Husband Snoring - Chicago,IL

Things that work for us: 1) earplugs (the ones rated 33), and 2) in worst case scenarios (like he's had a beer or two), guest bedroom.

Honestly, we often sleep in separate rooms. He sometimes snores like a locomotive. He DOES have sleep apnea and has a CPAP, but then it's like sleeping with Darth Vader, so either way, unlucky me.

But without the second bed option, start with earplugs.

Lol! What do you think sleep apnea sounds like?
You can't "hear" sleep apnea.
Unless he's had a sleep study done, you don't really know if he has sleep apnea or not.
He should talk to his doctor about his snoring.
Good luck!

breatheright strips are like magic! well, at least if you DON'T have sleep apnea.
which you're not qualified to diagnose.
so try them, try nudging him to roll over when he starts sawing logs (that's what i do with mine), and if nothing else works, have him go to someone who IS qualified to check to see if it's a medical issue.
khairete
S.

I didn't think my husband had apnea either but he did. I would get him a sleep study. Left unchecked, apnea can be dangerous.

When my husband's snoring starts to bother me I roll him onto his side and he stops.

Oh boy, snoring husbands are such a pain!! I've gone through most of what you have, except my husband struggles with his weight, & there is some apnea tendency to his snoring.

Losing some weight has helped him, but it sounds like weight is not an issue for your husband. B's comment below is correct - things relax as we age, & some of the soft tissue & muscles can cause issues that weren't there a few years ago.

I'm sure you've heard about elevating the head of the bed (2-6" with risers), & this does help. Also, when they sleep on their side, snoring tends to lessen. My poor hubby is always being told "roll over!" & luckily for me he will do it in his sleep on command. :)

We also got contoured memory-foam pillows (Serta brand) and they helped quite a bit!! They keep the head elevated a bit more than a normal fluff & stuff pillow, so the air passage is at a neutral position & not as prone to collapse. If you are still using standard pillows, it is worth a try, & the Serta pillows weren't too expensive (I think $20 @ Menards a few years ago).

Good luck! T.

As we age, skin loosens in the throat and snoring happens.
Sometimes losing weight can get rid of it.
If he can lose weight so easily, see if his dropping 20 lbs make a difference.
People don't talk about it much but separate bedrooms have saved more than one marriage.
Does your husband WANT to do anything about his snoring?
If he does, then he can try a chin strap to wear at night.
Or his doctor can help - he'll probably want him to do a sleep study.
Some dentists can help with snoring now too.
In the mean time, try ear plugs.

I think a checkup is in order. He needs apnea ruled out by a dr. Beyond that, things that cause nasal congestion like allergies, colds, and sinus infections can cause snoring. Is it any better if he uses a breath right strip to open up his nasal passages?

Please do not assume this is not sleep apnea based just on how you think his snoring sounds. Unless you're a doctor or nurse with experience with sleep apnea -- get him checked out professionally rather than going by what you hear. You do sleep at some point and may be missing the sounds you think are signs of apnea. It's worth ruling it out professionally. If you are right, that's great, but don't take it on yourself to diagnose him.

This could be down to a lot of things and he really needs to investigate possible medical causes or changes that are affecting him. Rule out the stuff that could be medical before turning to managing this as part of your relationship.

Once he's been checked out thoroughly (which probably will involve a sleep study as someone else mentioned below), if there is nothing medical going on: Does he sleep on his back, his side, his stomach? It could be that his sleeping position and the position of his head on the pillow are affecting him. My husband only snores if he rolls onto his back and stays there for a long time. If I nudge him, he rolls onto his side and does not snore at all. (Like your husband, he did not snore when we were younger and I suspect that some of this has to do with changes as he ages. We got him checked and he does have some allergies too and that affects him.)

I also know of friends who say their husbands snore if they are lying too flat, with their heads in line with their bodies, but stop snoring as soon as their heads and shoulders are elevated.

Your husband's fast asleep while snoring, of course, so has no idea what sleeping positions bring on the snoring, so you can help by figuring out if he only snores in a certain position.

