We all value the moment we get to crawl into bed after a long day to share pillow talk with our partners. But when you turn out the lights, you’re probably hoping to fall into a deep sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed the next day. So when your partner begins snoring loudly, you’re in for a rude awakening — quite literally!
There are few things more frustrating than sleeping beside someone who snores all night long. While it may start as a minor nuisance, it often leads to frustration in a relationship. If your partner’s snoring keeps you awake at night, you might be looking for a way to convince them to get professional help. Follow these tips from ApneaMed to understand why your partner is snoring and what they can do about it.
Why Is Causing Your Partner to Snore?
There are a few different reasons why your partner might be snoring. Before seeking professional help, it’s essential to understand whether your partner is suffering from temporary or structural factors.
Snoring can be caused by temporary factors, meaning that your partner may not snore every night. These temporary factors include drinking alcohol, smoking, allergies, sleeping position, and illness. When snoring is caused by one of these temporary factors, it usually occurs inconsistently. When structural factors and not temporary factors cause snoring, your partner likely snores every night. Structural elements include obesity and the shape of their palate, nose, and jaw.
Along with these temporary and structural factors, snoring can also result from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If your partner is suffering from sleep apnea that goes untreated, they could be increasing their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
How to Handle Your Partner’s Snoring
Suppose you find yourself lying wide awake in the middle of the night because of your partner’s snoring. In that case, you need to talk to them about their snoring — depending on the severity; you may even need to recommend seeking professional help. But bringing up their snoring may not be the easiest, especially if your partner gets defensive or doesn’t believe that it’s keeping you up at night.
To help you navigate these tricky waters, we’ve put together a few pointers to help you have a productive conversation and recommend seeking help if needed.
Go Into the Conversation Positively
To ensure the conversation stays positive, you want to avoid bringing up your partner’s snoring when you’re feeling frustrated. It’s easy to get upset or annoyed when they’re keeping you up at night, but waking them up to have this conversation in the middle of the night is only going to make them defensive.
When you’re both in good moods, bring up their snoring and how it is affecting you. Try incorporating “I statements” that explain how you feel and how it impacts your sleep — by relating it to you, they are less likely to feel attacked and act defensively.
Share Your Worry for Their Health
Depending on the cause of your partner’s snoring, they may be dealing with an underlying health condition that needs attention. If they snore randomly from night to night, your partner may be affected by seasonal allergies and need medicine to alleviate their symptoms (and limit their snoring). If they’re snoring every night, explain the dangers of leaving sleep apnea untreated, such as heart disease and stroke.
Brainstorm Helpful Solutions
To help your partner understand that you’re in it together, provide them with some possible solutions to help alleviate their snoring — allowing you to get a good night’s sleep. From ordering a sleep test and taking allergy medicine to elevate their pillow to adjust their sleeping position, have a few ideas to contribute to the conversation.
Making sure the conversation is lighthearted helps ensure that it is productive and leaves you with a resolution you’re both happy with.
Test for Sleep Apnea with a Home Sleep Study
If your partner is exhibiting obstructive sleep apnea symptoms, undergoing a sleep study can determine if they suffer from sleep apnea. ApneaMed’s at-home sleep study makes it easy and affordable for your partner to self-administer a sleep apnea test. Following the sleep study, a board-certified sleep physician will review your partner’s results and determine the best treatment form.
If you have any questions about ApneaMed’s at-home sleep apnea test or our sleep apnea treatment equipment, contact our team to learn more.