I'm a snorer, apparently!

[Snorersanonymous]

Need help & advice. Been on my own a long time & never used to be a snorer. New relationship & apparently I now snore really loudly. I'm in my 50s & menopausal & I'm convinced this is a new thing as I've been away with friends & they say I never snored before. It's a dealbreaker so I need to fix this. Tried my gp who gave me a nasal spray but it's made no difference. HELP!

If you're overweight, lose weight.

I'm not overweight. I'm 5ft 4 & weigh 10 stone

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MyoTape-Sleep-Tape-Adults-Comfortable/dp/B0CSBH6BMW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36SH1FW56CIMT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PUmw4zhaTBt6dzPKx9_gG7kbisglurjnSdtu6o7Jj8FYFuF2egu3ou4LrnoptBEePx6a_op8gTrcmD7Gq0XM6vl7bAOXjk5bjVP2XSh7ekkR-vfJV7TY27TkwWC4gpAdos3xiKdZRSZyW_nZpozlQsRsy7wmmjmRdUArHiTVnVdHyq5reDj0G12zaS9WscdvD-VHJflmVHPZtvktIME29smlEuWoPosHAK2y2Tjhezgskfq6Lj0UDftC_hmC8AhLYztFxm12MAiEhEjZH6opC_FX1XyVsEJvMOS_gzNAqq4.d7Tr57WmrJ1huYl-F_h69gecGViUqMwTr6ZIvHIa8V0&dib_tag=se&keywords=mouth%2Btape%2Bmyotape&qid=1747161206&sprefix=mouth%2Btape%2Bmyotape%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1&th=1. I am also menopausal, I have always snored a little, but had a cold / upper respiratory thing last year and it somehow got stuck in my body and I was snoring more and more, also diagnosed with high blood pressure which can be caused by sleep apnea - on reflection and interrogation, I probably also have this... I have been mouth taping since October, blood pressure down, much less snoring. I don't tape all of the time, a slight cold will leave me mouth breathing again, but it has completely changed my sleep. Look on here: https://myotape.com/blogs/science for more information (you can also look further into Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage, Butekyo Clinic.. ).

Interesting, I was also diagnosed with high blood pressure last year...

It might not apply to everyone, but the doctor I saw, asked a lot of questions... and it was interesting that sleep apnea and blood pressure are linked... I have also done other things to reduce my blood pressure, but I do think the taping has been a factor.

I will try anything! I'm on meds for my BP which has brought it down as it was dangerously high. Can't get a gp appointment. Nasal spray was given after an online consultation. Will try the mouth tape. Thank you!

I’ve just been referred for sleep apnoea. I am overweight but not massively so, and also have high blood pressure now (medicated) which I believe has been brought in by the weight gain and long term medication which I have no choice but to take. I only realised it was sleep apnoea when I saw that my blood oxygen levels were dropping significantly overnight. If you have a smart watch it would be worth having a look to see if you are the same. Otherwise, the nose strips, mouth guards etc seem to be all you can do - anything to bring your jaw forward, but rule out a congested nose too as that will encourage you to sleep with your mouth open.

I snore too. Its so annoying as my ex was a snorer and I hated it but now I’m the noisy one!

Things I tried with the ex - I wore earplugs, the neon pink and yellow foam ones are the best for me. Current DP doesn’t like wearing them as they make his ears sore.

Nasal strips, don’t seem to help much. Ditto throat spray.

I have tried mouth taping but I panicked a bit when I had reflux one night, so that put me off, but I think it did help.

Have recently bought some Honex mouth guards. Not cheap, at £40 for two, but they’re smaller and softer than the bulky sports ones I’ve tried before, so hopefully be less drooling! Will report back if its any use.

Word of warning, I tried an app which recorded snippets of snoring so you can see how bad it is (mine was ‘epic’! ) but I forgot to cancel the free trial and got charged £70 a year later when it renewed. So if you try a free app, make a note of the cancellation date!

Also meant to say, my current DP is a light sleeper and gets up for a wee several times a night, so even if I fix my snoring, I don’t really want to share a bed with him. We sleep in separate rooms when we stay over or go away. It’s not worth the hassle to share a bed tbh. We can still have cuddles and sex, read a book and have coffee in the morning together, we just go our own way to sleep.

Sleep separately.
Have the awake chat and cuddle and reading together and then separate rooms for sleep.

Also try a "francis nasal dilator"

Not keen on sleeping separately but will try anything, just not sure what to do. There are so many products out there so I'm looking for personal experience of what really works. Got a gp appointment today for end of May. Might be too late but I want to get this sorted regardless if I'm in a relationship or not.

Nasal strips suit some ~ Nasal dilators suit others ~ Hollow pillows suit others
all of that is after
weight loss ~ stop smoking ~ drink less
and in some cases surgery

but if your facial bones make you (me) a snorer, sleep is the most important so separate beds are key

Speak to your GP! Especially as this is a new issue, its far less likely to be a longstanding, anatomical issue with your sinuses, but could be worsened by age. GP might go through something like the epworth sleepiness scoring, but taking along a recording or your snoring might be useful too.

DH snored for years. Long story short, he spoke to the respiratory consultant and equipment was sent home for overnight monitoring. He didn't need to go to sleep clinic. He now has a CPAP machine which is silent. I can't believe how quite it is! I'm now weaning myself off wearing ear plugs for years.

My brother started snoring in his 30's. He had a minor op to open up his sinuses and its completely resolved. Its not always sleep apnoea!

Even if its not sleep apneoa OP, I'd want to be checked its not something that could be corrected!

www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnoea-osa/epworth-sleepiness-scale

Please don't tape your mouth closed, especially if sleep apnoea hasn't been ruled out. Blocking an airway is a risky plan.

I can go months without snoring and other times snore. I've never figured out exactly why, worse if I sleep on my back. The only thing that helps when I'm on one is mouth tape. It's also a cheap solution that won't be a great loss if it doesn't work

The ones I linked to do not block the airway, they gently encourage your mouth into a position which keeps the airways open. In a very short time, the body can adjust to this new position.

Are you sleeping mouth open? If so mouth tape fixes it. Did for me