22 Mar Snoring hurting your relationship?
When you are in a new relationship, planning on building a life together, a little thing like snoring probably isn’t on the top of your list of things to discuss before the wedding day. According to a 2015 survey by the US-based National Sleep Foundation, 25 percent of couples sleep separately as a result of sleep issues. For many of us searching for lasting love and intimacy, that doesn’t sound like a very romantic prospect.
Snoring doesn’t affect all couples the same way. Some snorers are married to deep sleepers, who might not even notice. However, for the others, the constant sounds of jackhammering snoring can cause friction and spoil intimacy and ultimately someone being forced out onto the couch. While sleeping on the couch seems cruel, the National Sleep Foundation recommended 7-9 hours sleep for adults aged 26-64. So, lying awake while your spouse snores could cause more than just frustration down the road.
In certain cases, snoring volumes can get so loud that they can cause hearing issues for their partner. It’s not surprising because some snoring can be between 50 and 100 decibels, which is equivalent to a pneumatic drill!
But snoring doesn’t have to take a toll on a relationship, whether you are sleeping together or in separate beds. Choosing between losing sleep and sleeping apart can be difficult, but there are other choices.
- Asking your doctor about the possibility of sleep apnoea, enlarged tonsils or adenoids causing obstructive sleep apnoea may lead to a solution that doesn’t just make sleep better, but can bring you closer, too.
- Changing a snorers sleeping position can help open the airways as they sleep, reducing the vibrations in their throat. If your snoring partner sleeps on their back, try using a pillow to elevate their head or turn them onto their side.
- Being overweight is quite a common cause of snoring, as excessive weight can increase the tissue size around the neck and place extra pressure on breathing passageways. Improving their diet in order for them to lose a few kilograms may ease this issue.
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol and sedatives reduce the resting tone of the muscles in the back of your throat, making it more likely you’ll snore. Even non snorers can snore after a couple of drinks!
- Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Secretions in the nose and soft palate become stickier when dehydrated, this can create more snoring. According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should have about 11 cups of total water (from all drinks and food) a day and men require about 16 cups.
- Salt therapy could also be the solution to have you both back in bed together and sleeping soundly. Salt therapy is a natural non-invasive therapy that offers relief to snorers and their better half. Sitting in a specially designed salt room, your respiratory system will be exposed to dry aerosol particles of salt that are inhaled deep into the lungs. Salt has natural anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which help relieve inflammation and congestion in the airways. As the dry salt is breathed in, it passes through the back of the throat where the relaxed muscles cause the narrowing of the airways and vibration that results in snoring. Over a period of time, the salt will help open the airways reducing obstructions and resulting in a better night’s sleep.
For the love of your relationship and a good night’s sleep, book in for a free consultation at Salts of the Earth and give salt therapy a go. You’ll both be having some sweet dreams in no time!