Snoring Husband

My husband snores like the end of the world is coming, and I have a 11 month old son who I need to listen for at night. The way I combat the snoring is an earplug. I lay on my side, to sleep, and the ear that is on the pillow doesn't get an earplug, but the ear that is on top does. The pillow and earplug combo blocks out my husband enough that I can sleep, but I can still hear my son if he wakes up at night, and when he wakes up in the morning. (Although, most of the time I make my hubby get up and bring my son to me in the morning so I don't have to leave the warm bed. Hahaha!!) Good luck!

C.,
As many of these other women have said, you are not alone. I can't tell you anything else that the other women haven't already told you. My husband and I have slept together maybe 5x in the last year. He sleeps on the couch every night. However, he snores so loud that there are nights he wakes me up all the way in the bedroom. Sad but true. He despises his CPAP machine, and until he uses it and loses some weight, he will continue to sleep in the living room. However, we did buy a sleeper bed this past weekend, so hopefully he can start getting better sleep. I am 8 months pregnant, and there is NO WAY I could sleep on the couch right now.....kick him to the couch sister!
Good luck, J.

Christa, does he sleep on his back? Has he gained weight recently? Both of these contribute to the snoring. Smoking and drinking contribute as well. Also snoring can mean something more, like sleep apnea. If sleeping on his side or stomach doesn't help, or loosing weight it might be a good idea to see a doctor.

It's not petty! Believe me. You NEED a good night's sleep!

You might want to give ear plugs a chance - I know you're concerned about hearing your twins, but I use ear plugs every night (AND we use a white-noise machine) and it helps drown out the snoring, but I can still hear our son when he wakes up across the hall. (As mothers, we are tuned into those sounds that matter!) They make ear plugs with different levels of decibel protection, and you can start with the "light-duty" ones first.

Also, you can look into using a fan, air filter, humidifier, or white-noise machine to help drown out the sound. He may be snoring because the air is too dry, so a humidifier that makes noise may do double duty by helping him snore less AND drowning out the noise for you.

Finally, if you can keep him off his back, that will help. When my husband rolls onto his back, he starts snoring, wakes me up, and I give him a shove so he'll roll over and stop snorning. But it's better if he can prevent back-sleeping to begin with! Try wedging a body pillow under him so he stays on his side or stomach.

Just some ideas from someone who's dealt with a snoring husband for years now! =) Best of luck to you....

Has he tried sleeping on his belly or side? My husband snores so loud that when we lived in an apartment we would have the people above us pounding on the ground to get him to stop, but if I can keep him on his belly he does a lot better.

If that doesn't work I would definitely get a sleep test done. Good luck!

There are clear plastic clips that fit inside the nose, I think they're called breathe right. I bought them(kinda pricey)for my husband, they open up the airway so the person does not snore. They work great, sometimes I still hear a start of a snore but a start and a whole night of snoring are two different things. Good luck.

This is not petty at all and you are not alone. You have every right to be concerned and upset about it. After all you have to make sure you arent sleep deprived. I have the same problem with my husband and as embarrassing as it is for me to admit, we haven't slept in the same bed much for years. I am a very light sleeper and he snores and has sleep apnea. He has a c-pap machine for the sleep apnea and it works when he uses it...but that is rare anymore. He also had throat surgery to try to reduct some of the tissue that was blockign his airways. The removed his tonsils and uvula. That helped a tiny bit but not enough. Lucky for me he is working graveyard right now, so 5 nights a week I get the bed to myself. The other 2 I sleep with my daughter usually. We have a full size bed for her. When my husband isn't working graveyard, unfortunatly I normally sleep with my daughter 95% of the time then. Anyways I/we have tried everything like you so the one thing I might suggest is to have him do a sleep study to see if he has sleep apnea, if so, the c-pap machine really helps...IF they use it. Does he seem like he stops breathing at all while he is sleeping? Then sort of snorts or gasps for air real loud? We had to buy a humidifier attachment for his because it was irritating his sinuses so bad that he wouold wake up sneezing his head off...and then that requires constantly filling it with water and also cleaning out the mask and tubes every couple days which is why he doesnt use his enough (he is too lazy to clean it). I guess I am not a lot of help and I am sorry about that...I feel like we each need our own bedroom. I get really grumpy if I continuously loose sleep because of him so I just learned to sleep elsewhere to save my sanity and keep me from strangling him. Keep us updated on how things go for you, I wish you luck!

