How Snoring Impacts Relationships
Ever felt like you are trapped in the engine room of a giant trawler, as you lie in bed, the room filled with snoring, trying to get to sleep but to no avail? Well, if your bed partner or spouse is a snorer, we bet you are familiar with this situation or have experienced something similar.
However, don’t worry, you are not alone in this! Many people experience such living horrors on an ongoing basis. It can really get on your nerves especially when you are woken up in the wee hours of the morning due to your bed partner’s snoring.
After a long day at work, school or taking care of the family, sleep should make you feel somehow refreshed and rejuvenated and not groggy the following morning. However, if you are a constant snorer or you have a bed partner who snores, sleeping will not make you feel as relaxed as it should.
That is why, if left untreated, snoring will not only have adverse effects on your health, but can also affect your relationship with your bed partner.
Actually, in one study conducted on snoring and its effect on a couple’s relationship, it was realized that more than 50% of couples admitted that snoring was a big barrier in their relationship. Actually, you may be surprised to learn that most people today will admit that the major reason they divorce is because of their snoring partners. Or in other cases, 80% of them will have to sleep in different beds and rooms, in order to have a sound sleep, if divorce is not a viable option.
Ways in which Snoring May Affect your Relationship
Over the past few years, marital complaints about snoring in particular have been on the rise. Snoring can have significant implications for each and every member of the couple as well as on the general well-being of their relationship. As we all know, sleep is a crucial thing to our cognitive functioning, and in terms of mental as well as the physical health.
Unfortunately when you have constant disrupted sleep on a nightly basis, it can lead to impaired judgment, poor decision making and in some extreme cases may affect your general cognitive functioning and leaning abilities. Snoring may also be a factor in hampering your moods and can therefore lead to irritability, depression and anxiety.
In terms of the impact of snoring on relationships, snoring often fosters deep cases of resentment between couples or bed partners. And in this case, there is a higher likelihood of the initial positive feelings for one another eroding after some time.
A snoring problem can damage the way a couple relate with each other both intimately and on a general basis. Below are some of the ways in which snoring can damage your relationship with your loved one and how you can go about solving the troublesome snoring issue to help get your relationship back on a solid footing once more;
Snoring May Lead to Serious Breakups
Yes, you heard us right! Even the strongest of marriages you know can be broken or fractured by something that seems as simple as just snoring.
This is because, in such a relationship, both partners are exposed to a lack of sleep on a nightly basis. And as you all are probably aware, what happens when someone doesn’t get the rest they need at night.
Well, in most cases, a lack of sleep leads to heightened irrationality and irritability even at the slightest little thing. In such a relationship, it will be inevitable partners will experience more and more arguments and misunderstandings over the little things that need addressing.
As well as that, due to a lack of adequate rest, partners are likely to function less optimally together. Functionality is a great concern in just about any relationship and everyone is required to be involved. However, when both spouses are always tired and irritable day after day, their sense of sexual security is threatened and in the long term, this may cause serious problems for their relationship.
The Nightly Shifts to the Couch
One of the most common effects of snoring that may destroy your relationship is having to sleep in different rooms. Often when couples are experiencing helpless complaints about certain issues, they often will not mention it until someone inquires directly. The same case applies to a couple that have to sleep in different rooms just because one or indeed both are serious snorers.
Well, at first this is usually a personal decision made by the affected spouse but at the end of the day sleeping in a different room is essentially driving a wedge between your relationship. Truth be told, the decision is rarely made by the couple formally.
What happens in some cases is, the non-snoring partner is most likely woken by the partners snoring and then depending on the circumstance either takes the blankets and spends the rest of the night on the couch or orders the snorer to do the same.
In the morning, they will return to the bed room and may even feel grateful that they were finally able to get some good sleep without any interruptions during the night. This is only a temporary solution to a snoring partner but after some time things may turn out differently, in that, the night time migrations to another room soon become a habit rather than just an exception.
This means if no snoring solution is found to help the snoring partner, the situation will eventually solidify and turn in to a permanent solution even if it’s unofficial. More often than not when a snoring partner is left in bed alone, they tend to feel unwanted as well as lonely. That may trigger the development feeling of unhappiness or guilt in a relationship as time goes by.
Snoring May Cause Health Related Complications
Snoring, apart from affecting your relationship with your spouse or bed partner, could also lead to some severe related health complications. This is because, snoring itself may be a symptom of a seemingly higher medical condition. And in this case, a couple that is not well prepared to deal with the side effects of the underlying illness, may sink into some kind of mental or financial turmoil. And this leads to more and more arguments in their relationships.
Some health related complications that might arise from snoring can include;
Sleep Apnea; The constant pauses in breathing associated with sleep apnea, affects your air and blood circulation. More importantly, it might deprive your cells of the oxygen required for normal functioning.
Heart Strain; in some cases, snoring might lead to sleep Apnea which is a whole different disorder. The prolonged suffering in such a disorder often results in high blood pressure. This causes your heart to enlarge and causes you to be vulnerable to disorders such as heart attacks or even stroke.
