While nearly everybody snores once in a while, approximately 44% of men and 28% of women between the ages of 30 and 60 snore on a regular basis. While the person snoring rarely ever realizes that they snore, their partner can be left tossing and turning in a futile attempt to get some rest. Before shoving them off the bed or smothering them with a pillow, try these tricks first.
Drown Them Out
While snores can be jolting, drowning them out with more pleasant sounds can sometimes be enough to mitigate the annoyance they cause. White noise machines or music found in meditation apps like Insight Timer can be a quick way to muffle the snores and replace the noise with something more soothing and conducive to sleep.
Use Earplugs
Earplugs are not exclusive to concerts, and they can be instrumental in helping drift off in a noisy environment. Just as some people wear earplugs on airplanes to ease the pressure on their eardrums, soft earplugs can be utilized while sleeping in order to help muffle the sound of snoring. Some are even available on the market with snoring partners in mind.
Changing Positions
One’s sleeping position can often be critical in lessening or, conversely, intensifying the severity of snoring. Encouraging your partner to sleep on their side or on their stomach allows for their airways to open, which lessens snoring. Sleeping on the back can often worsen snoring, so try to avoid this position.
If your partner is adamant about sleeping on their back, however, try propping them up with a new pillow, multiple pillows, or even an adjustable mattress. Propping them up offers them the same ability to open their airways as sleeping on their side while allowing them to continue sleeping on their back.
When All Else Fails
Not all efforts result in a victory when it comes to contending with a snoring partner and the last resort for many is often sleeping in separate rooms. While this is an option, many couples are hesitant to do so.
If snoring becomes a point of contention between yourself and your partner and starts to affect the quality of your sleep, it could be time to encourage your partner to get evaluated for conditions such as sleep apnea or undergo a sleep study.
While a diagnosis itself is not a cure-all, it can point you and your partner in the right direction for other avenues to help curb the intensity of snoring. CPAP machines and specialized mouth guards can provide relief to your partner from snoring and relief to yourself from having to hear it.
Disrupted sleep because of snoring can be detrimental to your health, so do not suffer in silence, or lack thereof. Mention your concerns to your partner so that you both can consider what the proper next steps should be and what works for your situation.
