How to Get Better Sleep If You Have a Loudly Snoring Relative
It's hard enough to get a good night's sleep under normal circumstances, and the incessant rumble of a snorer down the hallway certain doesn't help.
Just because you've lived with it all your life doesn't mean there isn't something you can do to finally get the rest you deserve. If the snorer in your family is always keeping you up, keep reading to discover four steps you can take to get better sleep with them in the house.
Step 1: Utilize White Noise
White noise is a special kind of noise including all the different frequencies of sound, giving it the unique ability to help mask and drown out other sounds while simultaneously blending into the background. In many cases, it has the capacity of hiding the sound of snoring without being disruptive itself. In the warm seasons, a running fan is a great source of white noise, and there are also unique apps that play various types of white noise, from radio static to rainfall to ambient jungle sounds. Play around with those to find out which one helps you get to sleep the fastest while concealing the sound of snoring. Spotify has some great white noise playlists, too.
(via Shutterstock)
Step 2: Get to Bed First
We know it's not always possible to work your sleep schedule around another person, but whenever possible, it can be very useful to get a head start on the sleeping situation and try to get to sleep before your household snorer. After all, their snoring can't prevent you from falling asleep if they're not snoring yet. Of course, that won't help as much if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night and they're still snoring, but at least you'll get a bit of restful sleep before the disturbance sets in.
(via Shutterstock)
Step 3: Use Earplugs
If you're not used to earplugs, wearing them to sleep can sound pretty uncomfortable. Fortunately, they're not as bad as you might think. There are earplugs specially crafted for sleep, which are extra cushy and designed to help keep out sounds that might interrupt sleep, including snoring. Of course, before you commit to them, you'll want to do a test with your alarm to ensure that it's set to the right sound and frequency to wake you up in the mornings, even with your earplugs in.
Step 4: Confront Them About the Noise
Even if you're managing to get better sleep after taking the steps above, you'll probably want to chat with your family snorer about their intense snoring. If it's bad, they should probably talk to their doctor about it, as there's a chance there might be an underlying issue. It could be nothing, or it might point out something more serious like tonsilitis or sleep apnea, which can have a bunch of damaging health effects that call for professional treatment.
If they don't take your concerns seriously, try recording their snoring and playing it back to them to show them just how loud and disruptive it really is to the family. Getting their health in order will help both of you get better and more restorative sleep. If it's not a health issue, at least get them to try to sleep on their side, or explore options with airflow-improving mouth guards and anti-snore pillows to find out if they can help.
(via Shutterstock)
If you're up right now being of snoring, click HERE for some relatable quotes about insomnia to use as Insta caption when you can't sleep.