How to sleep with a snorer

You know what it is like to be blissfully floating into dreamland, almost asleep with your eyes shut. You are peacefully beginning to let your thoughts wander and your body is relaxed… You are about to nod off completely when… there it is. You hear it again. Your partner, on his back, or his side, snorting on his own oxygen as he enjoys the peaceful sleep he has just stolen from you.

Snoring is a huge problem. In fact, according to a survey by Silent Night, over half of people in a relationship are being woken by their partners snoring more than once every night. That equates to a whole lot of very sleepless nights.

There have been countless studies done into what causes snoring and how to stop it. There are so many medical supplies, treatments and machines that claim to treat it for good. But sometimes, you find that you’re in a helpless case. So what can YOU do if your partners’ snoring is waking you? How can we take things into our own hands and deal with it?

We did some research and found that a good nights’ sleep isn’t so far away. As long as you are willing to try a few things and test them out to find what best works for you, you’ll end up with a solution.

1. By creating white noise in the bedroom you can almost balance out or level out the noise caused by snoring so it is less likely to wake you. You can turn a fan or air-conditioning unit on to create some baseline noise or even purchase a machine that is created for this purpose.

2. Some people find it uncomfortable and even a safety risk but many women stand by wearing earplugs while they sleep to stop the noise created by snoring.

3. Help your partner to help you by making sure they don’t eat within four hours of going to sleep. Many experts believe snoring is caused by food swelling in the stomach putting pressure on the diaphragm and this will reduce the risk of this happening.

4. Try propping your partner up on their side and putting pillows beside their back to help them avoid sleeping on their back as this is thought to cause snoring. Some people will instead tape tennis balls to their partners’ back so they feel uncomfortable if they fall backwards while they sleep.

5. Try the following tips to have a deeper sleep and avoid waking up easily:

• Exercise throughout the day but not within four hours of sleeping
• Ban caffeine, alcohol and sugar after 3pm
• Sleep in a cool environment
• Use deep breathing techniques before you sleep.

6. If all else fails, sleeping in separate rooms temporarily can be a good way to show your partner the difference in your energy and mood when you are not putting up with snoring. This may encourage them to understand the problem and seek professional help.

7. And, if you wake up in the night because of the snoring, here are some ways to give yourself the best chance of getting back to sleep:

• Don’t check the time
• Keep distractions like smartphones and laptops away from the bedside so you aren’t tempted to keep yourself a wake.
• Have an hour free of technology before bed. Even reading on an e-reader can inhibit melatonin levels, which affects your sleep.
• If you can’t get to sleep, close your eyes and try some deep breathing, feeling your muscles relax and letting your thoughts drift.

Sleeping with a snorer isn’t easy but with some careful planning and preparation, you can at least give yourself the best chance of getting a good night without interruption.

Tell us, when snoring wakes you up, how do you get back to sleep? Share your thoughts in the comments below…