6 Hacks for Better Sleep When Your Partner Is Sawing Logs

Some sleepers barely make a peep while sleeping, and others sound like a lawn mower. If you share a bed or sleeping space with the latter type, you might be experiencing second-hand snoring, waking up to snorts or whistles in the middle of the night. According to John Hopkins Medicine, 45% of adults snore occasionally and 25% snore regularly, making it very likely you have a snorer in your bedroom. 

Follow along below for guidance on improving sleep when your partner is a loud snorer and steps you can take to ease symptoms. For more help sleeping better while co-sleeping, learn why you should use two comforters or how to sleep better next to your pet.

How snoring affects sleep 

A Mayo Clinic study found that spouses lose an hour of sleep a night because of disruptions from their snoring co-sleeper. There's also emotional and psychological hostility that can arise following snore-related sleep disruptions, making it even harder to fall back into slumber. 

A full night's sleep significantly regulates brain function, mood, energy levels, physical health and overall general well-being. As such, it's important to find a solution and nip harmful sleep disruptions in the bud.

6 ways to sleep better next to a snoring partner 

1. Block out the noise

In the short term, try blocking out the noise of your partner's snoring or drown it out with a more relaxing sound. The best way is to use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones that are compact and comfortable enough to sleep with. Earplugs will help silence the snoring, while noise-canceling headphones block external noise so all you hear is the music or sounds you have chosen for sleep. 

Best Headphones for Sleep See at Cnet

2. Discourage back sleeping 

Back sleeping is not an ideal sleeping position for a snorer. If you find your partner snoring while sleeping on their back, encourage them to shift to their side instead. Sleeping on your back causes your tongue to fall into the back wall of your throat and block your airways, and the weight of the neck or chest can also contribute to obstructing your air passage. 

Alternatively, side sleeping is cited by experts as the best for snorers and those with mild sleep apnea because it helps open the airways. 

3. Discourage eating and drinking too close to bedtime

Prevent snoring by being conscious of habits like eating and drinking alcohol too close to bedtime. Alcohol causes the soft palate and tongue to relax, and the digestion process has a similar effect on the throat. As such, try to avoid eating for three hours before bedtime or more. 

4. Try an adjustable bed frame

An adjustable bed frame has many benefits, one of which is its ability to ease snoring. Some even come ready to go with a preset snoring mode on the remote. The adjustable base raises your head and diaphragm to open your airways and relieve pressure on your windpipe. We have experience with testing adjustable bed frames and have listed GhostBed's model as one of the best on our list  adjustable beds. 

5. Check partner's medications

Certain medications, such as sleeping pills, muscle relaxers and antihistamines, can relax the throat muscles and allow the tongue to block the airway, causing snoring. If you're taking a prescription that you think may be interfering with your sleep quality and promoting snoring, discuss your concerns with your primary care physician, who can help devise a plan. 

6. Recommend a doctor's checkup 

If you don't see improvement in your co-sleeper's snoring and it continues to disrupt both their sleep quality and yours, it may be a sign of an underlying condition like sleep apnea. In that case, the best advice is to seek consultation with your doctor who can discover the root cause and offer a possible treatment plan. They may recommend:

• Weight loss to help tone muscles and strengthen airways.
• A CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure) you wear while you sleep to help open airways at night and promote air pressure to the nose. 
• An upper airway stimulator implant that stimulates the nerves that regulate your airways to keep them from closing. 

If your partner won't agree to a doctor's checkup and their snoring sounds severe, it may be helpful to record their snoring. With care and diplomacy in the morning, show them how intense it is so they might feel more compelled to make a change. 

What causes snoring?

Snoring is most common in overweight individuals, men and women with menopause. There are a host of reasons why people snore; some are more harmless, such as the natural way your mouth and throat are shaped. In other cases, snoring could be a sign of a sickness like sinus infection, or a more serious condition like sleep apnea. And although the snorer has no bad intentions, the noise can take a toll on surrounding sleepers.