How to Sleep When Someone is Snoring

Many of us face problems when someone beside us keeps snoring throughout the night and we miss out on our good night’s sleep and wake up tired the next day. However, the question arises, how to sleep when someone is snoring?

There are many reasons for this condition and sleeping next to a snoring partner can bring about quite a handful of problems for us. However, there are many ways to stop snoring and we can follow them to get rid of this irritating and stubborn habit and let others feel happy to sleep beside us.

We must be aware of the root of this sleeping problem and take measures accordingly. Loud snoring causes a lot of noise and health risks may occur due to disturbed sleep by your partner’s snoring.

1. Mechanism of Snoring

We can never treat snoring noise in a day and waiting to find the perfect remedy to the solution may take time and start showing its toll on the other person sleeping with the loud snorer. However, most of us neglect the situation and let the condition slip out of control and live by making it a daily habit.

To treat snoring it is important to acknowledge that you snore and it affects your partner’s sleep while you sleep soundly. Telling your partner to sleep in a different room can be a temporary solution but the sound may reach other rooms and separate bedrooms won’t come to your aid then.

How to sleep when someone is snoring and what exactly happens when someone snores are some common queries faced by people unaware of their snoring by their disturbed partners.

Snoring is a common habit that some of us are aware and some of us aren’t till someone tells us of our loud regular habit. While lying down the airflow is sometimes restricted due to the relaxation of upper way muscles in the airway which is called airflow turbulence¹ through the nose or throat.

Snoring occurs due to the tissue vibrations while breathing. Complete airway blockage may stop breathing altogether or can cause choking or coughing to clear the airway passage if there is too much muscle relaxation in the respiratory tract.

The subconscious responses due to snoring disrupt the loud snorer’s sleep quality and sleeping patterns. Serious health hazards may take place if snoring continues regularly. Some of the problems faced by the snorer are :

• Irritability
• Daytime fatigue
• Restlessness
• Headaches

Take care of your health and others by seeking treatment options to avoid snoring sounds and go to bed noise free.

2. Causes of Snoring?

Many of us have the bad habit of snoring though some of us tend to deny it it can cause damage to our partner’s health due to lack of proper sleep. Therefore, finding the right solution is necessary, and treating this habit can work miraculously in your relationship.

3. Factors Responsible for Snoring

3.1 Age

With old age sets in common health problems and snoring ²is common among elders, we often tend to neglect the situation by blaming tiredness. However, it can be related to other health problems we are unaware of and we should consult a doctor if the condition worsens.

3.2 Gender

Gender may play an important role here as it is found that men are most likely to snore most of the time than women. We sometimes snore due to lack of sleep, breathing, or other health issues. Moreover, we are mostly unaware of the sounds we make and stay asleep while our partner keeps snoring.

3.3 Weight

Being overweight may lead to snoring as more tissues develop in our throats and worsen the condition. Sleeping near someone who snores can be a big problem for someone who sleeps lightly or barely gets the minimum amount of sleep due to strict work schedules. Lose weight to avoid snoring and lead a fit life.

3.4 Consumption of Alcohol

Consuming alcohol is a hazardous habit as it may lead to serious health problems and affect our families indirectly. Avoid alcohol, sleep with a soothing sound, and stay happy with your family. Consumption of alcohol relaxes our muscles, which can be the cause of snoring.

3.5 A Small Airway

Having a narrow respiratory tract can be the root of snoring sometimes, and you may have to see a doctor. Sleeping in different rooms and separate beds isn’t a permanent solution to this problem. The major factor should be treated to avoid sleepless nights with your partner.

3.6 Sleeping Position

The sleeping position varies from person to person and certain positions facilitate snoring and disturb the sleep of the person sleeping next to you. Sleeping on the back causes more snoring mostly than in other positions. Therefore, try to sleep on your sides to avoid snoring.

3.7 Genetics

Our day-to-day health problems may be related to our genes and sleep apnea can be one of the problems related to genetics. Therefore, you must be aware if someone in your family suffers from this condition and you may consult a doctor regarding the problems you’re facing due to snoring.

3.8 Allergies or Infections

Due to changes in seasons, we suffer from infections or allergies ³that may cause inflammations in our throats and we may snore for a time being. Sleeping in a spare room in this situation may help others to sleep well. Treat your infections and allergies well to avoid further snoring.

4. Affect of Sleeping Beside a Snoring Partner

It is pretty disturbing to sleep beside someone who snores throughout the night’s sleep and it affects our health due to lack of sleep after working the whole day and our bodies become prone to unwanted problems.

We may sleep in separate rooms but it won’t be a permanent solution and this may lead to cause other situations. Sleeping beside a snoring partner affects our health in the following ways :

• Sleep deprivation
• Disruption in mood
• Lack of concentration
• Frustration
• Risks of diabetes
• Risks of heart disease
• Risks of high blood pressure

Therefore, it is needed to find a cure for this situation and seek treatment options and let everyone stay asleep and remain healthy for a prolonged time.

