Snoring is extremely common. It affects 40 percent adults in the United States.
Though it is harmless for your husband to snore once in a blue moon, habitual snoring is an entirely different matter altogether.
Habitual Snoring:
Some people snore loudly and frequently. If your husband is one of them, then it is not only important to stop it for his well-being but also yours.
Effects of habitual snoring on your health:
Many women are aware of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke but only a few can recognize the dangers of secondhand snoring.
Sleeping next to your snoring husband costs you, on average, an hour of sleep a night. It adds up to seven hours of sleep in a week.
To put it differently, you lose a whole night’s sleep every seven days if your husband is a habitual snorer. The effects of sleep deprivation manifest on your mood, memory, and overall health.
Effects of habitual snoring on your husband’s health:
In case of your husband, habitual snoring may be hiding a more serious health disorder — sleep apnea.
Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to fatigue, stroke, heart failure, and a host of other serious health problems.
Why does your husband snore?
Your husband snores because of a soft tissue in his throat. The tissue loosens up during night when the muscles relax.
It is this floppy tissue that vibrates and produces sound when your husband breathes at night. In some men, the tissue remains taut so that snoring is barely audible.
In other instances, it can become so relaxed that it starts to block the airway and obstruct breathing. This stage is a serious health condition, named “obstructive sleep apnea.”
How to stop your husband’s snoring?
To stop it, you will have to start with figuring out why your husband is snoring. There are several physical causes.
Nasal Congestion:
In some instances, it is the blocked nose of your husband that makes him snore at night.
In these situations, you can use a nasal saline wash, prescription nasal steroid spray, nasal decongestant, and nasal dilator to put a stop to snoring.
Sleep Apnea:
Sleep apnea is a serious condition. It is best to consult a health professional immediately if you notice that your husband chokes, grunts or gasps for breath when he snores at night.
The doctor can summon a range of surgical and non-surgical treatments to stop habitual snoring.
Snoring is common in adults. In most instances, it is harmless. But if your husband snores loudly and frequently, it is advisable to visit a doctor.