Advice about Snoring
Berkeley Parents Network >
Advice >
Sleep >
Advice about Snoring
|
Questions about Snoring
|
Related Pages
|
Doctor for Husband's Snoring
Nov 2012
Need recommendations for a really top-notch doctor to treat snoring. Husband's
snoring is so bad the situation has become intolerable. He had some treatments
about 10 years ago, but they never really helped; also had a sleep study at the
time that indicated no apnea, just snoring. Want a good knowledgeable doctor,
not one who's just trying to sell a mouthgard or something. Afraid of quacks!
Tired
Dr Ron Rubenstein, Board Certified Otolaryngologist, knows his stuff regarding snoring. He's
located in San Leandro 510-276-2800. I saw him for my snoring problem and I no longer snore.
He will first determine the cause of your snoring (there are lots of causes which is why these
generic cures don't work most of the time. Once he knows the cause he will make
recommendations as to the best procedure for you. I had a 15 minute procedure in his office
which was painless. Full recovery took about 2 weeks and it was painful then, but I'd do it
again because I no longer snore and my husband and I are both much happier. I highly recommend
calling him. rf
Oxygen Pillow for snoring?
April 2012
Have any of you used or know someone who's used the 'Oxygen
Pillow' as a remedy for snoring? IF YES....did it work? Did
it totally stop the snoring? How bad was the snoring before
hand? If the user had sleep apnea, did it cure or help with
that? I'm researching this for my husband and for 2
girlfriends who have sleep apnea and a snoring problem.
Thanks anon
My friend said this pillow stopped her husband's snoring. I
bought one, but even the smallest pillow is too big for me
so I don't use it. I don't think it worked and it was very
expensive. I wear a snore guard and some elevation helps.
anonymous
Non-surgical snoring / sleep apnea remedies
April 2012
Has anyone tried any of the commercially available remedies
for snoring / sleep apnea, such as snoremender etc? What was
your experience? Looking to try one of these and need some
advice and recommendations. Many thanks.
anon.
There is a new treatment that has proven to be pretty effective and below is
an article about it from the New York Times.
The CPAC machines that are the medically approved ''solutions'' to sleep
apnea are quite awful to try and sleep with. They are cumbersome, loud and
sort of strapped on to the person's face in order to force air into a person who
is unable to get air on their own. The failure rate is very high because most
people take them off in the middle of the night.
Anyway, check the link and then google it and read all the news about it. It
seems promising. What ever you do, get help. Not sleeping well is serious.
And sleep apnea unsolved can make your life a misery.
Best of luck!
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/treating-sleep-apnea-without-the-mask/
sleep is good
I must heartily recommend learning the Boteyko Method of
breathing to address snoring and sleep apnea. It was
developed for asthma, but has many, many applications. The
practitioner/therapist I have seen is Kathy Winslow:
Specialized Training in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Buteyko Breathing Educator
Specialization in Facial Neuro-Reflex Integration (MNRI)
650-712-1516 Office
650-740-3311 Cell
Together with breathing and tongue exercises and night-time
taping closed the mouth (!), the results are amazing. If
you write to me I can share a PDF booklet on the Boteyko
Method.
Nori
Snoring partner
Feb 2012
How do people cope with a snoring partner? I like sleeping
with my husband, and I like sleeping, but it seems those two
activities are incompatible lately 'cause I'm a light
sleeper and he's a loud sleeper. Here's what we've tried so far:
- him sleeping on his side (doesn't make a difference
whether he sleeps on his back or on his side)
- Breathe Right strips (helps some of the time)
- allergy medications (Claritin and Zyrtec... seems to
reduce airway irritation but only some of the time)
- Snore Stop and other homeopathic remedies (helps some
nights; doesn't do a darn thing other nights)
- one of us sleeping on the couch (not an ideal long-term
solution)
- me taking melatonin or wearing earplugs so I can sleep
through the noise better
FWIW, he's not overweight, and in all my hours of lying
awake listening to him snurk I have heard a few mild
breathing interruptions but nothing that would indicate that
sleep apnea is a big part of the picture.
I'm losing sleep several nights a week, and I'm really
hoping there's a better option out there. Has anybody tried
the pillar procedure or nasal turbinate reduction? Mouth
guards? Are there other treatments that have worked for you?
Any treatments not to bother with?
tired
Ear plugs help a lot for me, as does a noise machine. Just a little white noise.. it
doesn't block it out but it helps muffle so I can drift off. It also helps if I go to
sleep before him - which doesn't happen often but if I am really having a hard
time I'll tell him to stay awake until I fall asleep. It is mostly if I can just get to
sleep I can stay asleep. I also started sleeping better when we got a King
Bed...although my husband is very sad that I am so far away! But frankly an
extra 18 inches of distance from his snoring made a big difference. There are of
course all the other sleep habits that you need to think about - winding down,
no stressful media, caffeine, enough exercise but not late in day, not eating late
heavy meals etc etc. Sleep is critical to mental health so you're right to make
sure you can get good sleep.
Sleep matters
I have your exact same problem, except we have tried one thing not on your list
- a humidifier. We have it on husband's side of the bed, positioned so that cloud
of cool mist falls on his general head of the bed. Hasn't completely cured the
snoring but helps a lot! Also produces a pleasant white noise which helps me
sleep through the milder honking.
Been there
Dear Tired, my heart goes out to you! Ever since my husband
started doing the Neti Pot, things have gotten SO much
better. It is a bit of a commitment on his part, but it has
really helped. If he has a cold or any nasal congestion, he
will also take some medication before bed because he knows
it will result in snoring - but mostly the Neti Pot has done
the trick. That and my super-soft ear plugs (they are pink,
I don't remember the brand) has saved my sleep. Good luck.
Not as tired
I have snored since I was a young child and have always been
embarrassed about it. Finally when I was about 50, I had an
at home sleep study test (through Kaiser) and found out that
I had mild to moderate sleep apnea. There are important
health reasons to address apnea, as well as being sleep
compatible with one's mate. My tonsils and adenoids had
already been removed. I am not overweight. So I tried using
a mouthpiece. I had a dentist mold a mouth piece to position
my jaw, but it was not as effective as a much cheaper (about
$36 with shipping) plastic SnorBan
(http://www.snorban.com/), which is like the mouth pieces
worn in sports, and I mold it myself. Without this piece, I
become a mouth breather when I'm sleeping and this causes my
breathing interference. Also, there are times when I need
to be elevated and use a steroid nose spray if my nose is
stuffed up. I'm told I still snore at times but it is at a
much lower level and tests show that I am getting enough
oxygen during sleep when I use the mouth piece.
Good Luck
anonymous
One word-earplugs. My husband snores, I wear earplugs-
always, every night. I love to snuggle, and be near his
body and I no longer want to kick the xxxx out of him in
the night.
love my husband, love my earplugs
Recommendation for sleep apnea/snore doctor
Feb 2010
I'm looking for a recommendation for a doctor that does
surgery for sleep apnea/snoring. My husband has bad sleep
apnea and uses a c-pap machine which he hates. Therefore,
he always sleeps in the spare bedroom because he wakes me
and my children. We had originally found a doctor to do
surgery but he had a large amount of out of pocket fees.
The next doctor we found was able to utilize our insurance
(Cigna) for the whole procedure, but then he underwent a
malpractice suit, so we became leery about using him. Can
anyone recommend a doctor that they have used for this
problem. I just don't know where to start at this point.
Thanks!
Tired of sleeping in bed alone
I had the surgery for sleep apnea but it did not work
because the cause of my apnea and most apnea is a windpipe
that closes during deep sleep. I have gotten used to my
cpap machine now. I too hate the hassle but love the
improvement in my life and never sleep without it.
sleeping better now
I have severe sleep apnea, too. I understand your
situation quite well. My boyfriend has complained about
it. I know he had very difficult time to sleep next to me.
But I really didn't believe doctors for this problem, also
didn't want to sleep with strange looking pipes around my
face. I tried many products and of course nothing worked.
And finally we had a big fight about it. I desperately
tried more products. I finally found something worked
quite impressively. This item is to strengthen your lungs.
My breathing during the day is so much easier just in
general and my sleeping got soooo much easier, too. It is
about $100. It is called, power lung. There are so many
websites selling this and you can check them out. But I
bought at clevertraining.com and it was smooth
transaction. I think it is worthy to try before he goes to
see a doctor and pays so much money and surgery. They
made this in many levels for senir to athletes. I got a
green one for fairly advanced level. But I should've
gotten easier one. It works well but it is a bit
difficult. If he want to try, make sure to get right one
for him.
Good luck. Hope it works.
K
A somewhat late reply but anyways ... You might wanna check out
http://apneasupport.org/about2192.html which talks about playing the
didgeridoo to help apnea. It basically does what a previous post mentioned, it
strengthens the breathing and does it significantly. I play the didgeridoo since a
few months for other reasons than apnea but have noticed my much improved
breathing. If you need more info shoot me an email. Good luck.
How do you deal with being constantly woken up by your partner?
Dec 2009
My partner has
a bad snoring problem (sleep apnea, has a machine, which helps me
enormously but he doesn't always use it because he doesn't sleep well
with it). On top of that, he works very late (only sleeps 5 hours a
night) and wakes me up when he comes to bed even if he's quiet. He
and 13 year old son also watch TV in the living room over the bedroom,
which even if turned down makes it impossible for me to sleep (sound
comes thru the floor). I already use maximum earplugs every night,
and sometimes a pillow over my head. Between the snoring, lights,
doors closing, getting-ready to go to bed noises in the adjacent
bathroom, etc, it's often really hard to sleep and definitely very
frustrating! I actually fall asleep easily, but am woken up easily.
He considers my sleeping issues to be 'my' issues to deal with. But,
when I do ditch for the other room so I can get at least some
uninterrupted sleep, he gets upset that I'm not sleeping with him...!
I know I'm not alone......
Stop sleeping with your husband. He is being sadistic.
Tell him that his issues (i.e. that he gets upset when you
don't sleep with him) are 'his' issues to deal with. I
haven't slept with my husband in years and we are very
happy.
- you are not alone
You are certainly not alone. I stopped sleeping (the actual
sleeping part!) with my husband a while ago. He is a very
fitful sleeper, and while I, like you, fall asleep easily, I
am also easily awakened. After 2 kids in 4 years, I am up
alot, and I don't need it compounded by a fitful, snoring
sleep partner. I am sure people think it's weird, but I see
no reason why I should sacrifice sleep. It also stresses my
husband out to have to sleep in the same bed, because he has
been yelled out a couple of times for tossing/turning and he
then can't sleep for fear of waking me up.
I don't know who decided you had to sleep in the same bed
when married. I know some people like it, but I know a lot
of people who don't. And mostly it's the women who ''suffer''
through the problems of snoring/fitful sleeping husbands.
Many women are light sleepers by nature, and sleeping
through someone else's issues isn't a reality.
So no advice except you are not alone & sleep is too
important to give up!
For what it's worth, we do end up sleeping together when we
have visitors & our spare bedroom is occupied, and with
earplugs and a loud fan running, I can tolerate it, although
even then it is not ideal.
Laura
My DH is 50-something, heavy, and S-N-O-R-E-S. Earplugs, as
you know, can only do so much. Ditto the pillow on top of my
head. I even tried sewing a pocket onto the back of a
t-shirt; inserted a tennis ball, and that helped only a
little, as well, at least it kept him off his back, the
WORST position - I don't need to tell you, huh?
But my BIL started using a soft plastic mouthpiece at his
house, much to my SIL's relief. My DH listened to his
(wise!) bro's advice and got one, 2 wks ago, too. Now it's
BLISSFULLY quiet. His jaw felt a little sore the first
night, less so the 2nd, etc, and then, not at all. The brand
he bought (on amazon, $60.) was ''Pure Sleep''(see:
http://puresleep.com/).
Good luck!
--ALL getting our Zzzzz's
Oh, how I can commiserate! Luckily, my husband lost weight
and laid off of stuff that caused food sensitivities, so the
snoring problem abated over a period of four months. Whew!
Like you, I bailed to another bedroom when sleep was eluding
me. My husband , ironically, is the noise sensitive one, so
I couldn't use a white noise machine. He'd be hurt every so
often when he;d wake up alone, but I'd give him the option
of a white noise machine or my going off by myself
occasionally and he'd back off.
But even with these fixes, I realized I really was not
getting enough deep, restorative sleep. Your multiple night
wakings might be in part due to external distractions, but
it may be due to your lack of delta wave, or deep sleep.
Mild to moderate cardio helped somewhat, but I never stuck
with it long enough to maximize benefits. Ditto for cutting
out caffeine completely. But hey, it works if you can manage it.
Before I got pregnant and then was breastfeeding, I took the
amino acid 5 HTP with really good results. It's a precursor
of tryptophan , which is a precursor of serotonin. It's over
the counter and was a godsend.
(Double check with doc or pharmacist if you are taking meds
to check about interactions)
I also discovered magnesium after I had been breastfeeding
for a long time and had lousy sleep. It doesn't increase
deep sleep directly, but does a great job of relaxing
muscles and causing sleepiness.
I also started going to bed upwards of an hour before hubby,
while he was putting our little one to bed. I was able to
get into a sleep routine that helped me settle in so I would
be less lekey to be disturbed by outside activity.
Hope this helps!
jb
Anti-snoring devices/pillows?
Aug 2008
I snore (like a freight train, according to my husband) and he
is a very light sleeper. I sleep great, normally, except when
he wakes me up to tell me to turn on my side (I am a back
sleeper) and he sleeps terribly unless he's in another room.
I've tried the nose strips (which work ok but not great) but
haven't yet tried any pillows- I've heard that certain pillows
force you on your side which seems to diminish snoring- anyone
have any experience with them or advice for me? I'm pretty
certain I don't have apnea as I sleep really soundly and wake up
feeling refreshed every morning.
Don't make me wear a tennis ball shirt
I have a good friend who has had the same snoring problem and
tried snore strips and sprays with limited success. Then her
dentist prescribed a ''night guard'' for night-time tooth-
grinding, and she no longer snores, ever, unless she forgets to
use the night guard. I hadn't heard of a night guard as a
snoring solution, but it seems to be working for her. I guess
the repositioning of the jaw (or something else?) seems to do
the trick.
silent nights
Hey there! So, the only thing I know about snoring is that I recently
read about this
study (reported on here in the BBC news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7272651.stm or if the link doesn't
work just
google: ''bbc snoring heart disease'')
So I don't want to scare you, but heart disease is very common and early
heart
disease I imagine is super common. That is all just to say that maybe
you could get
checked and if you do have some risk then you could try out a
plant-based diet for
a while (ie little or no meat, eggs, cheese, etc) but of course still
trying to get as
many nutrients as you need, or try other things. Then again, maybe you
are totally
fine in that department and the snoring is unrelated.
The study just showed that twice as many heavy snorers as non snorers
died of
heart disease during the study, but certainly not all of them did. So
again, so sorry if
I have disturbed you but just wanted to share my two cents (or maybe
less) worth.
Good luck and best wishes!!
Anne
My husband also snores so loud that I cannot sleep with him. He
didn't think he had apnea but he took the sleep test anyway. The
docs decided he had apnea and now he uses a CPAP - continuous
positive airway pressure. It's a machine he wears over his nose
at night the pushes air into his nose so he doesn't snore. It
took some getting used to, for me and him, but it's routine now
and we sleep together comfortably.
Rebecca
This sounds very familiar to me! In fact, just this week my
partner (the snorer) started using a Tempur-Pedic Swedish Neck
pillow (you can find it at The Back Store and Bed,Bath and
Beyond). The Back Store employees are great for helping you find
the right size. You can try one right in the store on a bed. I
use one myself (for neck issues) and when she gave it a try it
greatly decreased the snoring. It didn't go away completely but
greatly diminished the volume and frequency so that I could more
easily sleep through the snoring. Good luck!
Better Rested
It might be your only choice, the dreaded tennis ball shirt. Or
your husband could start working nights and eliminate the problem
that way. My father snores. When I was little, it was amazing to
hear. By the time I was a teenager, it was a nightmare. You could
hear him from the street. Walls, closets and the television
couldn't drown him out enough to get a good night's rest. I
started wearing ear plugs and those just irritated me more. The
only answer I found was to get a job working nights and sleep
during the day until I moved out. My Father wore the tennis ball
shirt. He went to the sleep clinics. He had surgery on his nose.
And he still snores. It's just not as loud.
Stays at a hotel when visiting mom and dad
Snoring can be a indication of sleep apnea - no laughting
matter.
Check to see if your partner stops breathing during sleep. If
so, see a doctor immediately.
Otherwise, losing weight or using a dental device, like you see
on TV, seems to work.
Forget the nose strips and sprays.
Good luck.
Bartstar
The only way to be truly certain you don't have sleep apnea is
by being tested. If you are put off by the notion of sleeping
in a laboratory all wired up with electrodes and a video camera
trained on you, ask your doctor about home sleep test options,
which are private, comfortable, and usually just as accurate as
a full blown sleep test if you are trying to determine if you
have sleep apnea.
Sometimes snoring is just snoring. As your husband noticed,
sleeping on your back tends to make snoring worse since your
airway narrows more and the soft tissue starts rattling with
every breath. In addition to setting people up with CPAP
machines to treat sleep apnea, my company SomniHealth in
Alameda also sells a variety of different pillows. One of them
is called the ''European Anti-Snore Pillow.'' It is a queen-
sized pillow that has an air chamber built into the center. You
inflate the center to any height, and the idea is that if you
try to sleep on your back, you wind up rolling downhill in
either direction to sleep on your side instead. The pillows
are $120. We've carried them for only a few months. While I
wish I could share direct feedback from the customers, I
haven't heard back from any of them after they bought the
pillow. I like to think that no news is good news. I can say
that no one has attempted to return one.
The tennis ball method is generally discredited because it is
so uncomfortable that it disturbs your sleep.
While a pillow can't hurt (except financially), untreated sleep
apnea can. While I'd love to sell you an Anti-Snore Pillow, I
think you'd be better off if you first saw your doctor and
confirmed that you do not have sleep apnea.
SomniHealth
1926 Broadway
Alameda, CA 94501
510.864.4800
Daniel
I snore, he sleeps downstairs
Oct 2007
According to my husband, I snore like a freight train- I use
those nose strips and have even tried a homeopathic pill that's
supposed to stop snoring- the products help but not enough. If
I sleep on my side, it seems better but I am a back sleeper- my
husband wears ear plugs (the wax type) and about 95% of the
time, he ends up waking up (to pee or whatever) and can't get
back to sleep because of my snoring- the result is that he goes
downstairs to sleep in the spare bedroom. I'm sad about not
having my husband in bed with me but he just can't sleep with
all that noise. Any recommendations on products or ways to
decrease the snoring? He threatens me with a ''tennis ball
shirt''- HELP!
Zzzzzzzzzzz
I snored like that, too, and it turned out to be a symptom of
sleep apnea, which was ''cured'' by getting a CPAP machine. This is
a machine that you connect to with a mask as you sleep, and it
pushes a continuous column of air into your airway to keep it
from collapsing a little when you breathe. This causes the
snoring. You need to see a sleep doctor and have a sleep study
done. You go spend the night in a clinic, and they hook you up to
electrodes and watch (and listen!) to you sleep. Then you get
fitted with the mask. The really incredible thing is that, apart
from stopping the snoring, it has given me tremendous new energy.
When you have sleep apnea, your breathing actually wakes you up
continually (maybe you're not even conscious of it), and you
never really get to that deep stage of sleep that is restful.
Getting the CPAP has really changed my life. Some people find it
a little hard to get used to, but it's worth it. I highly
recommend my sleep doctor, Dr. Guillermo Vanegas, 3300 Webster,
#404, Oakland, 94609, 510 251 1200. The ''typical'' sleep apnea
patient is male and overweight, but the condition can exist in
anyone. I'm female and not overweight, but I did snore very
badly. I hope this helps.
anon
My husband snored, and he took a sleep test and they found out he had
sleep apnea.
(We have Kaiser so they let us do the test at home, they give you a
machine). You don't
mention it, but the bigger signs of sleep apnea are always tired and no
energy. He
didn't just snore, he had this sort of choking snore, because he wasn't
getting enough
oxygen when he slept. I guess you would have to ask your husband if it
sounds like
you are choking or if there are long pauses between the snoring.
Anyway, for the past
six years he has been using a CPAP machine at night and it's been great!
It takes some
getting used to but he wears it every night and he feels so much better.
And I don't
have to listen to the choking-snoring anymore.
No more snoring
Snoring is a type of sleep-disordered breathing that can be a
symptom of a serious medical condition - sleep apnea. It not
only makes it difficult for a bed partner to sleep, but can
also have serious health implication for the snorer. Sleep
Disordered Breathing has been shown to be strongly linked to
increased risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke,
diabetes and a host of other medical conditions. Please talk
to your doctor about your snoring and/or see a sleep
specialist.
The tennis ball shirt won't help, because it's so uncomfortable
that it will wake you up. Sleeping on your side can help, and
some pillows, like the Oxygen Pillow, can help position your
head and neck to maximize air flow in the upper airway.
Breathe-Right strips can help you breathe better through your
nose, but the snoring is usually in other parts of the upper
airway. You can talk to your dentist about dental appliances
that can reduce snoring, but these can be expensive,
uncomfortable, and may not help.
The gold standard of treatment is CPAP (Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure), where pressurized air is forced into your
nose via an air pump and tube to a mask worn over your nose.
CPAP will stop your snoring, but the device can only be
obtained with a prescription, and insurance won't pay for a
CPAP unless you have undergone a complete sleep test to prove
you have a medical need.
The first and most important step is to talk to your doctor.
My company, SomniHealth, provides CPAP machines once you have a
prescription. One of the great joys of my work is bringing
couples back together again after they've been sleeping in
seperate rooms for years. Snoring is a very serious problem,
but it's very treatable.
Daniel
My husband is a dentist and he provides a product for snorers
like you called a ''snoreguard''. Many many people have been
successful with it. One man said it saved his marriage! Ask
your dentist about it. It's just a few hundred dollars which
is certainly worth sleeping with your husband for. Good luck!
Chanel
April 2007
Has anyone had surgery to deal with really bad snoring? My husband has snored all his life
(he's been tested for sleep apnea and doesn't have it), and we're ready to do something
drastic. My understanding is that there are 2 types of snoring, one originating in the nose
(which can sometimes be helped by those nose bandaids) and one originating in the throat. We
think his is the latter as the only thing that's ever worked at all is a throat spray.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work well anymore and while he can sleep in another room at home,
our vacations are becoming unbearable with us sleeping in shifts. I know there are surgical
options and would like to hear from anyone who's gone down that road. Many thanks!
sleepless in Rockridge
1. Be sure he sleep only on his side--put pillows or other objects next to
his back so he wont turn on his back.
2. No alcohol or sleeping pills before bed--these increase snoring.
3. See an ENT specialist to see if he has loose tissue in the back of his
throat to remove.
4. Use earplugs--silicone work really well, when you sleep. This helps
alot.
5. Sleep in a separate room! When travelling, book a suite or connecting
rooms.
anon MD
2. No alcohol or sleeping pills before bed--these increase snoring.
3. See an ENT specialist to see if he has loose tissue in the back of his
throat to remove.
4. Use earplugs--silicone work really well, when you sleep. This helps
alot.
5. Sleep in a separate room! When travelling, book a suite or connecting
rooms.
anon MD
Have your husband tried the device that dentists can make? It
realigns the jaw in some way that stops snoring. It's like a
night guard. Costs about $300-400. It worked for us.
anonymous
Check out my response under the next or most recent advice
newsletter. My husband has had the full surgery-it's very
painful, excrutiating initially, and a lot of trouble, and it
doesn't fix everything. Though it's better. See the other post
for more detail.
Husband's Snoring is ruining our marriage
Sept 2006
Help! My husband's snoring is ruining our marriage. We live in
a really small 3 bedroom home with a son and daughter who really
need their own rooms. We can't do this because there is no
possible way for my husband and I to share a room. Even with
him in another room his snoring often wakes me up. We haven't
touched each other in months and I feel the stress about what
we're going to do about sleeping arrangements and the separate
beds are a big cause. I feel so angry about this. He had
surgery for a deviated septum and the 'snoring surgery' where
they removed his uvula and cauterized the tissue at the back of
his throat about 6 years ago -- it made a big difference -- but
this year it's back to being as bad as ever, and it's constant,
not just when he has a cold or something. I can't ever think
about planning a vacation or anything without thinking 'how am I
going to get any sleep'. So far he's been really resistant to
doing anything about it, which I don't really understand. I've
had him taking nasal steriods but then he'll just stop taking
them and then doesn't understand why I'm upset. If I ask him to
sleep in the other room he gets really pissy and slams the
door. He acts like it is all 'me' -- that it is my problem.
His snoring is so loud I can hear it over the TV when I'm in the
living room.
I need the name of a good Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor who is
skilled at the 'snoring surgery'. We have Aetna insurance --
so any John Muir, Hill Physicians, etc. medical group would
work. Any other suggestions would be welcome. Back before his
other surgery he had a sleep study which said he did not have
sleep apnea so supposedly that is not the problem. I'm
desperate for something to change here -- I can't spend the rest
of my life like this
Anon
Several years back I had a very sophisticated sleep study at Stanford
because of heavy snoring and constant exhaustion (I sneakily manipulated
Kaiser to pay for it, their sleep study is a joke). I was diagnosed with
''upper airway obstructive disorder'', which is not full blown sleep
apnea. Stanford wanted me to have an experimental and very expensive
treatment, which I declined, and instead I slept with a CPAP machine for
a bit less than a year.
CPAP is a drag and not for the unmotivated, but it's not invasive and it
works. I was pretty good about it, used it about 5 nights out of 7, and
all my symptoms vanished.
But- what no one (stupidly!?) told me then was that weight has a great
deal to do with the sort of problem I had, and I was significantly
overweight. I lost weight for other reasons, my problems went away,
haven't returned, and I haven't needed the CPAP since.
You don't mention your husband's weight, but if he is heavy, losing
weight could be at least a supplement to other treatment if not a
treatment in itself.
His attitude is another thing entirely though, and I'd have a very
difficult time with it if I were in your shoes. Is this his basic
personality, or could it be an indirect way of expressing other things
(that may or may not have to do with your relationship)?
anon
My husband was a huge snorer, and we had the same problems you describe,
including the no-apnea sleep study and his refusal to believe it was
that bad. Once we went to an overnight party at a small house, and half
the people left in the middle of the night because of his snoring! He
had surgery, and all was much better, and then he relapsed. He had a
second surgery and things have stayed better. He still ''purrs'' from
time to time (much more quietly) and at times I still can't sleep. I
leave the bed when my stress level is high or he's snoring a lot (about
once every two weeks).
First, awakening my spouse to get him to leave the bed was WAY harder
than leaving myself. Establish a separate sleep space for yourself that
is supportive, comfortable, and the same every night. This might mean
switching a sofa out for a daybed type thing you can throw the cushions
off (we had no separate bedroom for years, either). Make sure this space
has as many bedroom-like features as possible (comforter, pillows,
reading light, alarm clock). When you are stressed or he is loud, you
start off the night sleeping there. If he wakes you, go to your spot
and pass back out. No muss, no fuss, no middle-of-the-night blaming
sessions.
Second, be clear with each other and with yourself that this is NOT
personal, or indicative of problems with the marriage or the love you
have for each other.This is not about him or about you, this is about
snoring and sleep deprivation. To think clearly about solutions, you
both have to feel able to get good sleep.
Third, make it clear to your spouse that it feels awful to you to not
share a bed, but that you have to sleep separately if he won't either do
the steroids regularly, go get a surgical tune-up, or both. If and when
he does agree to go, BE SURE TO express your gratitude that he is
willling to take this step for the sake of sleep and marital sanity (for
you both).
Rich Kerbavaz in Berkeley is a good ENT. Joel Ross, who practices in
Pinole, did both my husband's surgeries, and was clear from the outset
that this often takes more than one try.
valerie
My grandfather, father and brother all snore just like you describe...
loud enough to shake the house down. When we learned my son had a
deviated septum (and snored), we thought it best to have it taken care
of. My son saw doctor, Kasey Li, an ENT and DDS, Harvard trained.
