Trying to sleep when someone in the room is snoring can be quite a
challenge.
So what can you do when someone snores? You can get the other person to change their sleeping position. You can also try looking for potential allergens that could be causing the person’s nasal passages to clog up. As for you, you can try wearing ear plugs to avoid being disturbed by the noise.
Different people snore for different reasons. The key is to look for the main cause. In the meantime, you can read on to find out what you can do when someone in the room snores.
5 Things You Can Do to Stop Someone From Snoring
Here are some of the things that you can do if your spouse or roommate snores all the time.
Ask them to change their sleeping position.
A person’s sleeping position plays a huge role in their snoring.
When a person sleeps on their back, the soft palate and the tongue press back against the throat. This causes these parts to vibrate as air passes through, which results in snoring.
To prevent someone from snoring, get them to sleep on their side. This allows the air to pass more seamlessly through the throat.
Now, a lot of people may not be comfortable sleeping on their side. This is where a body pillow proves to be helpful.
A body pillow is a full-length pillow that can offer support so that you can sleep on your side more comfortably.
Some are more creative and tape tennis balls (or anything similar) to the back of their pajamas so that they won’t accidentally lie down on their back while sleeping.
Some try to recline the bed with their heads extended way up, but this could also cause some neck pain.
Avoid drinking alcohol or taking sedatives.
Alcohol and sedatives make people feel drowsy and too relaxed. The problem is, it also relaxes one’s muscles in the process, including the ones that play a role in the breathing process.
When you drink alcohol or take any form of sedative or depressant 4 to 5 hours before sleeping, your jaw and your throat muscles start to relax. This causes them to sink back into your airways, partially blocking it.
From here, you know what happens next. Similar to what happens when a person sleeps on his or her back, the slight blockage in the airway causes every part to vibrate, causing the snoring sound.
Try to lose weight.
Don’t get us wrong. Thin people snore, too. However, if you notice that someone started snoring just when that person started gaining weight, then the added weight could be the problem.
When added weight is placed around the neck area, it could cause the throat to tighten up a bit, squeezing everything inside. Once again, this will cause your throat area to collapse and partially block your airways, causing you to snore.
Clear the nasal passages.
Sometimes, snoring can also be caused by anything blocking your nasal passages. Removing these blockages can be one of the best solutions in helping someone stop snoring.
Start off by asking the person to take a hot shower before sleeping. This can help ease blocked nasal passages. Cleaning out the nose with some saltwater rinse also helps. This can be done while the person is in the shower.
Allergens can also contribute to blocked nasal passages, so it might be a good idea to try and pinpoint potential sources. If the pillows have been used for quite a long time, then it might be time to change them. The same thing is true for the mattress being used, as well as the blankets and sheets. Remove other allergens, like dust or pet fur. Clean up every corner of the room and find potential sources of mold.
Promote proper rest.
The amount of rest and sleep that a person gets can be a contributor in whether or not a person snores. If you only sleep for a couple of hours and work yourself to death the rest of the day, then you’re letting yourself become overtired. This is one of the triggers of snoring.
If you already know that you’ve had a busy day and would have to get up early the next morning, refrain from going straight to a night out. Get enough sleep to recharge your entire body.
When you are overtired, your muscles start becoming floppy, including your throat muscles. This causes snoring to occur.
How to Sleep When Someone Else is Snoring
If it’s someone else in the room who’s snoring, it can be a huge problem. You’ll end up not getting enough sleep, especially if the snoring is extremely loud.
Now, some may shrug it off. But the truth is, it’s not going to be healthy for either of you if you just choose to tolerate your roommate or your partner’s snoring.
The tips above tell you what you can do when it’s another person who’s snoring. This time, here are tips on how you can sleep while the other person snores.
Use a white noise machine.
White noise machines have been revolutionary for people with insomnia. They’re powerful enough to drown out the usual sounds that mess up people’s nights, like the neighbor’s dog barking, the honking of the cars on the busy street downstairs, or the noise by the people partying next door.
White noise machines can drown out your roommate or your partner’s snoring. It could be just the thing you need to get a good night’s sleep despite the noise.
Wear ear plugs.
Ear plugs are among the most common suggestions you’ll hear when people hear about your sleeping problem.
Some may think that it wouldn’t help, probably because some ear plugs tend to fall off in the middle of the night, and some only muffle noise instead of completely eliminating it.
But if you really invest in a good pair, there are ear plugs that can make your forget that somebody else is in the room. You should also figure out what size and shape fits your ears best to make sure it doesn’t fall out right when your roommate’s snoring is at its peak.
Go to bed first.
If you know each other’s sleeping patterns and you’re able to adjust your own sleeping time, then it’s best to always sleep ahead of the snoring person.
Make sure the other person doesn’t get in until you’re in deep sleep. Otherwise, you’ll only end up waking up again once the snoring starts.
Evidently, this would require some serious communication. It is also expected that your routines may change, with each person making adjustments just to make things work. But when you think about it, if it’s going to give you both a more conducive environment for sleep, then it could just be worth it.
Related Questions
Can you die from snoring?
Although snoring does not kills you directly, it is one of the most major symptoms of sleep apnea. Studies show that people whose snoring is caused by sleep apnea has a 40% chance of dying a lot earlier than people in the same age bracket.
Is snoring bad for the health?
Habitual snoring could be a sign of more serious health issues. For example, it is one of the clear signs of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing while you’re sleeping because of blockage in your airways. It could also raise your blood pressure and cause enlargement of the heart, which would heighten the risks of getting a stroke or a heart attack.
How do you use olive oil to stop snoring?
To stop snoring, some people believe in traditional homemade recipes that involve olive oil. Just take one tablespoon of olive oil and add some honey to make it taste better. Olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties, so it could help ease up any swelling of the throat that could be causing your airways to be blocked.
