I just posted this in the Men's, but YOU all probably have some good feedback. Here's the post:
"So apparently I've started snoring quite a bit in the past few years. My wife has kind of tolerated it, I've offered to go sleep elsewhere (but hoping she'd never take me up on it), etc. I have tried a couple of products like Snor-Eze or Snor-Enz (?) and these little chalky tablet things......to no avail.
So now, after all these years, my wife has 'moved out' to sleep in another room. I feel bad about this. First time in 20 years. She says "who cares, it's just sleeping and, when you're asleep, does it matter?" But it still feels 'bad'.
Anyone else have this problem? Anyone have a miracle cure for snoring?"
"I would be lost without baseball. I don't think I could stand being away from it as long as I was alive." Roberto Clemente #21
Posts: 2756 | Location: Neither Here Nor There | Registered: November 26, 2003
Ear plugs for the wifey poo & the tootsies stay warm!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " Play both sports until the competition convinces you otherwise!! " " ...because baseball is just GOOD PRACTICE FOR LIFE ".
Posts: 3108 | Location: Florida | Registered: March 18, 2006
I feel for you - this can be a problem at our house too. have you tried these? They help me. Also you may want to check with your doctor. They have a new quick relatively painless outpatient throat surgery that is supposed to cure snoring. Mine is allergies so the breath right strips help us.
"Sure they get the hits, make the outs, score the runs, strike em out and get the glory!" "But who drove?"
Posts: 354 | Location: StL,Mo | Registered: September 07, 2007
Seriously Krak there may be more to it than your wife losing a little sleep. If your snoring has increased that significantly, you need to find a doctor/clinic that can conduct a "Sleep Study." During the study you will be painlessly wired and monitored as you sleep over night in the clinic. The doc can use these results to detemine if you are suffering from sleep apnea (where you actually stop breathing during sleep) and/or bradycardia where your heart rate slows/stops for significant amounts of time as well or other issues that can disturb sleep.
Often times a CPAP machine can be prescribed to correct sleep apnea. If that does not work then sometimes surgery is necessary.
Please check into this further...it is often the spouse who is more aware/complains of the symptoms than the one who is actually not breathing and causing damage to their bodies.
Posts: 217 | Location: TN | Registered: October 24, 2006
A few years ago, I lost 10 pounds and my snoring stopped, so one possibility is to take off a little weight if that if needed.
Now that I have regained some of the weight and my aging uvula has gotten a little flabbier, my snoring has resumed. Hubby has resorted to high-quality earplugs that seem to do the trick.
One warning: hide any earplugs from your dog. Our pup has eaten two sets of earplugs in the past 3 months and immediately looks on the bedside table for more every time he jumps on the bed. What in the world could be so appetizing about foam and earwax???
P.S. I've also heard that drinking alcohol at night can exacerbate snoring, so you might want to become a teetotaler if you're not already!
Posts: 2794 | Location: San Antonio, TX | Registered: April 11, 2006
My husband snores also. we have tried everyhin. I agree at our age we need our sleep. But I would have the sleep apnea test, I have been after my husband to have it and also to lose weight. he has done neither.
Posts: 1560 | Location: california | Registered: December 17, 2007
Originally posted by Still Learning: Seriously Krak there may be more to it than your wife losing a little sleep. If your snoring has increased that significantly, you need to find a doctor/clinic that can conduct a "Sleep Study." During the study you will be painlessly wired and monitored as you sleep over night in the clinic. The doc can use these results to detemine if you are suffering from sleep apnea (where you actually stop breathing during sleep) and/or bradycardia where your heart rate slows/stops for significant amounts of time as well or other issues that can disturb sleep.
Often times a CPAP machine can be prescribed to correct sleep apnea. If that does not work then sometimes surgery is necessary.
Please check into this further...it is often the spouse who is more aware/complains of the symptoms than the one who is actually not breathing and causing damage to their bodies.
Great response- right on target.
Snoring is the least of the problem since apnea is usually present and has been associated with heart attacks, strokes, High blood pressure etc.
Please encourage your loved ones to take it serious and go to a sleep disorders center to get tested.
As the Coordinator of a hospital accreditted sleep center, I see the destruction of untreated apnea and the benefits of being treated.
Too often we see folks that have come in after falling asleep while driving.
Feel free to PM me if you need any general information.
Posts: 73 | Location: New York | Registered: November 15, 2008
Let me second (or third, or whatever!) the suggestion to get a sleep study done. My husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea a year ago, uses a CPAP religiously, and it has changed our lives. I can sleep without waking repeatedly at night to the sound of him not only snoring, but literally gasping for breath, wondering if this is the time that he won't start up again. He has finally discovered why he was so exhausted all the time - he was waking up literally dozens of times an hour.
Sleep apnea kills. Snoring is not funny and it's more than an annoyance. Make it your gift to your wife, your family and yourself. You'll be glad you did!
Posts: 611 | Location: Illinois | Registered: February 25, 2006
I second everyone's suggestion to get a sleep study, but let me add that not all snoring is caused by sleep apnea. I underwent an overnight sleep study but was not diagnosed with sleep apnea. Like I said, simple weight loss did the trick for me.
(On the other hand, my father -- who snores and is always complaining about fatigue -- recently underwent a sleep study and they discovered that he quit breathing for 1 minute or more 70 different times that night. He just got his machine and hopefully it'll make a huge difference.)