Poor Night Sleep; snoring is usually caused by a blockage in your breathing system. At night, when you snore too much, your body will start forcing you to wake up. This is a self defence mechanism that your body uses to reduce the effects of snoring. The result is you will have constant interruptions in your sleep even if you can’t remember all of them. In the morning, instead of feeling refreshed, you are likely to suffer from exhaustion which affects your entire productivity.
Obesity; snoring leads to obesity in some individuals.
The worst situation is when your partner also starts to suffer from sleep related disorders. This will without doubt be a red flag for your relationship. Some of the side effects of snoring your partner is likely to suffer from include;
Daytime sleepiness; since your partner didn’t get the required sleep, he/she is likely to have naps during the day. You partner might even fall asleep behind the wheel which is very serious.
Exhaustion; in the morning, your partner may feel exhausted because their body didn’t get the required rest. This will again affect their productivity and mood.
Moody days; if your partner didn’t get the sleep they desired, they are prone to having moody days. This will affect your relationship as one person’s mood can affect the others, so you will both be in a bad mood which results to constant arguments.
Headache; since your partner suffers from a lack of sleep, then headaches will be a constant thing in the morning.
Don’t let your relationship suffer because of snoring. There are different ways to deal with snoring. If you love your partner and your health (which we are positive you do otherwise why else are you reading this article?) then you need to seek solutions to help your relationship.
There are tons of solutions you can try. All you need to do is select one that’s a good fit for you. You can also incorporate different techniques also, as at the end of the day, you get the results you are looking for.
Let’s start off with some of the quick solutions that are guaranteed to improve your snoring situation and possibly salvage your relationship.
Solutions to Snoring
So you are familiar with the problems snoring brings. Now it’s time to find out how snoring can be solved.
Change Your Sleeping Position
Your sleeping posture might actually be the reason why you are snoring in the first place. Sleeping on your back can cause your soft palate and tongue to collapse, leading to vibrations in your throat. The result is you will start to snore. You should try to Change Your Sleeping Position, as it might help you get a better night’s sleep.
What’s more, you can also tie a tennis ball behind your back so that you don’t sleep on your back. This will help you maintain your position while you sleep. If you also have neck injuries, then you need to look for a solution for your neck problem.
Lose the Excess Weight
Gaining excess weight might be the result of your snoring problem. That is because your airways become narrower when you gain weight and the size of your neck might be thicker. Therefore, if you started snoring because of your weight gain, then losing this weight might be a good solution for you.
Avoid Alcohol and Other Drugs
You may have heard cases or stories where people take alcohol they call a nightcap so that they can sleep a little better. Well, this is not actually a good solution if you are depressed or you have trouble sleeping. The biggest problem is whenever you take alcohol, you muscles tend to relax more. That can result in the collapse of your neck muscles which leads to vibrations when you sleep. Therefore, as much as these solutions might seem to be a good way to deal with your sleep problem, they might actually open you up to snoring related problems instead. You need to choose wisely.
Good Sleeping Hygiene
Sleeping habits might also result in snoring. For instance taking alcohol before bed or not having enough sleep. You need to practice good sleeping habits to deal with such situations. Make sure your sleeping patterns are not the reason for your snoring as your body tries to over compensate for tiredness and snores as a result.
Find a Way to Open Your Nasal Passages
Keeping your nasal passages open might help you deal with your snoring problems, especially if your snoring problem is caused by nasal obstruction. The narrower your nasal passageway is, the more sound it can produce. There are several instruments you can use to keep your nasal passages open. For instance, anti-snoring nasal strips (you can check out some of the Best Anti-Snoring Nasal Strips) or you can opt for Anti-Snoring Mouthpieces which actually use your mouth as an alternative route when your nasal passage is blocked.
Either way, the main aim is to keep your air passage open for normal breathing to take place.
You Can Also Change Your Pillows
Pillows might also be the reason for your snoring. Allergens in your bedroom or on your pillow can typically lead to the enhancement of your snoring. Have you ever replaced your pillow? When did you actually dust off your ceiling or side table?
Make sure you have a constant schedule to keep your bedroom clean and your pillow spotless. You can also put your pillow in a fluffy air cycle once a week. This will remove any allergens and possible dust mites on your pillow.
You Need to Stay Well-Hydrated
Hydration might be another reason for your snoring problem. When you are dehydrated, secretions in your nose become sticky and can result in snoring. Take at least eleven cups of water every day to keep your body well hydrated. Don’t drink water immediately before bed as you may disrupt your sleep by needing to use the bathroom. Allow three or four hours between drinking fluids and settling into bed. Having a hot shower or using a nasal rinse before you sleep to unclog your nasal passage can be useful in some instances.
Final Verdict
It’s evident that snoring can affect your relationship in one way or another. If you want to experience a better life with your spouse, the truth is you need to find a permanent solution for your snoring problem. There are a number of machines and devices on the market today that can help you deal with your snoring problem. For instance, Anti-Snoring Chin Straps among others. Spend a little time browsing this site and you will no doubt find the right solution to solve your snoring issue. Check out the Snorefocus Blog for useful posts and also check out the other articles on snoring to get a better picture of what’s available and how it can help improve your sleep and snoring outlook and not to mention improve your relationship as a result.