There’s almost nothing as important as a fantastic night’s sleep. And there’s something special about cuddling up next to your partner at the end of a long, tiring day at work.
Until they fall asleep and start snoring, that is.
Despite being a common occurrence, trying to fall asleep next to someone who is snoring can have detrimental effects on your sleep, as well as your partners.
Luckily, there’s a lot of creative ways to help you get a better night’s rest with your partner. But first, it’s important to figure out what’s causing your partner to snore.
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Figuring Out Why Your Partner Snores
Before you can do anything to address your partner’s snoring problem, you’ll first need to find out what is causing it.
This could be a number of things; from the position they sleep in to how much alcohol they drink.
Their Sleeping Position
One common reason for snoring is the position that your partner is sleeping in.
Check to see if they’re snoring when in a certain position, as it might indicate that there’s an obstruction in their airway only when they’re sleeping at that angle.
If you do notice a pattern to the position that causes snoring, you might want to experiment by asking them to switch it up a bit.
If they always snore while sleeping on their stomach, ask them to sleep on their back for a night and see what happens.
If the sleeping position is the main cause of your partner snoring, it’s usually an easy fix.
Sleep Apnea
Other reasons aren’t so easy to fix. A very common issue that affects thousands of people around the world is sleep apnea.
This is a sleeping disorder that makes your breathing stop and start while you’re sleeping. Our bodies react to this by snoring loudly, as our bodies fight to pull air into our lungs.
If your partner is a particularly loud snorer and is tired even after getting a full night’s sleep, they might have sleep apnea.
Luckily, fixing this problem is as easy as investing into a CPAP machine (learn more), which will help keep your partner’s airway open while they sleep.
Some other symptoms to look out for are whether your partner has a headache when they wake up, are tired throughout the day, and awakening with a dry or sore throat.
Lifestyle Choices
Another of the main reasons that people snore is because they’ve been drinking or smoking, both of which are things that increase the chance of snoring.
Alcohol loosens the muscles in your throat, whereas smoking causes those same muscles to become inflamed; both lead to snoring.
If you notice that your partner only snores after they’ve been drinking alcohol or smoking, then you might consider talking to them about their lifestyle.
Allergies
Finally, another reason your partner might be snoring is because of allergies.
If someone suffers from allergies or has seasonal sensitivity in general, there’s a good chance that it might be making them snore.
Allergies cause the air passage to close up, making it harder for air to pass through into the lungs, which then leads to snoring.
If your partner has an allergy, it might be time to start using hay-fever tablets.
They could also be allergic to the dust mites in the mattress, which means you might need to invest in a hypoallergenic mattress.
What You Can Do
Below, we’ve rounded up a few ways you can minimize the impact your partner’s snoring has and ensure you get a good night’s sleep.
Invest in Sleeping Headphones or Ear Plugs
One of the easiest ways to deal with a partner that snores is by investing in a pair of sleeping headphones or ear plugs.
These cancel out any other noises nearby, meaning that you’ll be able to fall asleep even if your partner is snoring.
Use a White Noise Generator
Another tactic when it comes to dealing with excessive snoring is to try a white noise generator.
As your brain tunes into the relaxing white noises, it will tune out and mask the loud snoring, ensuring that you get a better night’s sleep.
Change Your Sleep Schedule
Finally, another thing that you can do is to try and adjust your sleeping schedules.
If you fall asleep before your partner comes to bed, there’s a higher chance that you won’t be bothered by their snoring.