Home Can we revisit snoring?

[radiantquest]

DH snores terribly and I have had trouble sleeping my entire life. He does not have apnea and I told him that he needs to fix his problem, but he insists it is my problem. He snores the worst on his back, but still snores on his side. The best is when he is on his side facing away from me, but he can''t sleep like that the whole night. Sometimes I kick him in hopes that he will wake up, but I feel bad doing that. I have tried telling him and he has no recollection of it the morning which is obvious because he moves his arms and legs and settles into the same position as before.

I have earplugs that I bought from a company that supplies them to construction workers. The biggest problem is that hearing it pisses me off. I get angry! I am not angry with him, its not his fault, but I am angry knowing that on top of my own issues trying to sleep I have to fight through that too. And of course being angry keeps me from sleeping. I think the problem may be a deviated septum.

I told him that when we buy our new house I will go to the guest room, but that isn''t going to work now. We have tried many things, Is there anything new that has worked? I saw a mouth piece online, but an not willing to pay $70 for something that might not even work.

I have to figure something out. Finally getting to sleep at 3am and then getting up at 7am isnt working!

 

[movie zombie]

i have heard the mouth piece works. if i was that sleep deprived i''d spend $70 to find out for myself. the other issue though is will he use it if you buy it?

mz

 

[radiantquest]

Exactly. He would probably complain that it is uncomfortable or something.

It isnt that bad every night. It has happened several times though.

Last night I went to bed really early so that I would be asleep before he came in. I wasn''t woken by it.

The only part that I do not like about going to bed before him is that I like lying in bed talking before we go to sleep. That is my favorite part of the day.

 

[packrat]

Oh Radiant, I feel for you! JD was a horrible snorer..drove me bonkers, and I got angry also-here he''s sleeping and I''m forced to listen to *snirk* noises all night. Part of his problem is excess weight. But, he did go see an ENT b/c I was having issues w/only getting a couple hours of sleep a night. (Y''know, you can *feel* the snores rumble thru the mattress, even if you have your ears covered and when you''re already irritated, that makes it worse) He had surgery on his sinuses..they shaved something down, and I''m not sure exactly what all they did, but it did help. He does still snore, but not near as loud, and not constantly. I reach over and shove him and he''ll roll to his side.

I''d go ahead and buy the mouth piece-at least then you''ll know for sure if it will work. If it doesn''t, tell him to go get checked out!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

No suggestions here, just wanted to lend my support. DH snores often, but not every night and considering I am a borderline insomniac that is very sensitive to sound in a room..well it can get so frustrating. So thankful he is breathing and snoring, but need sleep! Hoping someone else has some suggestions..

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/8/2010 11:05:04 AM
Author: radiantquest
Exactly. He would probably complain that it is uncomfortable or something.

It isnt that bad every night. It has happened several times though.

Last night I went to bed really early so that I would be asleep before he came in. I wasn't woken by it.

The only part that I do not like about going to bed before him is that I like lying in bed talking before we go to sleep. That is my favorite part of the day.

I grind my teeth and it's really loud. I do have a mouth guard that I dislike because it is uncomfortable. However, I wear it because DH asks me to. I don't think it's too much to ask him to suck it up and wear a mouth guard if it allows you to sleep. He'll get used to it. I think it's worth $70 to find out.

eta: I also know how you feel. DH doesn't snore exactly, but he makes apnea like noises that are pretty loud and wake me up. I'll push him and make him move, but he'll often start up again 20 minutes later. It's really really frustrating to just lie there not sleeping and I know it makes me angry too.

 

[radiantquest]

The last time he kept me up til the wee hours and I was in a fit of sleep deprivation and anger I thought about holding the pillow over his face until he stopped snoring and then it occured to me that he would have also stopped breathing so I kicked him again.

He doesn''t even care that I kick him. When I first told him that is what I do he laughed and said that is why my shins hurt in the morning. Lol

He believes that it is not his snoring that is the problem it is my inability to sleep through a mack truck coming through the house.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/8/2010 1:40:31 PM
Author: radiantquest
The last time he kept me up til the wee hours and I was in a fit of sleep deprivation and anger I thought about holding the pillow over his face until he stopped snoring and then it occured to me that he would have also stopped breathing so I kicked him again.

He doesn''t even care that I kick him. When I first told him that is what I do he laughed and said that is why my shins hurt in the morning. Lol

He believes that it is not his snoring that is the problem it is my inability to sleep through a mack truck coming through the house.

My dad feels the same way. I can''t believe my mom hasn''t put a pillow over his face in the 35 years they''ve been married. I could hear him through the wall in my bedroom (with both doors shut) when I visited for Christmas.

I think you should sit down and talk with him about this. His inability to try anything out is really unfair to you. Sleep depravation can lead to depression and a whole host of other things - it''s just not good for your health! Maybe if you phrase it that way he''ll realize that it''s important for him to try a few things.

Has he ever worn one of those Breathe Right nose strips? DH wears those all the time if he stuffy and it cuts down on snoring a lot. They only cost a few dollars at the drug store and aren''t uncomfortable.

 

[oobiecoo]

My dad had lots of sinus problems including EXTREME snoring. He had some sort of surgery done and it didn''t help a bit. I want to say my Uncle''s partner got a custom mouthpiece that worked wonderfully though!

