More Than Just A Snore: The Impact Snoring Can Have On A Marriage

Snoring can be incredibly annoying, especially if you aren’t the snoring partner. Many people are nighttime snorers, but did you know that over time it can cause problems for your marriage? Not only can snoring be a sign of a bigger health issue, but leaving it unchecked can progress into relationship issues no one wants to encounter.

So, just like you would work to get your child the help they need, you need to tackle a snoring issue with as much concentration.

What Can Cause Snoring

Anyone can be affected by snoring, and there are a variety of issues that can lead to snoring. Some common symptoms are:

• Sleeping on your back
• Nose or throat infection
• Deviated septum
• Obesity
• Drinking alcohol
• Sleep apnea

Now, most of those causes you have probably heard of before, except for maybe sleep apnea. This sleep disorder is triggered by your airway being blocked, leading you to wake up multiple times a night to restart your breathing. There are many complications associated with sleep apnea, and as snoring is one of the key sleep apnea symptoms, it is essential that the snoring partner is tested to rule out the problem.

How Snoring Can Impact Your Marriage

It can seem like hyperbole that snoring can have any real impact on your marriage, yet it can take a toll, especially as disruptive snoring can lead to heightened negative emotions.

For example, say your partner has started to snore loudly on a nightly basis. Not only can it be difficult to get to sleep if someone is snoring in your ear, but if your partner snores loudly enough to wake you up multiple times a night, it is highly likely that you will feel pretty irritable with the lack of sleep. And we all know when we feel irritated, it is far easier to pick fights and take offense to things we normally brush off.

In fact, researchers conducted a study that examined how married couples were affected by having one partner constantly woken up by snoring. Their initial survey revealed that people who slept near a snorer often had low satisfaction with their relationship, and often, communication deteriorated as tempers shortened with the lack of quality sleep.

Ways To Tackle Snoring As A Couple

Rather than allow snoring to become a wedge between you and your partner, there are ways to tackle snoring. Some of these solutions depend on the snoring partner taking action, but having a supportive partner to assist and cheer on can make all the difference as changes are made. Ways a snorer and their partner can tackle this sleep-disrupting issue is by:

• Sleeping on their side, using supportive devices if needed.
• Making sure they are not overweight and losing weight when necessary.
• Being tested for sleep apnea, either with a home sleep test or sleep study.
• Resolve allergies or infection to open airway.
• Have surgery to correct nasal passageway issues, such as overly large adenoids or a deviated septum.
• Avoid substances like muscle relaxants, alcohol, and nicotine.
• Use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to reduce breathing stress.
• Elevate the head so that it is slightly above the rest of the body.

While there are clearly other associated factors, snoring can be the catalyst that leads to serious  marital struggles. Do what is needed now, as managing a partner’s snoring is far easier than couples counseling, separation, or even divorce, when the right steps are taken.

Author of this article, Tyler Jacobson, enjoys going to the mountains near his home in Draper, Utah to connect with his wife and children through camping, hiking, and quality time together. When he isn’t rebooting in the outdoors, he shares his fatherly experiences with the world through writing and creative work. Tyler shares the ups and downs of family life and the solutions he’s found through lengthy research and involvement in the industry and his own experiences to help parents everywhere. Follow Tyler on: Twitter