My husband will not stop snoring and I need to sleep

Dear Liz,
I cannot sleep and I am starting to get really angry about it. My husband snores all night long! I’ve tried nudging him, pushing him over onto his side, even sleeping on the couch, but he snores are Just. So. Loud. What can I do to get him to quiet the snoring so that I can get some sleep?
– Exhausted Wife

Dear Exhausted Wife,

Well, that sounds like it totally sucks. The good news is that this is a super common problem, which means there are a variety of ways that you can treat the situation so that you can get some much-needed sleep. Let’s jump right in, shall we?

  1. If your husband is overweight, get him on a diet pronto. By losing even a little bit of weight, he will likely slow down on the snoring since fat located in the back of the throat will melt away leaving better breathing space.
  2. Try over the counter remedies like breathing strips, which look a lot like band aids for your nose. I’ve tried these and they worked for me!
  3. General health like staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol, and getting plenty of exercises can also help alleviate snoring.
  4. Washing your bedding, including your pillows, and changing sleeping positions – try having your husband sleep on his side instead of his back can also help.
  5. Consider seeing your family doctor and asking about sleep apnea, which can cause snoring. Sleep apnea is a pretty serious medical condition that interrupts normal breathing patterns. If your husband has sleep apnea then your doctor may recommend a CPAP machine to help regulate his breathing, which will also tone down the snoring.

Not getting enough sleep feels horrible and is also not great for your health. I hope these suggestions help!

Good luck!

~ Liz

If you have a question for Dear Liz and her team of experts just drop us an email at dearliz@bangordailynews.com.