Husband Snoring - Pittsburgh,PA

Two words: Ear Plugs!! Trust me... my husband could win snoring competitions...and the only way I get a good nights sleep is by wearing ear plugs. You can pick them up any where from WalMart to CVS. It's worth a shot!

Hi,
ihave the same problem. I don't think it was so bad when he was skinnier bu when he gained a little weight it got worse. He is also a smoker and drinker. Probably doesn't help. But we have alwas had to sleep in separate rooms because I am such a light sleeper and sleep is crucial to my daily fnctioning so I have to sleep in bed by myself. It sucks to not be able to sleep together but we can still be close at night and then retire to our separate quarters!

As a prosthodontist who sees sleep apnea patients, I would recommend seeing a physian who treats sleep disorders before trying any snoring appliances. This may be more than just snoring. Sleep apnea needs to be followed by a trained physician who will determine the best way to treat it.

I read what some of the other moms wrote and it seems that most of them have given similar advice. It makes me proud to be a part of such a smart crowd!

Hi H.! My suggestion is to set up an appointment with an Ears, Nose and Throat specialist. An ENT specialist can make sure he doesn't have a medical condition causing the snoring. Or is it allergies that he can take something for? Could be a deviated septum, allergies, tonsil/adenoid issue, or even sleep apnea (or other issues) or an overweight issue. If he does have sleep apnea that can cause undue stress on the heart and can lead to bigger problems (i.e. heart attack, etc).

I know your frustration. My husband went to the ENT because the snoring started getting worse and he received a nasal spray for his allergies - to test first and see if that worked. He hasn't snored since! He does have a slightly deviated septum so if he starts snoring again he may need to have a sleep study done and determine next steps from there.

Good luck!
S.

eliminating smoking, drinking and eating 1/2 hr before bed is supposed to help. my boyfriend and i have the easiest solution (b/c he's stubborn!), we dont sleep in the same room!!

Yes, the snoring can get irritating. My best suggestion would be to urge your hubby to get a sleep study done. There may be simple solutions to stop his snoring. My husband had one about 3 years ago and ended up having to get a breathing machine. He hated it at first, but after he found that he could get a good night's sleep, he wore it every night.

Try to explain(gently)to him that his snoring is effecting your sleep as well. And, you may want to express your concern because the snoring can lead into other things like sleep apnea. My husband's main problem was his weight. Because he was overweight, his air was getting cut off in the middle of the night. Once he lost about 60 pounds, he stopped using the breathing machine and has been feeling better ever since.

I H. this helps.

Has he gained any weight in the last year or so?? I know my DH doesn't snore at all until his weight hits a certain magical number!! And it's almost exactly to the pound!! He'll be snoring one night and we'll get up in the morning and I'll tell him he must have hit the magical number that day!!!

Sorry don't really have any advice except that if he has gained just a bit of weight, try and get it off of him and see if that works!

Oh my GOD I feel your pain, I have been married for three years and my husband snores like a wild bear. About 4 years ago he went to the doc and had his adnoids checked and supposedly had them removed, to calm the snoring. Well after we left the doc he fell asleep and I sighed in relief that maybe thinking I would get some sleep, Well I didn't. After that I kinda decided to deal with the snoring. Well last year he was diagnosed with having sleep apnea, He now has to sleep with a oxygen machine hooked up everynight. I suggest your husband go to the doctor, there could be a variety of reasons why he snores. Sleep apnea is serious and of not treated can be deadly. If you have sleep apnea you stop breathing during the night, and that is so not a good thing. I will pray your husband gets checked out soon and there is nothing serious wrong.

hi H.
my husband snores as well. alwways has, could wake up a dead horse. i got earplugs for myself and still didn't help. so then thought about it and made a deal, i make him sleep on his side until i fall asleep and then he can snore til his throat shuts down. i am a heavy sleeper so once i am alseep i am good. i also have 2 yr old daughters and have baby monitors on when we sleep, so because my husband snores and i have to wear earplugs he is the one that wakes up if the girls cry at night :) sweet deal for me.
good luck
vlora

Hi H.,

I, too, feel your pain... in the last year, my husband has started snoring loud enough to wake the dead! I second the humidifier option, and have another suggestion. I notice my husband snores much more loudly if he has had anything alcoholic to drink sooner than 2 or 3 hours before going to bed. Also, if he snacks in the evening, again, sooner than 2 or 3 hours before going to bed, the snoring is worse. I don't know if you have a similar situation, but cutting out snacks and the occaisional drink at night might help as well. It has definitely cut down on the "volume" for us. Good luck!
- A.

all I can say is good luck. Im gaving the same problem so if you have any advice for me that would be great.....lol!!