 

[zoebartlett]

RQ -- I''m sorry you''re dealing with that. It can get so frustrating, can''t it? My husband snores loudly, and it gets to me a lot. We deal with it by having him sleep in the guest room often. It''s not solving the problem of snoring itself, but at least I can''t hear it. I don''t like it, but honestly, I prefer getting a good night''s sleep sometimes more than I like having my husband with me. My husband blames me (in a joking way) that it''s my fault for being such a light sleeper -- so I can relate to your "mack truck" comment. Anyway, can your husband go to the doctor to see if he/she has any suggestions? I haven''t heard of the night guard before, but it might be a good idea to check out. Maybe your husband''s doctor can recommend one or something else that might help.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 2/8/2010 11:05:04 AM
Author: radiantquest
Exactly. He would probably complain that it is uncomfortable or something.

It isnt that bad every night. It has happened several times though.

Last night I went to bed really early so that I would be asleep before he came in. I wasn''t woken by it.

The only part that I do not like about going to bed before him is that I like lying in bed talking before we go to sleep. That is my favorite part of the day.

perhaps if you tell him how much you''re going to miss this as you''ll now be going to bed early every night?

mz

 

[waterlilly]

so sorry to hear this

my husband is an awful snorer too (apnea and refuses to wear his cpap). My only way of dealing is to simply move to the guest room, which I do often.

He is sympathetic though, has tried many things but has a terrible time wearing the mask (is claustrophobic). He falls asleep at the drop of a hat and it takes me forever to fall asleep even if he's not snoring. So, I can usually judge how bad the night is going to be in the first 20 minutes and just sneak on out if it's going to be a bad one!

The only ear plugs I found helpful were the kind that were made of this soft waxy material that you squish up and actually mold around your ear to completely block sound. The only problem is - I can't hear my alarm clock in the morning when I wear them either!

Sleeping in the guest room is not a bad option for me - a big bed to myself without 3 dogs and a husband hogging all the space!

Oh - and I TOTALLY know what you mean by it pissing you of

. I've tried explaining how absolutely maddening it is - how I want to do very horrible things to him when I'm trying to sleep through it!

You feel like he MUST know he's doing it and if he would just TRY a little harder - it wouldn't happen! I know, I totally know how you feel.

 

[Lilac]

My husband doesn''t really snore - but some nights when he breathes in, it makes a whistling noise. It never used to happen when we were first married, but over the past couple months it has happened more and more. I''m grateful it''s not actual snoring, but I''m the type of person who needs it to be really quiet in order to be able to sleep, so I definitely understand how maddening it is to have that extra "noise" and not be able to sleep through it! DH also falls asleep within 10 seconds of laying down, while I take longer than that even when I''m really tired!

The best thing I''ve come up with to deal with it is leaving our air conditioning unit on to block out the noise a little, but it''s not a great solution because it''s 25 degrees outside now! In the summer it''s easier to sleep because the air is on all the time so I don''t hear the loud breathing nearly as much.

The one other thing that really helps me is going to sleep before DH. I can''t sleep if he''s not next to me and I also really value that time we spend talking before sleep, so what we''ve been doing is I get a "head start" - he''ll get into bed with me, we''ll talk for however long we want to, and then we''ll say goodnight and he turns on the TV in our room and watches on a very low volume or plays his Playstation without any sound for around 10-15 minutes. As long as it''s quiet I can usually fall asleep by then.

Only problem is when I wake up in the middle of the night and can''t get back to sleep.... that''s *really* frustrating sometimes....

 

[lknvrb4]

My husband snores terribly. He can sleep through anything though. If he is on his back it''s the worst. I can usually kick him and he will roll over onto his side or stomach and he stops snoring. He does have some back problems though so if he knows he is stuffy or needs to sleep on his back he will just sleep on the couch. He is really good about being considerate. But....he is a sleepwalker and will wake me up wandering. He will get up to pee around 11:30 or within 10 minutes of that every night. There are nights where he will be standing in front of our dresser getting ready to pee. One time I had a suitcase packed with my daughters clothes for an upcoming trip and he peed in that. Other times he gets up and opens blinds on windows. I have to tell him to go to the bathroom, that''s not the toilet. ROFL Sometimes he will argue with me that he is not sleepwalking but I know he is. The next morning he does not remember any of it. Does anyone else deal with this?

 

[Ara Ann]

Wow... Sorry to hear all of these ''snorer stories''...but snoring should be checked out by a doctor. Even mild snoring can lead to very serious health issues, including heart issues, etc. Sleep deprivation is another huge factor for snorers and has been linked to ''drowsy driving'' accidents, which is just as dangerous and impairing as driving drunk.

Also, you can try elevating the head of the bed, either by using a medical wedge type of thing under the mattress, or by using something to raise the frame itself. May help take some pressure off of the upper body.


And I''d try a cool mist humidifier...may help with low humidity at night, in case that could be aggravating the sinuses.

I hope your hubbies seek some kind of real help soon...snoring shouldn''t be taken lightly.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/9/2010 11:21:17 AM
Author: Ara Ann
Wow... Sorry to hear all of these ''snorer stories''...but snoring should be checked out by a doctor. Even mild snoring can lead to very serious health issues, including heart issues, etc. Sleep deprivation is another huge factor for snorers and has been linked to ''drowsy driving'' accidents, which is just as dangerous and impairing as driving drunk.

Also, you can try elevating the head of the bed, either by using a medical wedge type of thing under the mattress, or by using something to raise the frame itself. May help take some pressure off of the upper body.


And I''d try a cool mist humidifier...may help with low humidity at night, in case that could be aggravating the sinuses.

I hope your hubbies seek some kind of real help soon...snoring shouldn''t be taken lightly.

Mine is actually scheduled to see a sleep specialist next Friday and he''ll be in a sleep study after that. His symptoms are more sleep apnea than snoring, so he really needs to go in.