Sleep Soundly, Love Deeply: The Secret to a Snore-Free Relationship

Why do you snore?

The sound of snoring is caused by an impedance of airflow through the mouth and nose. An impedance can occur for many reasons:

• The muscles in the throat and the tongue may relax too much during the night, creating a narrow channel and impeding airflow.

• Extra weight, particularly in the neck, can compress the airway.

• Allergies can cause nasal congestion or swelling in the nasal tissue, blocking the airway.

• Sleep position can cause an airway obstruction as gravity can cause the air passage to narrow.

• A deviated septum can be the cause of snoring.

These and other issues, such as enlarged tonsils, nasal polyps, etc., can lead to snoring. It is important to find out what is happening so you can improve your sleep and health. Doing so will impact your romantic endeavors.

Snoring can make you irritable

It is irritating to wake up to snoring in the middle of the night, but the greater problem is daytime irritability. If you’re planning something romantic for Valentine’s Day, short tempers or disagreements caused by irritability could hamper your plans.

Snoring can lead to fatigue

Poor sleep can cause daytime fatigue. Routine waking events during the night can cause issues for both the one who is snoring and their sleep partner. But daytime fatigue is more pronounced for the snorer. If the airway is obstructed during the night, the brain senses a lack of oxygen and wakes the sleeper briefly. This can happen many times during the night. The result of this is waking up feeling completely unrested.

Snoring can cause mood swings

When you are awake and well-rested, you are resistant to emotional swings. The converse is true. When sleep is disturbed by snoring, it can make you feel depressed, anxious, or worse. As you know, mood swings can put a damper on a romantic evening.

What happens when snoring goes unaddressed?

In the short term, snoring can put a strain on your relationship and impact intimacy. Over time, it can lead to an even greater separation for the benefit of both. Often, persistent and increased snoring leads to a couple sleeping in separate bedrooms. When you address your snoring issue, you can stay in the same bed.

What can you do about snoring?

It is important to begin with a sleep test to identify the cause of the snoring problem. As we pointed out above, there are many things that can impact sleep and lead to snoring, such as your sleeping position, nasal congestion, allergies, etc. It may also be a medical issue like sleep apnea. A sleep test can help you determine what’s going on so you can get on track to find a solution. 

Take the next step

If you’re battling with snoring, reach out to us or check out the resources on this page. Here are a few ways we can help:

• We will provide a home sleep test that monitors you while you sleep. It tracks your heart rate, breathing, and blood oxygen levels. This test is designed to detect the symptoms of sleep apnea without the need for a visit to a sleep clinic.

• If you have sleep apnea, we can connect you to a specialist who can guide you toward an appropriate treatment that may include the use of a CPAP machine, an oral appliance, etc.

• We can help with Medicare and PPO medical insurance to cover the costs if needed.

We have the experience to give you the support you need. We have connected over 1,000 doctors with sleep tests and helped over 30,000 people with home tests. Do you need a sleep test? Let us tell you this: Over 70 percent of patients tested have been diagnosed with sleep-related breathing disorders. If you’re wondering if you have a medical issue, that is the first symptom.

Won’t a CPAP keep me up?

A question we often hear is about the sound a CPAP machine makes. If you’re familiar with the sound, you might think it will cause trouble for you and your partner, but modern CPAP machines are quiet. You’ll hardly know it’s there—that is, of course—if you even need one. There have been many advances in treating sleep apnea, and your provider can help you determine what the best treatment plan is for you.

Better sleep for better health

Getting better sleep can help you reduce daytime stress and strain on your relationship with the one you love. It can also help you manage your health. Snoring can be a symptom of something serious, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which can be deadly. About 85 percent of people with OSA don’t realize they have this medical issue. Find out quickly and easily by getting a home sleep test.

We hope this Valentine’s Day is the best ever, and we hope you’ve found the information you need to get on track to getting better sleep.