How to Block Off Snoring Noise (Coming From Your Partner)!
Sleep is the only time of day when you may shut off, unwind, and appreciate being at peace. There’s nothing like snuggling up next to your partner to relax after a hard day… just to have them start snoring and keep you awake! How to block off snoring noise?
Both you and them will be disturbed by the continual vibrating noise that occurs every time they breathe in and out during the night. While some couples may dismiss it as a minor annoyance or suffer in quiet (or lack thereof! ), it isn’t that simple for the majority of couples. Knowing the basics of snoring, such as what causes it, when it’s harmful, how to cure it, and how to manage it, may help you live a healthier life and remove one of the most frequent causes of sleep problems.
What Is Snoring?
Almost everyone snores now and then, and it’s typically nothing to be concerned about. When you can’t move air easily via your nose and throat while sleeping, you snore. This causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate, resulting in the snoring sound. Snorers frequently have excess throat and nasal tissue, or “floppy” tissue, which is more likely to vibrate. Smooth breathing might also be hampered by the location of your tongue.
Snoring during night can degrade the quality of your sleep, resulting in daytime tiredness, irritation, and an increase in health issues. Snoring can also cause serious relationship issues if it keeps your partner awake. Sleeping in different rooms isn’t the only way to stop snoring, thankfully. There are a variety of practical treatments that can help you and your partner sleep better at night and overcome the relationship issues that snoring causes.
Related: Why We Need Less Noise
What Are the Causes of Snoring?
The rattling and vibrating of tissues near the airways in the back of the throat causes snoring. The muscles relax during sleep, restricting the airway, and the flowing air causes the tissue to flap and produce noise like a flag in a breeze as we inhale and exhale.
Because of the size and structure of the muscles and tissues in their neck, certain persons are more vulnerable to snoring. Snoring can also be caused by excessive tissue relaxation or a constriction of the airway. The following are some examples of risk factors that lead to an increased risk of snoring:
- Obesity
- Consumption of alcohol
- Medications that cause drowsiness
- Nasal congestion that persists
- Tonsils, tongue, or soft palate that are large
- Nasal polyps or a deviated septum5
- Jaw that is too tiny or too far back
- Pregnancy
Snoring may affect people of any age, even children, but it is more prevalent among the elderly. And, snoring is more common in males than in women (read more about common causes of snoring on sleepfoundation.org).
How to Block Off Snoring Noise?
So, apart from glaring at your partner, what else can you do? It turns out that you actually have alternatives for getting a better night’s sleep. Here are seven suggestions to consider.
1. Don’t Get Distracted by the Sound of Snoring
Yes, it is true that it is easier said than done. However, you may sometimes use your mind’s ability to train yourself to ignore or minimize the sound of your partner’s snoring. There are a few methods you may use to divert your attention:
- You can meditate
- Listen to a podcast about meditation
You might be able to learn yourself to ignore or at least tune out the sound of snoring long enough to fall (and remain) asleep.
2. Invest in Earplugs
To mute or remove the sound of your spouse cutting wood next to you, one of the simplest and quickest methods is to stuff your own ears with ear plugs. Fortunately, depending on your requirements, you have a wide range of options. You can get soft foam ear plugs at the drugstore for a reasonable price.
You may also purchase silicone noise-cancelling ear plugs, which are meant to be used by those who spend a lot of time in noisy situations (think: rock concerts or airport runways). Put on your noise-canceling headphones (The best brands include: Sony, Beats, Bose) if you don’t enjoy the feeling of something being placed into your ear.
Related: Noise Cancellation
3. Encourage Your Partner to Seek a Professional Evaluation
Allowing your partner to make excuses or insisting that they don’t snore is not an option. Instead, express your worry and request that your partner be evaluated by a medical professional. Assure them that if they are uncomfortable traveling alone, you will accompany them.
A sleep study may be used to evaluate how much people snore as well as the causes of their snoring. They can learn more about treatment choices if the assessment indicates they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). There are viable therapy options for those who suffer with OSA. Your companion might be a good fit for the following qualifications:
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
- Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP)
- Treatment for a mouthguard-like oral device that may position your jaw or keep your tongue in place
- When alternative treatments fail, surgery may be considered
Also, don’t think that just guys snore. According to research, women in particular tend to underestimate and underreport their snoring habits. They’re also less likely to seek treatment at a sleep clinic.
