© Tim Green aka atoach
There are medical reasons you should help your spouse stop snoring. They may have a serious condition that needs treatment and you are the only one who knows just how bad the problem really is. You have all the information about how often they snore, how loudly they snore, and whether or not their breathing stops at all during the night.
If you haven’t already talked to your spouse about the issue, you need to do so. How you do so is critical. Many times, the person who snores doesn’t want to deal with the problem either out of embarrassment or disbelief. It’s far easier to bury your head in the sand than to go through the steps to fix the problem, but it is unhealthy to ignore what may be a health-endangering situation.
Focus on Spouse’s Health
This is not necessarily about you, although you are suffering from interrupted sleep which also isn’t healthy. Your spouse will be more receptive to the discussion if they understand you are only concerned with their health and not just focusing on how much you’re being bothered by their nightly snoring.
Discuss Facts about Snoring
Arm yourself with information that you can share with your spouse. The following facts about snoring can help them realize how serious the problem might be:
- Newsweek reported that loud snorers have a 40% greater risk than nonsnorers of suffering from high blood pressure, 34% greater odds of having a heart attack and a 67% greater chance of having a stroke
- Snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea in which the body is not getting sufficient oxygen during sleep
- According to Your Lung Health, up to 4% of middle aged men and 2% of middle aged women have sleep apnea and more than half of them are undiagnosed
See the Doctor
Encourage your spouse to see a doctor. Not all snorers have sleep apnea but considering the risks associated with even regular snoring it is important to understand how serious the problem is, what is causing the snoring, and get suggestions on how to quit snoring. Go to the doctor with your spouse so that you can explain all the observations you’ve made about the problem. These facts will better help the doctor understand the problem and your spouse often doesn’t know how often or how loudly they snore because they are asleep while they’re doing it. Make the appointment yourself and drive them to the doctor’s office if necessary.
There are significant health benefits when you help your spouse stop snoring. Not only do both of you sleep better but your spouse is likely to be more energized, certainly become healthier, and your marriage is likely to experience less stress and tension as a result. All good reasons to approach the problem as a help-mate.
