Is Snoring Coming Between You?

Nothing more romantic than a couple in bed snuggling and drifting off to sleep, right? Not so much if one of them is snoring. Sleeping with a snorer can take its toll on a partner’s physical and emotional health. Can this marriage be saved?

Second Hand Snoring Blues

The National Sleep Foundation found a direct correlation between a couples’ relationship and the quality of their sleep. The required 7-9 uninterrupted hours of sleep per night becomes impossible when spouses of snorers are being woken up, at least partially, an average 21 times an hour.

The consequences for the snoree can go way beyond suffering from fatigue. A wife can develop an extrinsic (something that occurs outside of your body) sleeping disorder by being woken up multiple times by her husband who might be suffering from an intrinsic sleep disorder such as Sleep Apnea.  Without sleep it becomes hard to perform cognitive tasks involving memory, learning reasoning and mathematical skills. It can impair motor skills and cause headaches, burnout and depression to name a few symptoms.

All this sleep deprivation can create strain in a relationship. In fact snoring is the third leading cause of divorce in the United States, trailing behind infidelity and financial problems.  Let’s face it, it’s hard to feel affectionate when you’re grumpy and sleep deprived.

What to do

– If your relationship is suffering because of snoring, it’s important to remember that it’s a symptom of a physical condition, such as Sleep Apnea, sinusitis or nasal obstruction that can be treated.

– To find out if second-hand snoring is the culprit, some doctors suggest taking a sleep vacation from your partner by moving into another room to gauge what is the cause of your exhaustion.

-For the sake of both you, the snoring partner should agree to seek medical help to evaluate his condition. He might be suffering from Sleep Apnea, a potentially life threatening condition which causes them to stop breathing many times a night waking up gasping for air. This condition lowers the oxygen level in the blood. leaving the patient vulnerable to lung and heart disease, diabetes, obesity and stroke.

Can this marriage be saved?

Can marital satisfaction be restored if a snoring spouse’s sleep disorder is treated? For sure! The Sleep Disorders Center at Rush University Medical Center conducted a scientific sleep study before and after husbands were treated with CPAP and the results were optimistic.  

Following treatment the wife’s quality of life increased, her sleepiness dropped and marital satisfaction scores improved considerably. In fact another study found that spouse’s quality of life surged more than those receiving the actual treatment.

The bottom line is don’t let a relationship deteriorate because of snoring, it will take it’s toll on your relationship and both of your physical well being. Addressing the problem will have you both happily snuggling together in bed once again!