Video: Snoring and sleep apnea – How to treat it
4. Position your partner in a different way
Sleeping in the supine posture, or resting on one’s back, might exacerbate snoring for certain people. This is supported by research. Although elbowing your snoring partner in the ribs to get them to turn over onto their stomachs and (hopefully) stop snoring has become a cliché, sometimes simply shifting positions is all it takes. Positional therapy (PT) is a therapeutic option for snorers who want to avoid sleeping on their backs. You have a few alternatives to choose from.
| Tennis ball | Slip a tennis ball (or any other smooth item) underneath your partner’s back in the middle of the night, when you’re ready to try everything, making it unpleasant for them to sleep on their back. |
| Anti snore pillow | A head-positioning pillow, also known as an anti-snore pillow, aids in the appropriate alignment of the user’s neck, reducing the likelihood of snoring. Depending on how eager you are for a good night’s sleep, you may purchase one online or pick one up at a local store. According to a 2015 research by Trusted Source, you and your spouse could both get a better night’s sleep if you use one. |
| Snore-reducing trainer | Consider sleeping in a cushioned weight belt. That is essentially the trainer’s premise. It makes sleeping on one’s back difficult, forcing them to move over onto their side, where they are less prone to snore. |
5. Play Music or White Noise
A white noise machine creates a relaxing sound that is constant and consistent. You’ll be lulled to sleep if it works properly. White noise devices can also be customized. You have the option of listening to the sound of ocean waves crashing on the sand or the sound of a waterfall. If you don’t want to buy a separate white noise machine, you may use your smartphone to play a white noise or meditation app instead.
6. Separate Yourself From Your Partner by Sleeping in a Different Room
Remember the old saying that says that in difficult circumstances, extreme measures must be taken? You may have to leave the room at night if everything else fails. If you pick this choice, don’t feel guilty about it, especially if it works for you. You have research to back you up. When one partner snores, a 2002 study revealed that sleeping apart tended to contribute to higher marital happiness. If you’re lonely, though, make it clear to your partner that you’d like to be together. This may motivate them to make changes.
7. Lose Weight
Some people benefit from losing weight, but not everyone. Even thin people snore. Weight reduction may help if you’ve gained some weight and begun snoring after not snoring previously. When you acquire weight around your neck, the internal width of your throat narrows, making it more prone to collapse during sleep and cause snoring.
8. Avoid Consuming Alcoholic Beverages
Alcohol and sedatives lower the resting tone of the muscles at the back of your throat, increasing your chances of snoring. Snoring is worsened by drinking alcohol four to five hours before bedtime. Drinking alcohol causes people who don’t typically snore to snore.
9. Good Sleep Hygiene Is a Must
Poor sleep habits (sometimes known as poor sleep hygiene) can have a comparable impact to alcohol consumption. Working long hours without getting enough sleep, for instance, means you’ll be exhausted when you eventually get to bed. Snoring occurs when you sleep deeply and profoundly, and your muscles get floppier.
Video: 12 Natural Ways to Stop Snoring for Good
Is It Harmful to Your Health to Sleep with a Snorer?
Night after night listening to your partner snore loudly next to you can develop resentment, which can have a detrimental influence on your relationship. Did you realize, though, that secondhand snoring, as it’s sometimes known, may be hazardous to your health? Sleep deprivation can alter your mood, create memory issues, and possibly raise your chance of developing diabetes and high blood pressure (read more about sleep deprivation on sleepassociation.org).
People who received less than 6 hours of sleep every night were more likely to be obese, which can increase the risk of certain chronic health issues, according to a 2006 study. You’re more likely to enjoy a better night’s sleep if you address your partner’s snoring. And when you get enough good sleep, your own health will improve.
In Conclusion
If you’re attempting to sleep next to a partner who snores, don’t suffer in silence. You may be tempted to soundproof your bedroom. You may use a variety of techniques to reduce the impact. Experiment with them until you discover one that suits you. Also, don’t be scared to consult your partner for possible solutions. They might just surprise you!