I couldn't help but laugh when you were taking about your snoring husband because I too have a snorer. When he first started snoring I couldn't handle it and I would be waking him up every 15 min to tell him to roll over. My mother is in the same situation and she found a rather intersting way to solve the problem.....a lot of the time people snore when laying on thier backs so she made me father strap a tennis ball to his back and that way he would avoid laying on his back while he was sleeping. I was just about to have my husband do the same (with a basketball!) but all the sudden I got used to his snoring! Its amazing how your body can adapt! Unless he is snoring really loud, I just accept that he is snoring and I can fall asleep. I hope you and your husband can find something that works for the both of you guys. Good Luck!

Dear H.,
I feel your pain as well. My husband does not have his tonsils but this I can tell you, he still snores! I too need quiet and darkness to sleep and for it to be much cooler. We have forced hot air and let me tell you how dry it is in our house. I got tired of going to the guest room or elbowing him night after night or sending him to the couch :) A humidifier will help you beyond belief! So before you go rushing to the Doctor (although he still should seek medical attention if it still persists) try moisture in the air. It worked for my hubby. Since becoming pregnant, I too am now a snorer! All that swollen membrane stuff and it being dry I have gotten my husband up out of a sound sleep by my snores! (Ha ha paybacks!) Try that and the breathe right strips (although uncomfortable he will get used to them) and good luck to you!!!
Christina

My husband snores too, and I like you, have a hard time during his bad nights. Snoring is usually a symptom of some other problem be it asthma, swollen/large adnoids, etc. I am not a doctor, but my mom works for allergists and we have found that when my husband taks an antimhistime and keeps up with his asthma medicine the snoring is decreased and tolerable. Another key may be to put some moisture in the air. You can use a humidifier, or you might even want to try getting him saline spray to use before he goes to bed. This will moisturize the inside of his nose and sinuses and may reduce the snoring. I suggest he see the doctor regarding the snoring, because if it is that bad, he may be having periods of apnea (periods where he stops breathing all together). Chances are, his is probably not getting a good night's sleep either because most snorers will wake themselves up during the night with snoring or apnea. That is why I suggest seeing a physician.
Good luck.

L.
(P.S. my husband says those nose guards hurt. he tried those as well.)

Having my husband sleep on his side, instead of his back, has worked wonders. Don't know if it's the same for everyone, but it really has helped us...until he rolls in the middle of the night! Also, we have a white noise machine that sometimes blocks it out enough to let me sleep.

My husband snores. I just roll him onto his one side. His ex-wife used to elbow him. Not a great idea. He could talk to a doctor, use breath-away strips, I am sure there are other options. It isn't his fault. It is just an involunatry response. Compassion is key.

Hi H.,
This is funny because I think everyone's husband snores. My husband used to snore so loud that I would have to lay in front of the TV with the volume all the way up just to hear it. Sometimes, he got so loud that I wouldn't be able to hear the TV then! I would have to throw things at him to wake him up to quit! We have been together for 20 years and the snoring has calmed down, I don't know why. I did notice that it gets alot worse when he is drinking and sleeping on his back. I just wake him up and tell him to lay on his side and the snoring quits.

I agree with Stephanie, make him go to the doc and be checked out for any possible problems. I've lived w/ dh's snoring for 27 yrs. After insisting he go see the doc- or sleep alone- he went and had a sleep study done, we learned dh stops breathing on average 30 times an hour!

Yes, he has sleep apenia. He just went thru surgery to correct a deviated septum. (the snoring is better- its not as loud as a freight train now, but he still snores)

Next will be the c-pap machine to wear at night, and if that doesnt work, then more surgery on tonsils and soft pallet.

good luck!