5. How to Sleep When Someone is Snoring

If someone is snoring beside us we don’t tend to get enough sleep and it is the cause of disturbance in our daily schedule due to lack of concentration and restlessness. However, we can try various methods to get a good night’s sleep beside a snoring partner and they are:

5.1 Use a White Noise Machine

Irregular sleeping patterns hamper our health and we should be careful about opening up to a person who is snoring and being the cause of our sleep disturbance. Don’t keep tolerating the bad habits of your partner and suffer alone.

A soft static sound⁴ won’t let you focus elsewhere while you’re sleeping. Therefore, you can readily any white noise machine that is available in the market and gets your good night’s sleep beside your partner’s snoring sounds.

However, you will have to get acquainted with sleeping with static noise and your partner may face problems due to this sound. Moreover, these machines are quite costly and it may lead to wastage if you can’t tolerate any amount of noise during sleep.

There is an alternative way to test the waters which will save you bucks. Nowadays, there are various apps found on our smartphones that play white noise and you can quickly try those before you get your white noise machine.

5.2 Wear Foam Earplugs

Snoring and other sounds may lead to sleep deprivation and earplugs are an easy way to get rid of them. Sleep disorders may occur by sleeping with a snoring spouse. Better night’s sleep is our desire after toiling a day and sleeping in the same room with a snorer is the least we want.

Wear earplugs made of foam while you’re sleeping beside an occasional snorer. However, this may not be the right option if your partner snores throughout the night’s sleep as the foam earplugs ⁵may fall off while you sleep.

We need better sleep to cope with our schedule daily and not everyone can sleep in noisy surroundings. Therefore, we need some anti-snoring devices to sleep in peace. Getting disturbed in the middle of the night can be a nightmare for someone who toils hard during the day.

Foam earplugs can be your solution if your partner is an occasional snorer and snore lightly. These earplugs are cheap but you may have to buy some to get accustomed to the right size and then you’ve your perfect fit to get a good night’s sleep.

5.3 Distract Your Ears

If earplugs and white noise machines don’t work for you then you have the option to distract your ears by playing some soothing sound that will help you sleep. You can cancel your partner’s snoring sound by playing your favorite rhythms and music in various sleeping apps available on your phone.

Playing the sounds of nature can be an amazing option to get the desired amount of sleep while sleeping in the same bed as your snoring spouse. If an anti-snoring device isn’t your answer then you may try this method.

5.4 Wear Sleep Headphones

Here’s your amazing option if the foam earplugs don’t fit in your ear canals. You can readily get Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones that won’t let you get disturbed in the middle of the night.

This is an excellent option as it is wireless and you can get a good night’s sleep as long as you listen to soothing songs or sounds. This option will suit you perfectly as you can play white noise from your choice of apps and don’t get to hear the background noise.

Your partner won’t even get affected by these headphones and you can get the right amount of sleep you want without any neck pain the next day.

5.5 Sleep in a Different Room

To block out the snoring sound of your partner you can easily opt for a guest room and sleep in peace. People snore due to blockage in their nasal passages and this may lead to breathing problems later.

Obstructive sleep apnea can be another reason for snoring which may be cured by changing your lifestyle and opting for treatment. In this condition our breathing may get affected and sleeping in another bed or room may be your solution but snoring may be hazardous for the snorer too.

Sleeptalking and loud snoring are some bad habits that may lead to problems in your personal and professional life. If you are suffering from sleep apnea try looking for treatment options and make sure you’re healthy.

However, sleeping in separate rooms should be the last option if you’re a married couple, and resorting to other solutions first should be a better decision without affecting your relationship.

6. How to Stop Snoring

A better night’s sleep can be your only dream if you know the pain of sleeping beside a snorer. However, there are ways to reduce snoring and you may see the results quite fast if you bring about these changes in your lifestyle.

6.1 Avoid Alcohol

Drinking alcohol has been a common practice at parties and occasions but it can lead to addiction and cause more harm to ourselves and our families than expected. However, it becomes too late to realize the effects as we keep indulging ourselves in a bad lifestyle.

Consuming alcohol should be skipped altogether to lead a healthy life. Don’t drink alcohol before you go to your bed at night because alcohol causes muscle relaxation in our throats and can be the cause of snoring.

6.2 Sleep on Your Side

Snoring can be caused due to various sleeping positions and one of them is lying on your back. Whenever we lie on our backs and get our muscles relaxed our tongues can fall back into our throats which causes our airways to become narrower which leads to snoring.

Try to sleep sideways to avoid unwanted snoring and let your partner have a good night’s rest. Moreover, snoring while sleeping is a bad habit that can cause long-term problems later on in your health as well as in relationships.

Sleeping sideways prevents our tongues from falling into our throats and doesn’t block our airways and we can sleep easily without snoring loudly. Most of us can be diagnosed with sleep apnea which is an unhealthy condition that should be treated properly.

6.3 Lose Weight

Due to our irregular and unhygienic eating habits, we fall prey to gaining extra pounds and without proper diet and exercise, we start developing more personal bad habits that affect ourselves and our family members too.

