Sharing a bed with someone who’s snoring rattles windows is not easy if you are a light sleeper, however much you may love them.
An endless reprise of grunts, groans, whistles and snorts is just too much if you want to get some shut eye for an early start.
The problem is huge – the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association reckons 41% of the population snore and that most snorers are aged between 50 and 59 years old.
The experts have also come up with a few sleep time hacks that could reduce those night time decibels.
Roll them over
Many snorers sleep on their backs and this just makes their snoring worse, so try rolling them on to their side to stifle the noise
Rouse them
Try a soft poke that’s enough to be felt but not hard enough to wake them up. This rouses them into a different level of sleep without too much disturbance
Ban the booze
Drinking and most drugs don’t help that much even if they are designed to promote sleep. They relax the muscles and cause more, not less snoring
Try dieting
A partner who is overweight is more likely to snore than one who isn’t – try to help them diet as a long-term snoring solution
Pillow pile-up
Elevating the snorer can help reduce the noise, so a pile of pillows could help tone down the volume
The quiet room
If all else fails, try moving to separate beds or even separate rooms for some peace and quiet
Racket and ball
If the noise is too bad, try slipping a soft ball under the snorer’s back to make them used to sleeping on their side
If all else fails
Discuss your snoring with your doctor who is likely to refer you to a sleep disorder centre for tests that monitor body and brain activity during sleep.
Doctors can also give out home testing kits to diagnose sleep apnoea.
If the condition is considered serious, the next step can be specialist treatment or simple lifestyle advice that leads to changes that improve your sleep.
Find out more from the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association