How to block out snoring

More than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multiple factors can contribute to this poor sleep record, including snoring. As a snorer, or the bed partner of someone who snores, the chances your sleep gets interrupted multiple times throughout the night rises exponentially. In fact, in an average relationship, a snorer costs their bed partner around two years of sleep. But, it’s not just your bedroom where snoring can ruin your night’s sleep. Whether your bed partner, a roommate, or a complete stranger, the sounds of another snoring in proximity to where you’re trying to sleep makes it hard to wake up feeling refreshed.

Having a bed partner that snores can take a toll on a relationship. Neither of you is sleeping well, which leads to a higher chance of irritability during the day. This can impose challenges on your relationship. However, snoring isn’t a condition either of you have to live with, and exploring options for stop-snoring devices can help save your nights.

The situation can get a little more complicated when it’s the sound of your roommate snoring that’s penetrating the walls of your bedroom at night. Snoring that loud is hard to get away from. You can most likely hear it throughout your apartment, but you don’t have to live with it. Even if your roommate won’t address their problem and look for an anti-snoring solution, you can take matters into your own hands to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.

Planes are the worst place to endure unwanted noise. Not only do you have that loud, thundering sound of the plane drilling into your head the entire ride, but you’re surrounded by other people, dozing off, upright. In this position, some may be more likely to snore. They can’t roll over on their side or make any of the usual adjustments to tone down the noise. You also can’t necessarily go through the plane waking up everyone who’s distracting you from getting some much-needed rest while you travel. You have to deal with it, but you don’t have to listen to it.

The paper-thin walls of many hotels mean you don’t always have a buffer to protect you from the sounds coming from the room beside you. Whether it’s a TV on at a high volume, a loud talker, or a serious snorer, calling down to the concierge isn’t going to get the noise to stop. You may be on the road for a business trip where you need to be fresh for a presentation in the morning. You could be on a family vacation where there just isn’t time to be grumpy and tired. Either way, you need a good night’s sleep regardless of the noises invading your space.

It’s unfortunate, but you can’t help the snorer in all of these situations. If it’s your spouse or roommate you may suggest they look into stop-snoring solutions. Your spouse may be willing, but it can take time to find the right option. Your roommate may take the news a little more harshly, and not be as quick to find a solution. When it's a stranger interfering with your peace for just a short period of time, there’s really not much you can do for them. This doesn’t mean you have to lose out on a good night’s sleep. A few quick options include:

• Sleeping in a different room.
• Investing in a sound machine to drown out the noise.
• Popping on headphones and turning on your favorite playlist.
• Better yet, how about earplugs for sleeping or noise cancelling earbuds?

While these options don’t guarantee complete silence, they can go a long way to helping you get some peace and quiet while you work, sleep, or travel.