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4 Tips For Sharing a Bed With a Spouse Who Snores

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There are few things worse than not getting a good night’s sleep. Dealing with insomnia is one thing, but the issue becomes even more frustrating when you can look over on the other side of the bed and see the cause for your sleeplessness snoozing — and snoring. Unfortunately, those who snore also tend to be heavy sleepers. After years of being able to rest while simultaneously creating a loud cacophony seems to condition them to remain content no matter what type of disturbance surrounds them. 

For the non-snorer, sharing a bed with someone who snores can get so bad that couples simply decide to sleep in separate rooms. There’s no denying that it’s an effective option, but there are a few other methods you can try to ease a partner’s nightly snores and help everyone get all the Zzzs (and maybe some snuggles) they deserve.

1. Make Sure Your Sheets Are Clean

According to the National Sleep Foundation, things like dust and pet dander on your sheets might be causing your partner’s allergies to flare up. Those allergens then cause the nasal passageways to become inflamed and result in snoring at night. Making sure your sheets are cleaned regularly — plus vacuuming often and reducing potential triggers as best as possible — will hopefully help lessen the level of snoring. This is good to keep in mind if your partner has seasonal allergies that you can plan around.

2. Try Downloading Phone Apps

There are several apps available on iPhone and Android that address this common sleeping issue. You can try masking a partner’s snoring with white noise apps, or ask them to try other apps that track and target the problem. The American Sleep Association reviewed several of the highest rated options and described SnoreLab as one of the best available in the US: “It records samples, gives you a score for the intensity of your snoring, records sleep statistics, and also provides information about snoring remedies.” There’s a free trial version of the app for you to try out before purchasing the full version for $6.99.

3. Lift Up Your Partner’s Pillows

Whether you’re piling up plenty of pillows, propping them up with extra blankets, or investing in an wedge-shaped anti-snore pillow ($35.95, Amazon), the idea is to put their head at an angle that helps keep their nasal passages clear. This can also prevent their tongue from falling back into the throat and causing snores that way. One review on Amazon claimed the simple pillow “literally saved me hundreds of dollars” because it kept her from having to invest in a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine for sleep apnea. Others claim it helped their issues with heartburn and acid reflux, too.

4. Grab a Tennis Ball

This is perhaps the silliest-sounding method, but is admittedly pretty genius. Anyone who’s tried to roll a soundly sleeping (and snoring) partner over onto their side only to have them stubbornly return to the same position on their back again can benefit from this trick. Just attach a tennis ball to the back of your partner’s shirt that they sleep in. When they roll over onto their back, they will feel discomfort and return to sleeping on their side no matter how conked out they might be.

If you suspect the cause of your partner’s snores is sleep apnea, they should definitely get checked by their doctor and discuss options. The hum of a CPAP machine is much quieter than most snores, but it can also be muffled much easier than someone sleeping through their roaring snores. 

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