Are you a snorer? Is your snoring like a freight train causing issues in your relationship?
We’ve talked in great detail in past articles about the medical and health impacts of snoring – but what about the social impact of snoring?
Many people who snore experience relationship issues as a direct result of their habit – whether this is their sleep partner, other household members, or even neighbours or strangers (especially when travelling).
A lot of people may laugh off claims from their household that their snoring is an issue, or get annoyed about being “badgered” about it, but the ramifications can be enormous – and snoring has been known to end relationships altogether.
Understanding why snoring happens, why the loud noise occurs and finding ways to alleviate it, is important for relationships to be able to survive.
What Causes the Loud Snoring Noise?
Some people liken it to a freight train. Other comparisons include jet planes, jackhammers, circular saws … you name it, the description is enough to explain why loud snoring is the enemy of a good night’s sleep for everyone else nearby.
Snoring occurs when the soft tissues of the nasal cavity, mouth, or throat vibrate during sleep. It usually happens because these tissues relax too much, and result due to everything from sleeping position to mouth breathing to carrying too much fat in the neck to alcohol consumption.
Snoring results when something restricts airflow – it may be anything from inflamed nasal passages from allergies to a deviated septum, oversized tonsils or adenoids, the tongue or soft palate relaxing too much, excess body fat, or general lack of tone in the throat muscles. The tissues vibrate against each other with every breath, and the snoring sound is the outcome of this.
Why are Some Snorers so Much Louder Than Others?
There are different types of snoring sounds, and each is based on the type of tissue that vibrates:
- Soft palate – produces the longest sound.
- Epiglottis – second-longest sound.
- The base of the tongue – shortest snoring sound.
In terms of volume, snoring can be soft and infrequent or loud and regular.
- If the nasopharyngeal soft tissues vibrate, snoring will be nasal and soft.
- If the uvula and soft palate vibrate, snoring will be loud and guttural.
Many snorers have more than one area of involvement.
Is Louder Snoring a Bigger Problem?
YES! Aside from significant medical concerns, snoring is the bane of good relationships.
Many of us may joke about snoring being a drag on marital relationships, but some researchers claim that chronic, disruptive snoring is the third most common cause of divorce in the USA (exceeded only by infidelity and financial issues).
In Australia, researchers have found that 200,000 couples sleep in different rooms – with snoring being a major factor in this less-than-ideal situation.
A loud snorer won’t just disrupt the sleep of and annoy their bed partner; they can also annoy their family; flatmates; neighbours (especially in apartments or villas); other people in campgrounds or caravan parks; other travellers on planes, buses, and trains; and even people in the cinema, theatre, or in front of the TV if they nod off. As a lot of loud snorers also experience sleep apnoea, the tendency to fall asleep at inappropriate times is also greater.
Sleep issues are closely related to relationship issues. Snoring has been socially and scientifically proven to:
- Cause deep resentment in partners whose sleep is disrupted.
- Cause deep resentment in snorers who don’t understand why it’s such a big issue.
- Compromise sleep quality in the partner resulting in irritability, tiredness, fatigue, burnout, and poor performance.
- Increase cortisol (stress hormone) production.
- Separate couples at night as they choose to sleep alone.
- Increases arguments and, ultimately, the divorce rate.
How to Stop Snoring
- Sleep Position – try to sleep on your side to alleviate snoring. You may also find relief by slightly raising the head of your bed.
- Lifestyle changes – these include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, stopping smoking, avoiding sedative use, and limiting alcohol consumption, especially before bedtime.
- Medications – treat allergies and nasal congestion with these to alleviate congestion at bedtime.
- Mandibular Advancement Device – SnoreMD is an adjustable oral device worn during sleep. It gently repositions the lower jaw slightly forward, opening the airways to improve airflow and preventing snoring.
- CPAP – snoring due to sleep apnoea must be treated by a doctor. CPAP is one of the most common ways this medical issue can be managed, with the use of the right mandibular advancement device to complement its use.
- Surgery – severe snoring that does not respond to other measures and which is anatomically derived may require surgery.
SnoreMD –Anti-Snoring Device that Works
You need to choose a snoring device that really works – and this means treating the root cause of snoring. This is what SnoreMD delivers.
SnoreMD is the Australian brand of a revolutionary, scientifically engineered snoring solution. Used successfully by adults of all ages, SnoreMD is a comfortable, fully adjustable, reusable, budget-friendly and safe solution to snoring and it has been proven again and again to achieve tangible results. It will not interrupt your sleep
SnoreMD is what is known as a mandibular advancement device. It is worn in the mouth and gently repositions the lower jaw (mandible) slightly forward. This helps to open the airways and enable better airflow during breathing while you are asleep. Snoring is dramatically improved and, in the majority of cases, can be completely resolved.
Click Here to understand more about how SnoreMD works and can improve not only the quality of your sleep but of your life overall.
Buy SnoreMD online now or call us on 07 5370 9323.
