What can I do about DH's snoring?

[badkitty]

It is driving me insane. I can't block it out (earplugs don't help at all) and it can keep me awake for hours. I'm a fairly light sleeper anyway and being 8 months pregnant doesn't help either but this is a long term issue! Sometimes I make him go in the spare room but I really don't want us to end up as a couple who sleeps in separate rooms, worry that this would be the beginning of the end! And anyway he much prefers to sleep in our (much comfier) bed and complains that the spare room bed gives him a bad back! Sometimes he will go a few nights with no snoring so I don't really know what the cause is. Are there any truly effective remedies? What do other people with snorey partners do to deal with it - I can't be the only one!

I have no idea but for my own sanity as well as yours I'm hoping someone comes along with a diamond idea!

Hi.......had this problem with DH for YEARS......so I feel your pain! I found that I could 'tune out' the snoring until I fell pregnant with DC1, and 3 kids later I sleep really lightly and found I couldn't block it out!

Basically, your DH needs to see his GP to make sure there are no underlying issues causing the snoring.

My DH was a terrible snorer, but it turns out he had mild sleep apnoea and now wears a mask that pumps pressurised air into his mouth overnight - he doesn't snore AND gets a better sleep so is less restless (ie thrashing about, turning over in bed etc) and has far more energy than he did previously!

To be honest, it took a good 18 months to get the diagnosis (and a couple of overnight stays at the local sleep clinic) but things are SO much better now!

So - get DH to the GP for a check up first of all - it may be nothing and he may just be a snorer but at least you will know and can then investigate other methods of living with the problem!

Dp snores like a bastard and it drives me insane. He also grinds his teeth when he is stressed....which due to work being so busy for him, is now most of the time.
We don't live together, and if I'm honest, his snoring is one of the reasons why - it really is that bad. When we go on holiday, or to visit either sets of parents I inevitably end up absolutely knackered.
It doesn't help that he is very overweight, and a smoker....but since he isn't willing to address either of these, the snoring continues. He has sinus problems and goes through at least one of those nose spray things every week - although gp told him not to use them and prescribed some other stuff. He actually had a sinus/nose operation a few years ago on one side of his face which he says helped a bit, but he hasn't done anything about going again to have the other side looked at.
I think he thinks that because he's sleeping ok, I must be exaggerating how loud it is, and he has normalised the nose spray, elephant trumpeting nose blowing and snorting that he does during the day.
I'm making him sound quite the catch aren't I? Bet you're all dead jealous

I used to work in a sleep lab. Does he stop breathing as well, like holding his breath? Is he tired in the morning even though he's been in bed for 8 hours? If so may be sleep apnoea which is actually very dangerous and disruptive to his sleep cycle and his health (decreases oxygen saturation, which stresses the body and increases blood pressure etc). Excess weight makes it much worse, especially as men tend to store it around the neck.

Snoring is worst when on the back, is it better if he is on his side or stomach? A cheap technique is a stocking around his waist with a tennis ball in it on his back, so when he lies on his back it is uncomfortable and he'll roll to his side. Snoring is also worse after alcohol or sleeping tablets as that further relaxes the airways.

I would go to the GP and get a referral for an overnight sleep study where he will be monitored overnight. The best treatment is CPAP, the mask and machine which pumps air in to keep the airway open. When we snore the sides of our airways are touching and the sound is that reverberating. So if you keep the sides apart the snoring stops. There are mandibular splints, they only work on mild- moderate snoring, not as effective as CPAP. Only get a proper one where a dentist takes a mould of his teeth and that can be adjusted by screws, it is worn on both the upper and lower mouth and locked together and basically pulls the lower jaw forward, opening the airway up. Can hurt to chew for sometime after and move teeth permanently, but some prefer to CPAP.

Is he overweight? Does he drink alcohol? Those are the two most common causes of snoring and easiest to work on for starters.

My dh is a terrible, awful snorer - the joke of everyone who'd heard him.
I got him to go to the gp, then the sleep clinic and he was diagnosed with severe sleep apnoea and has been on CPAP ever since.

My bedroom is now silent, and dh is much healthier for it.

CPAP???? I must look this up straight away. DH snores like a walrus riding a moped.

My DH used to be a v loud snorer. He was very overweight and a heavy drinker. He had apnea and it was scary for me when he'd stopped breathing. Turning him on his side made no difference.

The situation became so bad that he was falling asleep at work. He realised that in order to advance in his career he had to do something. At last he decided to go on a low carb diet (no bread, pasta, potatoes or rice). This worked wonders because it allowed him to eat loads (sausages/eggs/stews with stir fries/salads, and yogurt with fruit for bkf) and loose weight slowly. In two years he's lost 22 kg. He now only snores if he drinks wine before going to bed.

Please be aware that for a person with this problem it is extremely dangerous to drive. I took on all driving and let him only drive short trips to the supermarket.

For your survival, yes, do move to the spare bedroom. It is up to your DH to understand he has a serious problem (maybe you could record him if he doesn't believe you) which he has to tackle. You need your sleep and will need it even more after your baby will be born.