I am sure quite a few of us have been through this. A spouse or partner who suffers from blocked nasal passages or sleep apnea, snoring all night long. It is sleep depriving, which most often results in one feeling tired often. What does one you do in a situation like this? Well, there are a number of things…
PUT A SOCK IN IT:
I like to get an early start on the day; however 4AM is a little too early for anyone! I am up right now because my spouse’s snoring has woken me up. Every time I close my eyes thinking this is it, the volume of his snore goes up. Out of frustration my thoughts immediately reverts to his sock drawer. Well, we have tried just about everything and it just seems like an easy solution. Why not? I am tired and miserable at this time. Okay so maybe not a sock. Well, let’s explore some other options and more helpful hints…
MEGAVENT NASAL DILATOR:
We have tried the Megavent nasal dilator. It seemed to have worked for a time and then nothing. It seemed as though his body became immune to it and after a few weeks he started snoring again.
BREATHE RIGHT NASAL STRIPS:
So we went from putting objects inside his nasal passage to objects outside the nasal passage. We just thought we had the wrong approach, so we decided to try Breathe Right nasal strips. They supposedly reduce snoring by opening the nasal passage so that one can breathe easier. However, there was no change, so most of the strips went to waste after about three nights of trying.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP:
We sought help because we realized that the snoring could have been caused by something else. We initially learned that it could be a result of large tonsils, but he has had his tonsils removed.
Then we looked at the possibility that the snoring could have resulted from nasal congestion, but that was not the cause, however we still chose to try the Neti pot. It’s a wonderful way to cleanse the nasal passages for those that tend to have sinus infections or congestions. Thus great for anyone who just want to keep their nose clean. Hehe.
We then thought it was his sleeping position, or that his tongue may have been blocking his throat because of his sleeping position. Therefore, I spent quite a few nights turning him back onto his side if I was awaken throughout the night. That worked well for a time, but then he started to snore on his side also! So much for that…
REDUCED SMOKING:
I then started nagging again about his smoking habits and he has been working on reducing his smoking, but like most smokers that can be a bit tumultuous and unpredictable. However, I have not observed any changes in terms of the frequency or degree of snoring.
RESEARCH:
We then decided to do some research and realize that the snoring could have been a result of sleep apnea. The symptoms include: breathing pauses for about a few seconds to minutes, loud snorts and/or choking sounds, as breathing pauses or stops, waking up or moving out of deep sleep to light sleep. The end result is tiredness and an inability to function at your best.
Now we seek professional help once again…