I’m a light sleeper and one thing I cannot stand while trying to doze off at night is someone snoring near me. I might be dead-tired then, but try as I might, I can’t sleep through that racket. It can be extremely frustrating trying to block out the snoring noise in the quiet of the night and try and drift off to sleep. Kicking or elbowing your partner doesn’t help much either.
We all know that getting sufficient sleep at night is essential to our health and well-being. But when your partner constantly snores through the night, and regularly awakens you from a sound sleep, you may end up being sleep deprived for days. This will eventually result in you being grumpy and irritable.
So, what do we do in such a situation? You can’t be angry at your partner for snoring because they aren’t doing it on purpose. So what do you do? For starters, recognize that it’s a physical problem. Snoring happens when the tissues in our upper airway vibrate, which causes noise.
Experts say that snoring usually worsens with age. It can also happen if you’re overweight because a larger neck circumference results in narrower airways. Find out more about this topic in our article on Causes of Snoring and How to Fix the Problem.
Thankfully, there are many ways you can block out your partner’s snores and sleep peacefully. Here are five strategies that might help.
1. Wear Foam Earplugs
This is an easy, quick, and inexpensive solution to the problem. Get yourself a box of foam earplugs and stuff them in your ears to muffle or block the sound of your partner’s snores. These moldable earplugs are great at blocking sound and are soft on the ears. Since they are made from a soft material, they will form to fit your ear canal.
You can get these soft foam ear plugs from any drugstore or online. There are a lot of varieties available today, and you may have to try a few until you find the right set that works for you.
Also, make sure you follow the directions listed on the box on how to insert the earplugs the correct way. This video tutorial will help.
2. Listen to White Noise
A white noise app can help muffle sounds of snoring and allow you to drift off to sleep peacefully. There are many different white noise apps available in Android and Apple play stores today with plenty of neat options – from the sound of ocean waves crashing on the sand to rain falling on tree leaves. By playing such consistent soothing sounds near your bedside, you are less likely to focus on anything going on around you, such as snoring. It might take you a while to train yourself to sleep with noise, but this can be quite an effective remedy to block out those annoying snoring sounds.
Another easy alternative is to listen to some white noise tracks on YouTube. Here’s one example:
3. Wear Sleep Headphones
Not everyone will be comfortable using earplugs. A better solution for such people is sleep headphones. Opt for Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones that do not come with a wire. They won’t become tangled at night and are safe to use. Make sure, of course, that you do not listen to high volumes for long periods. Combine it with some soothing sleep sounds or white noise through an app, and it should block out the snoring noise completely.
4. Change Partner’s Position
Image source: YouTube/Review Ninja
Research shows that sleeping on your back can make snoring worse. If your snoring partner sleeps on their back, perhaps asking them to change their position might make things better. To help alter their sleeping position, you can use devices like a wedge pillow or a head-positioning pillow. A wedge pillow will keep them off their back as they raise the top half of your body while you sleep. A head-positioning pillow, also called an anti-snore pillow, is designed to properly align the user’s neck so that they are less likely to snore. Anti-snore pillows also promote spinal alignment and help keep your airway open to reduce snoring. You can easily order these pillows online.
5. Sleep in a Different Room
If all else fails, your best bet is to simply move to a different room during bedtime. And no need to feel guilty about choosing this option. Good sleep is essential, as you very well know, and if sleeping in a different room helps you get a quiet night of sleep, then go for it.
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