Losing some pounds can be your answer to stop snoring if you try to live a healthy lifestyle ahead and maintain a balance between diet and exercise. Being overweight can be the cause of many unwanted diseases and can impact your health in many ways.

Try to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle to lead a better peace-loving life amidst the daily hectic schedule. Take care of what you consume and you’ll be happy about following a proper diet.

6.4 Use a Mouthpiece

A fitting mouthpiece can do wonders to stop your loud snores. If You’re considering opting for some treatments before that you can readily try this method and notice the results yourself. Mouthpieces fit your mouth perfectly and keep your tongue, jaw, and soft palate in place which prevents unwanted snoring.

However, frequent dental checkups are a must to see if the removable mouthpiece is working or not. Taking care of your health should be one of your top priorities and ignoring your bad habits may lead to other harmful habits and deeds.

6.5 Surgical Options

If you’ve tried the other options and haven’t got rid of snoring then you may resort to surgical options. However, it is important to consult a doctor before you consider which surgical option is the right one for you.

Your partner can quickly get irritated and impatient about your bad habits and may complain often; however, ignoring them isn’t going to do you any good. A person snoring is often the cause of a person lacking it which harms both partners.

Enough sleep is our desire and whenever we fall asleep we dislike any kind of noise or sound. Waking up at midnight is still a nightmare for many spouses due to their partner’s snoring. A dry mouth can be one of the causes of snoring, therefore, try to lead a healthy life.

7. Relationships and Snoring

A snoring partner in bed is the nightmare of many spouses and midnight disturbance in sleep is quite irritating. Sleeping in other beds or rooms can be a temporary solution and the intimacy of relationships can be lost while doing so.

Don’t let your partner’s snoring affect your relationship. To live in harmony try these various methods and stay happy with your partner and get a better night’s sleep too.

• Tape a tennis ball to their T-shirt
• Go to sleep first
• Wear headphones
• Buy an anti-snore pillow for them
• Make them choose a healthy lifestyle
• Let the bedroom air stay moist
• Make them use an anti-snoring device

Stay happily with your partner and help them overcome snoring and other bad habits and make them realize that leading a healthy lifestyle is for their good as well as good for the bond you share. We should rely on our partner’s judgment and make some changes in our lifestyle to reduce snoring.

Overlooking our partner’s discomfort can be the reason for unhappiness in relationships and we should be careful and try to understand their problems of them instead of arguing and getting irritated. Relationships aren’t always easy and adjustments are needed from both spouses otherwise it may break off or fall apart.

Separate beds or rooms may be the cause of losing intimacy between partners which may be a serious problem if overlooked with time. Try to be patient and support each other to overcome the bad habits by cultivating some good ones daily together.

8. When to See a Doctor

We often overlook snoring and just regard it as a bad habit. However, we should remember the side effects of it and treat it gravely and try methods to stop snoring. If you have tried the methods and none of them have worked for you then you should consult a doctor.

Snoring can be the cause of many serious health conditions and one of them is obstructive sleep apnea which should be treated as soon as possible. Sleep apnea can be the cause of lack of concentration, depressed moods, injury, and car accidents later on.

Book an appointment with a doctor to treat the problems related to snoring and try to lead a good life with your near ones. Your doctor will encourage you to take tests related to your sleeping habits and visit a sleep clinic to improve your situation.

Therefore, do not shy away from your problem and don’t neglect your snoring sound, and take steps to reduce it for personal and professional betterment. Consult a doctor immediately and properly follow the instructions to get better with time and most importantly, rely on your doctor and treatment options.

9. Final Note

Dealing with a snoring partner and loud noises in the middle of the night can be a grave problem and restlessness and arguments related to snoring can be the daily side effects of it between partners. However, following some methods can get you rid of your snoring and you can enjoy a healthy life.

Neglecting or overlooking our problems can never give us the proper solution. Instead, try to treat them from within by finding the root cause and you’ll stay happier with your loved ones. Try to listen to people who care about you and rely on their judgments for better results.

Moreover, it is necessary to change your lifestyle and include some good habits like exercising, following a nutritious and balanced diet, and avoiding alcohol and other addictive substances. Take care of your health to avoid snoring and let others sleep happily.

10. FAQs

10.1 Should I Wake Up the Snorer to Get Them to Stop Snoring?

The snorer should not typically be awakened to halt the snoring since this could disturb them and cause more sleep disruptions. Instead, experiment with employing earplugs, white noise generators, or other noise-masking methods to lessen the effect of snoring on your sleep.

10.2 Is It Possible to Conceal Snoring Sounds with White Noise or Background Noise?

Yes, employing white noise or background noise can assist block out snoring noises and improve the quality of your sleep. To block off snoring noise, use a fan, or a white noise machine, or play mild, relaxing music.

10.3 Should I Think About Getting Snoring Partners Different Beds or Rooms to Sleep In?

Consider temporarily sleeping in other beds or rooms if the snoring problem continues to interfere with your ability to sleep. Finding a solution that works best for both of you can be facilitated by having an open dialogue about the issue with your partner.

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Last Updated on July 26, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology