Snoring
Snoring
The His 'n' Hers Problem
A woman in Davis, California, snored so loudly that a neighbor had her arrested in the middle of the night under the city's new anti-noise statute.
"We think of snoring as being normal and sometimes even cute," says Kristyna M. Hartse, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry, human behavior and otolaryngology and director of the Sleep Disorders Center at St. Louis Health Sciences Center. "But there's nothing normal or cute about it."
According to Dr. Hartse and other sleep experts, loud snoring can disrupt good marriages or worsen bad ones.
Who snores more, men or women?
Men are more frequently dragged in for treatment by their wives, according to Nancy Collop, M.D., associate professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine and director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. But Dr. Collop doesn't attribute this to men snoring more than women. "It's possible that women snore as much and as loudly as men do, especially as they get older, but men seem to sleep more soundly than women, so they're less disturbed by a snoring spouse."
ROLL OVER, BEETHOVEN
To restore that loving--and restful--feeling, try these home remedies. All remedies apply to snorers of either sex.
Sleep on your side. "Snoring is usually worse when you sleep on your back," says Laurel Wiegand, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of the Department of Medicine at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Pennsylvania State University in Hershey. "So try to get your snorer to sleep on his side, or to sleep stomach side down."
Sew a ball into some pj's. "Sew a pocket into the back of a pajama top or T-shirt and stuff it with a tennis ball," says Dr. Hartse. "That way, the snorer will find sleeping on his back too uncomfortable and roll to the side."
Keep earplugs handy. If your snorer bothers you only occasionally, try a pair of soft, foam ear plugs, suggests Dr. Wiegand. "Keep a pair on your night table and use them if your partner's snoring is keeping you awake."
Drop that drink. "Alcohol relaxes all the muscles in the throat that vibrate," says Dr. Wiegand. "And it's dose-related--the more you drink, the louder you'll snore."
Lose the pudge. "Losing just a few pounds can lessen snoring or even make it disappear," says Dr. Wiegand.
When To See A Doctor Snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, a breathing disturbance characterized by explosively loud snoring interspersed with pauses of silence. During those pauses, which can last for ten seconds or longer, the snorer actually stops breathing for dozens or hundreds of times each night. As a result, the snorer awakes feeling unrefreshed and exhausted. Worse, sleep apnea can lead to fatigue-related accidents.
"If you or your bed partner is very loud when snoring and doesn't respond to home remedies after a couple of weeks, see a sleep specialist for a complete evaluation," says Laurel Wiegand, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of the Department of Medicine at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Pennsylvania State University in Hershey. "Today," adds Dr. Wiegand, "we have a number of effective options that can make ex-snorers out of most people."
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No butts. "Smoke may cause swelling and inflammation of the throat tissues, which, when swollen, are more likely to vibrate and produce snoring," says Dr. Wiegand.
Pick up a nasal splint. A product called Breathe works for some people. "These are little tapes that you place on the sides of your nose to keep your nostrils more open so that snoring will decrease. It's certainly worth a try," Dr. Wiegand says.
Try a nasal spray. If occasional snoring is caused by a cold, the snorer might give the bed partner some shut-eye by using a nasal spray or an over-the-counter decongestant before bedtime, suggests Dr. Wiegand. Be sure to use the medications according to package directions, she says.