But meanwhile, since its sounds like it's loud and frequent enough to affect your own sleep, get him to a doctor as well as assessing his sleep positions.

I wear earplugs and sometimes wrap a pillow around my head.

We have extra bedrooms since daughter has moved out for college. Sometimes it is musical beds around here... I've been known to have slept in 3 beds in 1 night. Same for hubby.

Sometimes he gets up and goes elsewhere, sometimes I do. I guess it depends on who it is bothering the most because we have a new Sleep Number bed that we both love!!

He is not as bad if his head is elevated a little. Just a thought.

My husband is not overweight, an avid golfer and just snores like crazy. He refuses a sleep study so I just make sure I have good ear plugs and pillow.

I haven't read the responses you already received, but thought I would throw my 2 cents out there. My husband snores quite badly when his allergies are acting up. If he takes and allergy pill he generally doesn't snore. If your husband doesn't want to take medicine, he could also try the Breathe Right strips to see if they help. I find that when I am congested they help me breathe and sleep better.

Also, we had a friend who had borderline sleep apnea and supposedly snored pretty badly. The doctor recommended that he have his tonsils removed and after that the snoring stopped along with his sleep problems.

Is your husband complaining that he doesn't feel like he is sleeping as well as he used to? If so, he should probably check with his doctor.

Good Luck

Has he gained weight? A lot of times that's a factor in the swelling in the mouth/nasal passages, and it changes the breathing.

How do you know it's not sleep apnea? While you are not noticing any major cessation of breathing, he could still have it. I do. My husband had no idea - only that I started snoring. It's something that is tested in a sleep clinic - overnight, painless. It's pretty enlightening - I thought I woke up twice - they measured that I had 140 "arousals"! This is a safety issue, even if someone doesn't stop breathing long enough to cause a problem. He's very likely not getting into REM sleep, so his body isn't healing and he's not really getting restful, deep sleep. Honestly, he maybe should not be driving (and no matter what he says about feeling he's fine!). And you aren't getting rest, so you shouldn't be driving either. I know that sounds dramatic, but it's actually true. I was shocked to learn all this but my life is so much better now.

Talk to his doctor about it - don't ignore it. There are multiple health issues that arise over years of interrupted sleep. There are numerous techniques to address this and the decision will only come when you have the information and can evaluate options.

I could have written this post myself. Not only does my husband snore now (he didn't used to), he thrashes and kicks in his sleep. He sleeps in our back room with the recliner for most of the night. I'm trying to get him to have sleep study done, because I know he can't feel rested in the morning with all that activity at night.
Some people have told us to try the breath right strips, like others have suggested, but that didn't work for us. Maybe you can try that, or otherwise, get a great pair of earplugs. :/

I'd first try an ENT to see if there is anything they can suggest (nasal sprays help). He might suggest a sleep study. If he does need a CPAP, you will both love it. He'll sleep much more soundly and way quieter.

Also, he shouldn't sleep on his back. Only his side and tummy. I've heard of women who sew a marble or two into their hubby's pajamas to make it uncomfortable to sleep on his back. Try cutting the toe off of a sock, sticking in a marble and pinning it to his shirt where his shoulder blade is. Can't hurt to try.

Hy hubby never used to snore either and now he sounds like a cross between a jet taking off and a monster. I have learned to sleep with ear plugs in and it helps but I do still get woken up by the snoring sometimes.

My ex had sleep apnea - snored terribly - and thrashed as he was gasping for air. He was only slightly overweight - maybe 20 lbs tops; but it turned out he had a deviated septum and his adenoids were really big. He ended up having surgery and that resolved it. Prior to that, I used earplugs - but I had to find good ones; the first ones I bought didn't really help at all, too light weight.

Is your husband a drinker? Sounds like a strange question, but I recently found out my husband is a daily drinker, sober 120 days now. No more snoring since quitting drinking. Just a thought.

A sleep study is a good idea, just to be sure, but I have slept with three men who have sleep apnea at different levels of severity and you CAN hear it. They stop breathing for periods of time and then gasp for air after. What we can't determine by just listening is how severe or dangerous it is.

I don't have any new suggestions, however, from the ones others have already shared.