Help- Snoring!

Hi.

I started snoring with my second pregnancy. It was horrible! My husband has severe sleep apnea, so he really couldn't complain, but I still felt guilty -and I wasn't sleeping well either. I was also worried that I would damage the muscles in my throat and develop sleep apnea myself.

My doctor suggested I sleep in the recliner or buy a large wedge pillow. I bought a wedge pillow (at bed bath and beyond) to elevate my head and shoulders (please note that the hospital beds keep you elevated at the head). This helped a lot, but I didn't stop snoring until I lost about 15-20lbs of my pregnancy weight. If you're the same as me, I was snoring because of all of the excess fluid in my body. The muscles in your neck hold it in place while you're awake, but in the relaxed state of sleep, it colapses into your throat and the air makes the snoring sound trying to force it's way through. When I went to the dentist they elevated my feet and I couldn't breathe because the fluid was closing my throat. I was pretty embarassed, and freaked out! I have learned that if you're patient, things will rectify themselves after pregnancy. Please remember that 6 days post-partum is no time to be upset about weight gain, and be confident that if you can at least get comfortable in the mean time, this too shall pass. I tried to remember that all this is the price I was paying to have the priveledge of having a new life in my world. Oh, and I stopped standing in the pantry eating Oreos. :-)

Good luck, and enjoy that baby.
~K.

Snoring is normal with pregnancy, and sometimes doesn't go away afterwards, like those last 10 pounds or whatever. My parents both snore to wake the dead, but generally we were all able to sleep through it. Severe snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, which is where you stop breathing for a while, so it might be something to look into, if you can afford it. The nose strips may also be a good idea.

I snore, my husband snores (though louder than I), and sometimes if he snores very loudly I'll nudge him and he'll change positions. I'd suggest talking with your husband and telling him you miss him and will sleep better to have him around, and also that people do grow accustomed to sleeping through snoring. I'd say that's a discomfort people can get used to, whereas I don't think he'd want YOU to get used to sleeping without HIM.

try sleeping propped up from your shoulders up. This is the only thing I have found that helps my hubby stop snoring so I can actually go to sleep. But I will say, you eventually get used to it and it won't wake you up anymore....lol (same with him if he decides to tough it out, it will eventually become something he won't even notice).

I have had problems with snoring and it is from my throat closing while I sleep. I some times stop breathing for a few seconds. I got a mouth piece made that puts my lower jaw in a more forward position wich holds my throat open more. You could ask your dentist if they know any one who does those. It helped me for a while, then the muscles stretch out. You might be snoring more now because you are more tired and in a deeper sleep. Snoring can be worse with medications or alcohol that cause you to sleep deeper.
You could have a sleep study done or see an ENT they can help with snoring. Good luck!

Good Morning....i had to laugh, my husband has been a snorrer all of our 23 years of married life...first off, your husband will get used to it when it's minor....there are nights that my husband snores so badly that he wake me and himself up...we bought some of those breathe right strips...the generic works just as good as the name brand.....they do work, sometimes it stops it all together and sometimes just brings it back to a dull roar that i've been used to for years...now days, if he's not snoring, i'm checking him to see if he's ok....good luck....R. :o}

You might have started snoring during pregnancy because everything tends to swell up and become inflamed during pregnancy. It might have continued because sometimes inflammation kind of becomes a habit of the body. (You casn get this fixed through acupuncture - probably just a session or two should do it.)

Also, during pregnancy, your water requirement goes up, and if you aren't able to keep up with your water intake, your mucus became drier, thicker, and more of a problem. Drinking enough water helps move things through. if you are nursing, this might explain why you are still snoring - the first few days after birth, at the hospital, you were probably on an IV or, anyway, they were keeping you on top of your fluids; plus, you were only producing colostrum at that point. Or your bed was elevated so that you were sort of propped up, and this reduced or eliminated your snoring.

If this latter situation was the case, try to prop yourself up with pillows to mimic the effect. Also, stop drinking milk, which is very mucus-producing, and stop eating dairy products and eggs (also very mucus-producing). The mucus, itself, might not be the problem, but it does somehow cause people to snore who ordinarily don't.

Most importantly, drink more water. I suspect that this is the heart of it.

BTW, my husband snores when he sleeps on his back, and when he turns onto his side, he stops. See if you can experiment with different positions - if propping doesn't help - and maybe this will make a difference.

Go get yourself a big glass of water!

L.

The same thing happened to me, sorry to say my baby will be 3 in december and i was told i rattle windows. Sorry. I will be watching for your responses.

Hi there! I feel your pain....wanting your hubby in bed next to you, especially now that its cold outside. Have you tried sleeping on your tummy now that you're not pregnant? I hope it stops! Sorry, wish I had a cure.