifestyle, try anti-snoring devices and do mouth exercises.
Should we sleep in separate bedrooms?
According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, around 25% of couples in the United States are forced to sleep separately because of snoring. Sleeping this way can’t be a long-term solution since it can lead to issues with intimacy in the relationship. That’s why it is so important to have a dialogue and try to solve this problem together. If nothing helps and sleeping separately is the only option, find time for cuddling, spontaneous sex and chatting before going to bed.
Can snoring be a legitimate reason for breaking up?
According to a study carried out by the Rush Medical Center, snoring is the thirdly recognised medical reason that couples file for divorce. Good quality sleep is a human’s basic need, and your partner should understand and respect it. Try to investigate and solve the problem together. The modern marriage vow should be: ‘ I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and even if you snore like a steam shovel’.