Ok a few tricks I have done to solve this problem is to get a good cool mist humidifier and put it near his side of the bed. this can help with the drying out of the throat that some people have at night. Also if it is really bad try getting him to take some pectin drops before bed. the medicine free ones for sore throats and coughs. They coat the throat again helping with the dryness. I hope this can hopefully work for you. Good luck.

Well My husband has the same Problem he is SO loud and I as well tried EVERYTHING! what seem to work with him is when I hear him start to snore I say " Dan roll over" I found if he laid on his left side he doesn't snore anymore :) so I wish you good luck have a great day

your noticeing him snore more now that you are pregnant can be just because you are pregnant. my husband talks in his sleep and unless he would actually wake me up physically i wouldn't notice but when I was preg. i woke everytime he started talking. remember too that even if they don't show it the stress of the preg. is effecting them too so he may actually be snoring more. and even if you fall asleep before him you will wake up to pee any ways and then you will have to get back to sleep with him snoring also it may be the pee that is waking you up but the first thing you notice is his snoring I have two suggestions either just make him sleep on the couch all the time just because he works doesn't mean he can't be a little uncomfortable you are a little uncomfortable all the time and i bet he still sleeps well either way (his belly wont make him fall of the couch) or get a recliner and sleep in that so you won't be crushed by you belly when you sleep on your back and you don'[t have to worry about your belly hanging of the couch :)

C.-

You may want to urge your husband to see the Dr. My father-in-law had the same problem for years and the Dr's told him it was sleep apnea, a sleeping condition that causes the airway to close partially, which is what causes the snoring. It also causes breathing to stop momentarily. Of course it may be something as simple as sinus drainage, so sleeping with his head propped up may help also. My best to you! -B.

I think it is great that your husband is so supportive, but it may just be a pregnant thing. When I was pregnant the smell of my husbands breath at night used to wake me up. The good news is that in four months it won't be a problem anymore! I would suggest having him sleep on the couch for a week and see if you sleep any better. He may be working, but you are growing a baby and with twins you need your sleep. I'm sure he will understand. See how the first week goes, and if you feel better, then trade off everyother week, so that you still get alone time with him, but you get some sleep too. Hope that helps!

First of all congrats on your twins and the baby boy on the way. Second my husband has snored for ever and is so loud. I finally convinced him to talk to his doctor who then sent him for a sleep study. We found out that he has sleep apnea which actually causes him to stop breathing every 15 seconds. He is now on a CPAP machine and it has been a dream come true. Literally we both get a good nights sleep on a fairly consistent basis. It took some time to get use to it but he does very well with it now, and i get to sleep as well.

I would definately try looking into a sleep study...if he has apnea then he is not getting good sleep either from waking himself up all night. You can get a c-pap machine and it will keep his breathing constant and it will be impossible for him to snore. My husband was TERRIBLE and with the machine, everyone is happier!

He should go see a sleep doctor! Some might say it's over reacting but he could have some more problems than snoring. Don't try to deal with it on your own. My mom slept on the cough for 25 years, before they found out my Dad had sleep apnea. Best of Luck!!

OMG...my hubby did the same thing! Fortunately I wasn't pregnant, but my daughter was still really young and waking up in the night. I tried the earplugs, but still wouldn't really sleep because I was afraid I wouldn't hear her. We tried the strips, the sprays, but nothing seemed to help. We discovered that if my hubby stayed on his side while he was sleeping, it helped. Try putting a pillow behind him when you go to bed. All else fails, working or not, you must come first. The couch isn't that bad! Trust me, I think he would prefer a rested, pregnant wife than have an irritated, exhausted mamma. Also, has your husband gained weight recently? We were able to contribute the snoring to the change in my husband's weight.

You poor dear, Kick his butt to the couch your job is much harder than his... JUST KIDDING. It's probably just pregnacy, who can sleep while they are swelling up like water balloon? my exhusband snored like abear in hibernation.. the only thing I found that worked was once he's dead asleep and snoring try to moved his head and re adjust the pillow to keep him in a "quiter" spot. if that doesn't work have him see the Dr. snoring can often be a sign of sleep apnea, which is generally not good but can be easily fixed.

good luck & sweet dreams
J.

I have exactly the same problem with my significant other. We have been together for almost 4 years and only slept in the same bed together aprox 3 months of this time. I can only remember two nights where we both woke up feeling totally rested in the same bed.