Posts: 2794 | Location: San Antonio, TX | Registered: April 11, 2006
Originally posted by Infield08: I second everyone's suggestion to get a sleep study, but let me add that not all snoring is caused by sleep apnea. I underwent an overnight sleep study but was not diagnosed with sleep apnea. Like I said, simple weight loss did the trick for me.
(On the other hand, my father -- who snores and is always complaining about fatigue -- recently underwent a sleep study and they discovered that he quit breathing for 1 minute or more 70 different times that night. He just got his machine and hopefully it'll make a huge difference.)
Correct- not all snoring equals apnea, but usually if it is loud enough to disturb a bed partner, or as you state about your dad, interferes with daily life, or there are periods of breathing pauses follewed by a gasp or snore, this is possible apnea.
Good luck to your dad!- feel free to PM if he needs any answers
Posts: 73 | Location: New York | Registered: November 15, 2008
Ok, don't laugh. Many years ago hubby went to the mayo clinic and was not diagnosed with sleep apnea. They sent him home with a t-shirt with 3 pockets sew on the back, and three tennis balls. This prevents one from turning onto their back. It works. Get it checked out, if not serious, give this some consideration.
Forget the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey instead...anonymous
Posts: 12773 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
I'm always on one side or the other, without fail. Simply can't sleep on back or stomach. I do plan to check with our hospital to see what kind of evaluations they might offer. I really want to get this under control and get back to "life as we knew it"!
"I would be lost without baseball. I don't think I could stand being away from it as long as I was alive." Roberto Clemente #21
Posts: 2756 | Location: Neither Here Nor There | Registered: November 26, 2003
sorry for your problem. My husband snores horribly when he is overweight and drinks alcohol (wine usually) too late in the evening. When he loses weight and has his glass of wine earlier he doesnt snore. Another friend of ours wears one of those oxygen masks at night which cured his sleep apnea, but looks awful. You need to see a specialist because most of the over the counter cures don't really work. good luck!
Posts: 141 | Location: Ct. USA | Registered: October 02, 2003
Sleep apnea DOES cause high blood pressure- that alone is enough to look into treatments.
Google "Snore Guard" and read about it. I had a patient recently who was unable to use the CPAP, even though he had been dx with sleep apnea. He suffers from chronic back problems and was unable to adjust to the CPAP while sleeping.
He tried the Snore Guard and found it very helpful! Actually, you can't imagine the relief he felt because he was so discouraged with the CPAP.
Good Luck!
Posts: 848 | Location: Texas | Registered: December 29, 2002
[QUOTE]Originally posted by amom: Sorry- I wasn't saying the CPAP was not helpful for many cases- it was his back problem that prevented him from using it! [/QUOTE
Not sure why he couldnt use CPAP due to a back problem. People do not have to sleep supine with CPAP. Can you explain further?
Also, I wouldnt feel comfortable recommending trying any of the many items out there until one find out how severe the apnea is, or is, not. This is your health we are talking about.
Sometimes the audible snoring is reduced but the remaining apnea is still enough to fragment your sleep and leave you tired during the daytime.
We always retest folks that get dentist made oral appliances to confirm that they are working for the patient.
While the spouse may be happy with the reduced snoring, the real measure of success is a good night sleep for the "former snorer"
Posts: 73 | Location: New York | Registered: November 15, 2008
Really nothing points to sleep apnea at all. It's just good old-fashioned snoring. No other apnea symptom exists. My guess is that losing weight will get me back to my snore-free state, so while my players are lifting at the gym, they know they'll now find me on the elliptical for 20, the spin bike for another 20, and the treadmill for the final 20, four days a week.
Here's the FUNNY thing, though......out of the four nights I've had the bed to myself.....I have slept for 8 hours and NOT had to get up and go watch Seinfeld DVDs in order to fall back to sleep. I haven't slept like that in YEARS!!! So now the issue is, even if/when I do stop snoring, we either get a king size mattress or nothing. I've found that I really do need to be able to spread myself out a bit while sleeping and not just stay crammed sideways on 3 feet of 'my side'......
"I would be lost without baseball. I don't think I could stand being away from it as long as I was alive." Roberto Clemente #21
Posts: 2756 | Location: Neither Here Nor There | Registered: November 26, 2003
Krak, trust me more couples then you would think have this issue as they get older. Just find time to still cuddle, and have close time. Maybe watch a movie in bed together, have coffee, Maybe even start the night together in same bed, talk , etc etc, and then off to SLEEP. Then again in the morning at least on weekends go climb in bed with wife and cuddle some more. Sleep is so important to us esp. as we get older.
Posts: 1560 | Location: california | Registered: December 17, 2007
Krak-I agree with the majority here, I recommend you seek a sleep study. In my experience, most people with sleep apnea don't really believe they have any problems either until they are tested and treated appropriately. Hopefully it is just good old-fashioned snoring.
I just returned from a well needed vacation and while waiting in the airport for some Starbucks, a lady waiting next to me said that her and her husband both hate vacation time because they have to sleep in the same bed. She said they have had separate bed rooms for years and are both happy that way.
Posts: 194 | Location: Central Missouri | Registered: December 20, 2005
They help me. Also you may want to check with your doctor. They have a new quick relatively painless outpatient throat surgery that is supposed to cure snoring. Mine is allergies so the breath right strips help us.
