Can't Take the Snoring Anymore!!!

I would get a sleep study done. Complete Sleep (in FW) is a good clinic; I personally know several of the clinician's and managers of the clinic and they are fantastic people.

Both my husband and I snore. Last year I got an appliance from my dentist (about $600, I think, but may be covered by your medical insurance). Like another mom said, it positions your jaw so that the snoring stops. It is recommended for sleep apnea as well. It was a little difficult to get used to, and looks a little goofy, but is preferable to staying awake at night. I have seen a similar appliance advertised on TV with a website www.puresleep.com. It is much less expensive than the one I got through the dentist, so I'm planning to order it for my husband. Good luck.

Your husband may have a problem with sleep apnea. My husband did and did not know it. Check with your doctor and see if he qualifies for the sleep test. He may need a machine and everything will be so much better. My husband was actually stopping breathing during his sleep time.

My FIL has sleep apnea and he did breathing treatments. basically he wore this mask and looked like / sounded like darth vador instead. Not sure if that is an option but it might be worth asking the Dr. about.

Good luck. I feel your pain. I bought those nose strips to prevent snoring for mine only to fine that they are latex and my husband is allergic to latex.

S.

Hi, my name is K. Bridgwater and I wear a snore guard at night. My husband is a dentist and made it for me. It definitely helps. It holds the lower jaw forward so that there can be less vibration in the throat. This device is called Silent Nite. It took some getting used to, but it is worth the effort. If you want more info, call his office and talk to Caron at the front desk. She may be able to give you more info. Good luck.

My usband was snoring REALLY bad...yhe had a sleep study done and had apnea...he didnt get the surgery but he wears a machine at night. I can now say that he has not snored since the first night he slept with that on. I would get it checked out. It is a dangerous thing to not treat. If it was 10 years ago that he had a sleep study things are prob diff with the insurance. Good Luck and hope you get some sleep soon.

M.,
I read all of the responses thus far and agree that he definitely needs another sleep study. I am a RN and my husband also has severe sleep apnea, for which he wears a C-pap machine/mask. PLEASE take snoring seriously! For several years before my husband would get a sleep study done, I suffered with his snoring, but more importantly, he has suffered long-term effects of the sleep apnea. The brain does not get a sufficient amount of oxygen with sleep apnea. He does not think as quickly as he used to and he is very sluggish during the day. He also developed an irregular heart rhythm at one point, which can be caused by sleep apnea. Ask him to get tested for YOU. Best wishes. ~ N.

Can he get one of those machines with athe mask that forces him to breathe at night? My mom has one of those machines. It helps her alot. She doesn't snore anymore, and she sleeps alot better. She has severe sleep apnea.

M.,

I am sorry that you are going through this! My husband has to sleep downstairs! it is that bad for us. He also jolts in his sleep also. The doctor told my husband that his adnodes (sp) were to big and that he needed to have them removed, well my husband is the MOST STUBBORN person on earth and thought that the doctor was crazy! So he has not done anything. He also did the sleep study about 2 years ago and did not follow up with the doctor's on that either. It has come to the point that he has been sleeping downstairs for about 2 years. Pretty pathetic. When we take vacations none of us get's sleep (accept the kids) because we have to sleep in the same bed and we are not used to each other and when he falls asleep (which can be anywhere) and starts snoring I tell him to roll over and it is a game for about 6 hours. Before the seperate rooms I used to have to race him to bed so that at least I got ahead start, or I would have to take some sort of sleeping aid.

Good luck

I feel your pain!! My husband snores INCREDIBLY loud. I have to wait until I am totally exhausted before I go to bed so that way I will fall asleep as soon as I lay down. There is a relatively new procedure that ENT's are doing in their offices called the Pillar Procedure. I have looked into it and would love for my husband to do it but insurance does not cover it unless it is used as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It's pretty expensive. It's a couple of thousand if I remember correctly. Here is the link so that you can read about it: http://www.pillarprocedure.com/default.aspx. Hope this helps. Good luck to you!

Dear M..
Go to www.yourbestair.com/garrett my husband snored go bad sounded like he was gona raise the roof off. Now he hardly ever snores. check the web site and you will see how we market them.
Gopod luck
J. G

Hi M.,

I think he should probably do the study again to see if things are worese, apnea can be so dangerous. I was diagnosed with mild apnea a couple of years ago and the doctor recommended a mouth piece that cost about $80 and my husband said it definitely helped with the snoring. I was going to send you the website but it appears it no longer exists! I know I 've seen commercials on TV for a different brand so I am sure a doctor can recommend one. I also have a friend who has the CPAP machine which also works well. I don't know anything about the surgery, however.

Judi

A lot can change in ten years since his last sleep study. DO IT AGAIN!

Chances are he is more than eligible for a CPAP machine. My husband had been urging me to do a sleep study for about 3 years. When I finally did, it was discovered that I have severe apnea.

Using the CPAP is the best thing I ever did - well, almost the best ; ) !

