Snoring can be an admittedly annoying habit, but one that’s usually discounted as a small pain to be put up with. In many ways, snoring is minimized as a comical trait, but there is a much darker truth behind it. This is especially the case when you take into account the effects that snoring has on one’s health and the health of one’s relationship. In fact, a reported 63% of couples that experienced snoring at night, also suffered from relationship problems – some of which were so serious they ended in divorce. So if you or your partner suffers from snoring, it may be time to openly discuss this not-so-silent relationship killer
How Snoring Affects Your Relationship
We’re all closely attuned to our sleeping patterns, so when another person comes in and upsets that delicate order, difficulties inevitably arise. After all, sleep deprivation can turn even the most patient of people into an irritable mess. This breeds resentment in a relationship and causes a variety of issues across many aspects of your life, such as:
- Trouble in bed and decreased libido
- An increase in mood swings
- Fatigue and burnout
- More frequent arguments
- Permanently separate sleeping arrangements, or “Sleep Divorce”
Snoring Is Behind An Alarming Volume Of Divorces
If you really want to see the drastic effect that snoring can have on relationships, it helps to consider the following list of top reasons for divorce in the United States:
- Infidelity
- Financial Troubles
- Snoring
You read that correctly, snoring is reported to be the third biggest contributing factor to divorce in the country, and is even viewed as legal grounds for divorce in the UK. That is a devastating statistic, given just how prevalent snoring can be.
How Snoring Affects Your Health
The fact of the matter is, snoring affects both the partner who snores and the partner that suffers from sleep disturbances due to the snoring. For instance, a snoring partner can wreck your health by causing chronic sleep deprivation, which increases your body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that’s linked to heart disease, increased insulin resistance, and the suppression of your natural immune system, among other health problems.
On the other hand, roughly 80% of those who suffer from snoring also have a more serious underlying condition called sleep apnea, which is linked to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and stroke. It’s clear that treating the source of snoring is of utmost importance to help prevent these serious issues from developing.
How To Address The Problem
This may be difficult in cases of deep-seated resentment over the loss of sleep and sanity, but it’s best to avoid casting blame when discussing the issue and work together to improve both your health and your relationship.
Here are ways you can improve your current state of sleep and help resolve the issue of snoring:
- Communicate: There are bound to be some repressed emotions around the subject, so it’s best to share those and make your respective needs clear to one another.
- Seek Medical Help: Tackle the issue head-on and go see a doctor to determine the cause behind the snoring. This will help address any possible health conditions that are behind the breathing issues.
- Be Understanding and Flexible: There might be times when you just have to do the best you can to ensure quality sleep for both parties. In cases of an early morning appointment or an important work presentation, it may be helpful to sleep separately for the night.
Final Thoughts
Far from a small nuisance, snoring can be extremely damaging to your health and relationship. So if you suffer from snoring or your partner’s snoring, it’s time to get proactive about solving the root cause behind so many potential issues. When left unaddressed, snoring can cause havoc on your physical health as well as your love life, so it’s extremely important to start discussing ways to manage it. In certain cases, snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, which should be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional.