We all know that a partner’s snoring is one of the hardest things to adapt to when sharing a bed with someone. Their snoring can potentially rob you of significant amounts of sleep to the point that you think the best solution is sleeping apart.
However, a new study shows many benefits of sleeping alongside a partner. We can’t say that these benefits outweigh the potential loss of sleep. However, we can say that these make a strong argument in favor of getting your partner effective snoring treatment in Lee’s Summit rather than having them (or you) sleep in another room. Plus, getting their snoring treated by a Lee’s Summit sleep dentist could save their lives.
The Benefits of Sharing a Bed
While it can take some adjustment to get used to sleeping next to a partner, new research shows it’s probably worth it. This study looked at a comprehensive suite of data from over 1000 working-age adults. The data included a survey asking about how often a person slept in the same bed as:
- A partner or spouse
- A child or children
- Pets
- Other family members
The results showed that people sleeping with their romantic partner experienced significantly better sleep in many ways than essentially any other group.
Compared to people who never shared a bed, people who spend most nights in bed with a partner get more sleep. That’s partly because they fell asleep faster and were less likely to wake up after falling asleep. They also had lower sleep apnea risk, and, as a result of all this better sleep, they had less fatigue.
Other bed partners didn’t show the same benefits. For example, sleeping with a child led to more insomnia, and sleeping with other family members had a higher sleep apnea risk.
The benefits of sharing a bed with a partner extended into the day. Those who slept with a partner had lower depression, anxiety, and stress scores. They felt they had greater social support and were perhaps unsurprisingly more satisfied with their life and relationships.
These benefits seem like they’re worth maintaining if at all possible. Of course, if your partner is snoring, you likely experience a loss of sleep, which is the opposite of how most people benefit from sleeping with a partner. This is a common story we hear from our patients in Lee’s Summit, but there is a better solution than sleeping apart.
Snoring Affects Your Partner’s Health
You shouldn’t just sleep apart from a snorer if you care about them. Their snoring could be linked to a number of potentially serious, even deadly, health risks.
One serious health risk linked to snoring is sleep apnea. The most common form of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, is closely linked to snoring. Snoring occurs when a person’s airway narrows at night. This makes it hard for air to flow through their airway, creating a turbulent flow. The turbulence creates vibrations in the tissue of the airway. These vibrations create the sound you hear as snoring. In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway doesn’t just narrow–it closes entirely. Your partner is literally being strangled by their own throat.
The louder your partner’s snoring, the more likely it is that they have sleep apnea. However, if you also notice that their breathing stops or that they make gasping or choking sounds, then you know that their risk of sleep apnea is very high. You should talk to a sleep doctor or Lee’s Summit sleep dentist soon.
Sleep apnea isn’t the only risk associated with snoring. The vibrations in snoring can cause tiny injuries in the arteries, causing scars. This scarring accelerates the pace of atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) and can increase their risk of heart attack and stroke.
People who snore get poor sleep. When you’re awake because of their snoring, it’s tempting to think they’re sleeping peacefully, but they’re not. Remember: their snoring is the sound of them struggling to breathe. This means that many snorers are more likely to fall asleep while driving or working with dangerous machinery.
Plus, there’s no guarantee that sleeping apart will actually improve your sleep. You might still hear them through the walls or have trouble getting to sleep by yourself.
Effective Snoring Treatment in Lee’s Summit
Instead of sleeping apart, consider helping your partner get effective snoring treatment in Lee’s Summit. You might have tried home remedies and treatments they sell at the drugstore. Probably with little or no success. Before you give up on snoring treatment, talk to a sleep dentist. We can help your partner get a sleep test to determine whether they have sleep apnea. A sleep dentist knows how to design a custom sleep appliance that will reposition your partner’s jaw to hold their airway open. This appliance can treat sleep apnea and/or snoring.
To help you and your partner get better sleep despite snoring, please call (816) 795-1000 for an appointment at the Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea in Lee’s Summit, near the 83rd St Exit (Exit 11) from 470.