We bought a sleep number bed and if my husband sleeps slightly up he does not snore. My brother did the sleep study thing and has to sleep with a kind of breathing machine. It works and my sister-in-law now can sleep.

You are describing my husband exactly! But mine did the study a few years ago and uses a machine - it has saved us from sleeping in separate beds because his snoring was terrible. Have him do the study again, it is WORTH IT! Mine has talked about surgery but they've told him the same thing - it doesn't always work. But the machine does (it just takes a little getting used to on his part). Good luck whatever happens!

He definately needs a sleep study done and then possibly an Apnea C-Pap machine. I did for a few years and was so loud my husband had to go to the guest room. I now sleep so quiet, he looks over to see if I am there. I actually get some sleep and rest better, REM sleep, theyn call it. You have better memory, don't get sleepy at work or while driving and reduce your risk of stroke and high blood pressure and even heart attack when you use a C-Pap machine. It is not age or weight related to have sleep apnea, even some children are diagnosed. I go to Dr. Briggs, ear, nose and throat specialist in Arlington.
My insurance covered it and the cost of the machine. I am in Spain now and you travel with it everywhere. It is not counted as a carry on, but necessary medical equipment. On a scale of 1-29, I am a 9, not too bad, but the machine is necessary for me and I love it. I adjust it a little if I turn over, but I keep it on all night and even if I nap.

Sleep apnea may be the problem. I knew of a person that his wife said he could wake anyone up if they were on opposite parts of the house, and he was treated for it, and also has a little mask with a machine to put on at night, they said the type problem he was having was liable to effect his heart if he didn't use it, and if he did use it, his heart would be fine, it is just that the sleep apnea when it is bad effects it, so he may need to be checked again to see if that is the culpret.

He may need to use a breathing machine. I know someone who uses one every night because of sleep apnea but is not overweight either. It really helps him. Best Wishes. I know that is a tough situation.

I know your pain!! My husband did a sleep study about 4 years ago now, and he has major apnea. They wouldn't recommend the surgery for him. He sleeps with a CPaP machine which works wonders for the snoring. The down side of the CPaP was initially for him to get use to it enough to actually wear (which he did since he got tired of sleeping alone). Also, sometimes when he turns it will shift on his face and you can hear the hissing of the air AND sometimes the mask shifts enough for him to snore. I usually have to ask him to adjust his mask at least once a night. There is a clinic in Dallas that does the Pillar procedure (the Snoring Center) www.snoringcenter.com. I would like for my hubby to go there, but haven't talked him into it yet.

Good Luck!!

M.,
He may not be willing to take the test but it works. He needs to see a sleep dr. This worked wonders for me and took care of a lot of health problems as well as the snoring. B.

The only thing that worked for my dh- he lost 5 lbs- the snoring magically vanished! He WAS NOT overweight, but the loss cured him. You dh may need surgery for deviated septum possibly...

Good morning and this email make all of your mornings great. My husband has been a major snorer for years. He ended up with a c-pap machine after his visit to a sleep clinic. After many years of looking like Hanibal Lecter...........he decided to try something new called a TAP(Thornton Adjustable Positioner). Ask your dentist about it. It is nothing more than putting clear retainers in your mouth and it adjusts your jaw so that you can breath without snoring. Yes........if he has too much to drink or is exhausted, he may snore a little but this has definately saved our marriage. Good luck.

I agree with others about redoing the test. The surgery doesn't always work -true- but you doctor will be able to tell you and your spouse if he is a good canidate. For the surgery to be effective there has to be structural problems that they are correcting if the problem is muscle/tissue weakness surgery will be less effective. A cpap machine is a godsend if the surgery is not an option. If your insurance wont pay shop around! My dad's cpap machine was approximatly 3k less that my daughters for the same machine!

Also there are diffent types of sleep apnea. If he has central apnea he will most likely need a bi-pap machine with an oxygen feed.

My husband was the same way but I saw a commercial for No Snore spray and it worked. You can find it at Walmart where they have the Breathe Right strips. We tried those and they didn't work. The No Snore is a spray that lubricates the throat and it's awesome plus it's not very expensive. Good luck!

My husband used to be exactly like yours, and we were both miserable! Ear plugs didn't work for me either, and we would have tried anything. First of all he had surgery for a deviated septum, with no improvement. Next he had a procedure where they put electrodes into the roof of his mouth to toughen up the skin there. Also no result. He has had lots of sleep studies done, and 2 years ago went for major surgery. They broke his lower jaw, extended his chin and wired it all back together. There was a long recovery time, and at the end of it all, he was snoring just as badly. Then they tried the C-Pap machine. It just didn't work for him, so finally, about a year ago they fitted him for a Bi-Pap. This has been our salvation! Like another mama wrote, the mask does shift sometimes, so I occasionally wear earplugs to avoid the hissing sound, but it is nowhere near as bad as the snoring. All the costs of the machine and the disposable parts (like the mask, filters etc) are covered by our insurance. I wish we had just gone straight to the Bi-Pap and avoided all the surgeries.