THough he is not cheap, Dr. Li is top notch. Dr. Li was recommended to
me by another doctor, who had
her child treated by Dr. Li. If any doctor could help your
husband, I am sure it would be Kasey Li. Check out his website; he is
located just off the 101, in Palo Alto. It's a bit of a drive from
Berkeley, but if he can help resolve the snore, ain't a good night sleep
and your marriage worth a couple tanks of
gas?? Good luck!
Anon
It surprises me that your husband doesn't have sleep apnea as it sounds
like the treatments he's received are usually associated with apnea. I
do have sleep apnea; diagnosed after YEARS of snoring and driving
everyone around me crazy. If allergies have been ruled out, apnea has
(apparently) been ruled out, surgery has been done to correct loose
palate, it must be hard to figure out where to go. One of the reasons
your husband is probably getting so pissy with you is that he is not
sleeping well.
Snoring disrupts the snorer's sleep cycle, too, and he may not even be
aware of it. But, snoring is a sign of a medical problem, and there must
be answer somewhere. Believe it or not, I was diagnosed with a seizure
disorder but Kaiser finally did a thorough sleep study and found I had
apnea. If your husband isn't overweight, doesn't smoke or drink alcohol,
doesn't have allergies or enlarged tonsils, I'm still thinking that
apnea is his problem. I'd bet going through the sleep study clinic at
UCSF could find the root of his problem. By the way, I have been told by
several specialists that the throat surgery your husband underwent
rarely has long-term success, which is why I did not opt for it.
Anon
I know that someone else's ruining your sleep must be driving you mad.
I also have to note that despite his !!!cauterizing his throat!! and
!!!removing his uvula!!! (the idea of cutting out one's uvula really
disturbs me), you still say that ''So far he's been really resistant to
doing anything about it, which I don't really understand.'' Sounds like
he's done something pretty intense.
And then you expect him to leave the bedroom, instead of, for instance,
taking turns.
No wonder he's angry with you. He's wrecking your sleep time, and you're
punishing him in no small dose in his wake time.
Neither one must feel fair to the other.
Is his snoring ruining your marriage?
Maybe yes - with your reaction being part of the equation.
I have to say that it usually takes two to ruin a marriage, just as it
takes two to save it.
Now for a moment, imagine the effect on your marriage if something
happened on the order of cancer, multiple sclerosis, car accident, etc.
For most couples, something on the order eventually does happen. Those
too could wreck your sleep. Would you hold such health issue against him
like you do this one?
I wish you creativity, and best of:
-luck,
-good will,
-earplugs,
-white noise machines, and
couples' therapists (honestly).
anonymous
I have two suggestions for you! 1. Ear Plugs. Trust me -- I resisted
this suggestion for years myself because I was sure that I would not be
able to hear my kids in the middle of the night. I was wrong. I can
hear my kids, and I can sleep with my husband. Second suggestion --
send your husband to the dentist for a SnoreGuard. My husband is a
dentist who provides these snoreguards for big guys who snore loudly and
their wives send my husband thank you notes. Not too expensive (sorry,
don't remember the cost), but certainly worth investigating.
These have been successful with many people been there, done that
I have the same problem as you! My husbands outrageously loud snoring
nearly ruined our marriage!
Forget surgery. The only thing that worked for me is wearing earplugs
at night. I use the squishy foam ones with a minimum reduction level of
32 decibels. Anything less than 32 decibel reduction doesn't work. You
can buy them at any drugstore. I can actually get a good night's sleep
in the same bed as my husband when I wear these things. I've been doing
this every night for more than a year now and I probably will do so
until death do us part, and it sure beats tossing and turning and
getting mad at him all night long. I should buy stock in this earplug
company.
On nights where his snoring is off-the-charts loud and I absolutely need
a good night's rest for the next day, I sleep in our guest bedroom.
I've learned NOT to kick him out of the bed into the guest room.
It's all about acting on what is within your power to control,
rather than asking your hubby to modify his behavior.
Yes, I know that sounds like a bunch of psycho-babble, but really, once
I figured this out, our relationship improved greatly. If it works, it
works Approaching 10 years of marriage
I was snoring terribly. This was keeping my wife up with the associated
rage on her part. I had this checked out by Kaiser.
They sent me home with a machine to test for sleep apnia. Yup.
I had moderate to severe apnia. I have had a CPAP machine for about 6
years now. No snoring. No Apnia. I sleep much
better. I am exercising more now and starting to loose weight
and when I have lost about 40lbs I will have them test me again.
ex-snorer
In addition to your hunt for medical care, get yourselves to couples
counseling. It sounds like you love him a ton and you want to be near
him. Make sure he know that and try to not react in an angry manner
when you kick him out of the room. I think conseling might help both of
you work out some strategies that could save your relationship. Also -
try really good ear plugs Daughter of a huge snorrer
Chronic open-mouth breathing/snoring baby
Feb 2006
I have a 7 month old baby who chronically breathes through his
mouth. He also snores very loudly, especially at night.
