Does your partner snore? 7 effective tips that really help
Most of us know it: your partner snores and you lie awake (and hateful) next to it and just can’t get any rest. Although not meant to be taken seriously, in these moments of desperation, thoughts of separation often arise – and snoring at night is not only a burden and a health hazard for you.
Does your partner snore? A burden for both
Our sleep is largely responsible for our health. After all, our organism regulates our metabolism, our digestion or the maintenance of our immune system while we sleep. Healthy sleep is also extremely important on a psychological level, because during our sleep cycles our subconscious processes what we have experienced and sort of tidies up inside.
It can be correspondingly stressful for body and mind if this important restful sleep is missing or severely impaired because your partner snores. But even for the snoring person, snoring does not mean restful sleep. Due to the restricted air supply and the possibly very loud noises, even the snoring person can be constantly awakened from sleep.
These are the most common causes of snoring
As different as the unpopular snoring noises can be, they are all mostly over narrowed upper airways caused. Restricted breathing can be caused by many things. These are the most common reasons for your partner snoring:
- swollen tonsils
- polyps
- Deviation of the nasal septum
- allergies
- hay fever
- A cold
- Obesity (fat deposits around the throat area)
- High nicotine consumption causes mucous membranes to swell
- alcohol consumption
- dry and dusty air
- sleeping position
- Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea
In fact, many of these potential causes can be addressed fairly easily on a day-to-day basis. It is important that you keep talking to your partner about possible measures, tell him or her about the stress caused by snoring and thus seek a constructive conversation. Together you can best tackle the problem.
7 tips: You can do this if your partner snores
Fortunately, in addition to the classic earplugs, there are some effective tips that you can try out for yourself. Even if it doesn’t help right away at first: Remember that you don’t roughly wake the snoring person from sleep, as this can damage their sleep rhythm in the long run. Instead, you can try these snoring tips:
1. Affect sleeping position
Snoring is particularly encouraged when lying on your back. The reason for this is the relaxed tongue muscles, which slide towards the throat and thus impair the air supply and can lead to unwanted snoring noises. So ask the snoring person to change their sleeping position. You can also try a side sleeper pillow, which will help you fall asleep and stay asleep on your side.
2. Raise pillows
Elevating the head position can prevent or reduce the risk of the head being bent backwards, which in turn encourages the tongue to slip towards the throat. It is best to gradually try out what is pleasant for the snoring person and what has an effect.
3. Improve indoor climate
Dry and dusty air can cause our mucous membranes to swell, making it difficult to breathe. The result can be loud sleeping noises. Regular vacuum cleaning and dusting of the surfaces can help here. Indoor plants can also promote a good indoor climate. Before going to bed you should air the room or even sleep with the window open.
4. Reduce alcohol consumption
Alcohol causes our muscles to relax even more, which can encourage the tongue to slip down the throat. Your partner should therefore refrain from drinking alcohol at least two hours before going to bed.
5. Use nasal spray
Especially when swollen mucous membranes are responsible for snoring, it can be helpful to use a decongestant nasal spray right before falling asleep. But beware: Many nasal sprays are considered addictive, so it is better to use a pure sea salt spray.
6. Try nasal patches
Some also swear by the effect of so-called nasal plasters when the partner or partners snores. The plasters are glued horizontally over the bridge of the nose and are said to be able to significantly improve air circulation in the nose. Nose clips are said to have a similar effect. At Amazon, for example, you will find a large selection of anti-snoring gadgets.
7. Get medical advice
If your partner’s snoring persists for a long period of time, you should seek medical advice to rule out a medical condition as the cause. For example, one cause may be sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Small interruptions in breathing can indicate this. Your doctor can also prescribe aids such as a snoring splint, which can also relieve snoring.
If there are no concerns from the doctor’s side, but you just can’t get the snoring under control, it can also be a solution to sleep separately. This doesn’t have to have a negative impact on your relationship – especially if you both haven’t had enough sleep and suffer from a lack of sleep, it can actually bring about a significant improvement in your mood. Again, you should talk to each other and find the best solution together.