I wish you luck with your quest to find a solution, I know how terrible it can be to live with this problem.

Definitely get him checked for sleep apnea - I work as a Nurse @ a hospital and when we ask about if the patient has ever been diagnosed with sleep apnea the very next question is - do they snore? The louder it is the worse it is suppose to be. Hope everything turns out OK - definitely get him checked.

I sleep with ear plugs for this reason. I put them pretty deep down in my ear. Amazingly I can still hear my kids, my phone, etc, just not the snoring. Good luck!

I would suggest that he get another sleep study done, 10 years is a long time. Personal experience: my husband's snoring was so bad that I got used to it (imagine that) and when he stopped snoring one night, it scared me to death. I shook him awake and told him what happened, the next morning I asked that he see a doctor. Long story short, it turns out that he was probably only getting about an hour of 'real' sleep a night, which would explain the quantity of caffeine (diet coke) he drank to stay awake. The contraption (CPAP) is awkward, but it's better than continue living the way he was - the poor man was exhausted. Today.... we are both so much happier because he is well rested and I get to sleep in silence :) Good luck!

Please, please, please have him get another sleep study done. 10 years ago is a long time, and I can only imagine that he does indeed have sleep apnea. My husband is a registered sleep technician, and runs sleep studies for people every night. He agrees that surgery is a short term solution, if a solution at all, and fits people for CPAP machines. It is a bit strange at first, but any wife who has dealt with a snoring hubby will tell you the machine is a god-send!! If you need any information, reputable sleep company, or any thing else, please let me know. This truly can be a dangerous condition!! ~A.~

M., I know what you are talking about... my husband snores also. I nudge him and he stops for a couple of seconds and if I wake him up - he stops for a couple of minutes, then once he goes back to sleep, it starts all over again. Meanwhile, I'm sleep deprived and ready to find another bed - but this seems so anti-married to me.
So, like you, I'd love to find a "cure" for snoring.

I've had the surgery, and it didn't do any good.
He probably needs to have several sleep studies done ASAP.
Sounds like he has gotten worst. You may need to try a
different doctor also. I went to a ear, nose and throat doctor at Baylor in Irving.

Good luck....

Ugh......I totally FEEL YOUR PAIN! For the first 6-7 years of our marriage, we slept in different bedrooms b/c of snoring. Very frustrating. We eventually (tried everything else) took him (well, I took him...) to see an ENT. He checked him out and removed the uvula (punching bag) in his throat and did a couple of other things to his soft palate and that has helped some. Also, when my husband gains weight, he snores more. When he loses weight, he doesn't snore near as bad....not sure if that is an issue for your husband or not.
Also, another thing we do is we have a box fan in our bedroom (not the prettiest thing in our room) but it really helps. We go to Home Depot or Lowe's and buy the LOUDEST one they have. They "white noise" really helps.
Good luck!!!!!

Have him do the sleep study again if he can. He may be eligible for the machine by now. My husband was so bad that you could hear him upstairs, now he uses the machine and you can hardly hear him even in the same room. I think it's called a c-pat machine, so check it out. Good luck!

Hi M.!!

My husband had the same problem about 5 years ago. He snored so loud I could hear him all over the house and neither of us ever got any sleep. I would nudge him all night and we were both so exhausted and cranky in the morning. He finally went to a nose, throat and ear doctor and they recommended a sleep study. He did have sleep apena and was waking up more than every second and never went into a deep sleep. He got a CPAP breathing machine and sleeps great. He is more rested in the morning and so am I. It has been a life saver. He did not have surgery just got the machine which was covered by our insurance. Maybe your husband should have another sleep study. It has been wonderful to sleep. My husband never sleeps without the machine and feels so much better in the morning. My husband went to Dr. Craig Schwimmer who was really great. I think he has several new techniques for sleep apnea since my husband has seen him.

Good Luck!!!

I don't know if this would help but it is a pretty inexpensive solution.

My DH has always snored badly but when we got a new mattress and he would get in to a much deeper sleep and the snoring to horrilbe.

I bought some really good pillows with a 2 or 3 inch gusset that are ideal for side or back sleepers and it has made a huge difference. He still snores but it's back to where it doesn't keep me from sleeping.

Look at him when he sleeps and if his chin is nearly touching his chest the snoring may have a lot to do with the position of his head. DH's head was touching his chin and with the new pillows his chin is up and his head is back to where it should be.

What ever you find to work for you, I hope you find it and find it fast! I totally feel your pain.

My husband used to snor so bad I could not sleep, you sound like I was. I found nutritional supplement for migraine and lower back pain as well as over all well being. I started my husband on it and like majic no more snoring. I have heard of many others who said the same.

If you would like let me know and I will share mroe.

Have you tried Breath Right Strips? You can find them in any local pharmacy or Wal-Mart. I snor pretty bad sometimes and they really open up my nasal passage. It's worth a try.