We also tried everything possible to get him to stop snoring and nothing helps. I've had both roommates and boyfriends in the past who snored and have been able to tolerate it so I'm not a light sleeper-I can sleep through a lot, but this is BAD.

So...we finally gave up sleeping together. At first, we would go to sleep together then when he woke me up snoring, he would go to the spare room. That worked for awhile, but he doesn't wake up then fall back to sleep easily so he would get extremely cranky when I woke him up. then I tried changing rooms which worked but kept me out of the room with all of my asthma approved lung ok bedding. So...we finally just started sleeping apart.

Honestly, it's the best thing we have ever done for our relationship. We can have our "cuddle" time in he evening or morning which is so much better because we are both rested lol.

the only other solution I've heard of working is laser surgery on the throat to eliminate excess skin.

Do you watch Grey's Anatomy? If you can stand wax ear plugs, they work great. I could still hear my SO with them but others may be luckier. Does he have allergies? If he does, try having him take a decongestant and antihistamine at bedtime to see if that helps.

good luck!

I have been having that problem with my husband ever since he gained some weight. He is finally going in to have a sleep test done. Does he stop breathing sometimes, just to let out an even louder snore? Ahhh! My hubby actually went to the couch for a while, but just like you, I want to sleep with him too. I have not gotten much sleep and feel like I am catching up with naps here and there. It is very important that you get your sleep. It will only be worse when the baby comes and you get even less sleep. Maybe he can go to his doctor and have a sleep test done for sleep apnea. Then, they get some kind of oxygen thing that helps them breathe better at night and snore less. Losing weight is also on our list of things to do.

Good luck! How exciting that you have twins and now are having a boy. :) Happy Parenting!

I really empathize with you, my ex snored so badly it is literally one of the reasons we are no longer together. I couldn't be with someone who I couldn't sleep in the same bed with- I think it is a very important bonding part of a romantic relationship. If your man has recently gained weight then you need to find subtle ways to go about trying to get him to lose it. This is most likely the reason for the snoring. Otherwise he may have sleep apnea which is enhanced by smoking drinking and excess weight. A C-pap can help but they are cumbersome and uncomfortable. I would suggest trying the other ways first. Have a healthier diet, get excercise and don't smoke cigarettes. Good luck with this, it is a very hard thing to deal with, I KNOW.

Has he been checked for sleep apnea? My husband started snoring so loudly out of the blue, after 2 years of sharing a bed, that I had to go to sleep before him to get to sleep. However, one thing I noticed on those nights laying awake listening to him, was that he would snore louder and louder and louder until he would all the sudden stop for what would seem like a split second, and then start again. I eventually made him go to the doctor and found out that he has sleep apnea... it is very dangerous and VERY common but people don't know they have it because no one listens to them sleep! He did however, notice that he didn't feel rested, etc. This was because he wasn't sleeping sound... sleep apnea makes you stop breathing just long enough to wake yourself out of a sound sleep, but not enough to remember waking up. Loud snoring is a VERY GOOD sign of it.

I would say try having him tested for sleep apnea. all he would have to do is stay the nite at a sleep lab for a sleep study. and then go from there on how to help him. my husband and i had done it and we have sleep apnea but to get better advice about it see your doctor first. I hope this will help your sleepless nites.

The only thing I can think of to help is for you to get to sleep before he does if that is in any way possible. This way your sleep stages progress to the deep sleep before he starts to snore and you are less likely to wake when he does start. Hope it will work B.

Has your husband had a sleep study done? If the snoring is that bad that it is keeping you awake at night, I'd think about getting one done for him. My husband had one done and was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and is now using a CPAP machine. No more snoring!! It's great. Anyways, just a thought. I hope you can get more sleep!
-M.

My husband also has a snoring problem. It started when he gained weight. I have read that overweight people snore more and that seems to be the case with us. That really isn't an immediate solution, just something to think about because you mentioned this was a new thing.
S.

C.,

My husband recently lost 30 pounds and his snoring has all but stopped (he was snoring so loud I moved into the other bedroom). If your husband's snoring has started recently, has he gained weight? It would be a good time to send him to the doctor for a physical because he may have a medical reason for it. It really isn't normal to just suddenly start snoring. His doctor may be able to figure out why he's snoring and help you solve it.

T.