Sometimes his mouth-breathing interrupts his eating. His doctor
doesn't seem too worried, despite his constant stuffiness.
I,however, am a bit concerned. Any ideas about what could be
causing this stuffy breathing? Thanks.
Meg
Your description of your son (''I have a 7 month old baby who
chronically breathes through his mouth. He also snores very loudly,
especially at night.
Sometimes his mouth-breathing interrupts his eating.'') sounds exactly
like my son, except that my son is older. It took a long time for my
son's diagnosis, but it turned out that his adenoids were enlarged so he
couldn't breathe at all through his mouth, causing sleep apnea and
eating problems. He just had surgery (adenoidectomy, i.e., removal of
the adenoids) about a month ago and now he's like a new person! Even
though the symptoms are similar, this may not be what's going on with
your son, but I would definitely recommend having a doctor at least look
at his adenoids (and tonsils) to find out. There's a tube they stick in
the child's nose in order to see the adenoids, which is slightly
uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt.
- Good luck!
I would say to to an ent (ear, nose, and throat specialist). Our son had
the same thing and it turned out to be enlarged tonsils. YOu could hear
our son breathing all the way across the room. Some pediatricians don't
see that as any big deal, but our allergist/ asthma specialist
recommended it and it actually cleared up my son's asthma. Dr Wesman at
childrens hospital is the best pediatric ent around, head of the dept.
He'll be able to tell you if it's nothing to worry about. If he seems to
be wheezing you might try an asthma/allergy specialist. We use Dr. David
Denmead in Pleasanton.
Good luck!
been there
Ask your doctor about the possibility of enlarged adenoids.
And/or ask your doctor to refer you to an ENT to have your child
evaluated for enlarged adenoids.
These were our child's symptoms too, and once adenoids were removed she
sounds great. If your child does have enlarged adenoids, it's possible
they would want to hold off on removal, however, considering age.
Deb
You may want to see Dr. Wesman, an ear, nose, and throat doctor at
Childrens Hospital. I don't wish to alarm you but it is my
understanding that babies who snore can have developmental delays; that
was the case with my child who had unusually large tonsils which caused
the breathing obstruction.
My son is now four and we're just figuring out that he has mold and
dustmite allergies which have led to stuffy ears, thus a hearing
problem. Two of the symptoms we hadn't clued into were snoring and
mouth breathing. This wasn't identified until he began his new
preschool this year and one of his teachers noticed a hearing problem
(from the stuffy ears). I don't remember when it started, probably much
later than your child's current age.
We first took him to an audiologist and she found significant hearing
loss (temporary), then we went to an ENT, and finally to an allergist.
Hopefully your child doesn't have hearing problems but this stuffiness
could go that route so my opinion is that you get a referral to an ENT
and perhaps an allergist (the testing was not painful).
amanda
Feb 2006
I have recently been told I have a snoring problem. I have
never been told that in the past and have chalked it up to
getting a little older and putting on 10-15 pounds in the last
four years. It has been a problem in a relationship, and I was
wondering if anyone has had success in dealing with it. I have
tried the nose strips (not a lot of success), and a special
pillow (also not a lot of success). Any advice would be
appreciated.
steve
I have had a similar problem. The doctor I used to see referred
me to a specialist who reocommended a type of surgery that
involves tightening up loose tissue in the throat. But after
doing some reading I learned that this usually isn't a long-term
solution.
I got a new doctor last year and he said ''The problem might be
that allergies are causing your nasal passages to be constricted.
I recommend you try Flonase.'' Flonase is a nasal steroid. It
seemed to work quite well. I gradually reduced the dosage and it
kept working. I then stopped taking it and eventually the
snoring returned.
Jeff
I started snoring when I was pregnant and it continued on after
having my son. I went to a ENT specialist and he said that
while I do have large tonsils and a slightly deviated septum
(sp?), if I didn't snore before from these things the only
reason I started snoring was from the weight gain. Something
about there being more fat rattling around or something.
Anyway, it's gotten better since I've lost weight, and my
husband no longer angrily goes to sleep on the couch. I still
snore though if I sleep on my back, especially if I'm
congested. So if you're a back sleeper, try lying on your side.
anon
Doctor for snoring and sleep apnea
Aug 2003
There were a few recommendations previously given but none of
them worked for me. I'm looking for a physician who can help with
the diagnosis of snoring and (possibly) sleep apnea who accepts
UnitedHealthcare. I'm considering the possibility of surgery.
Hans
I saw Dr. Andrew Moyce (he's in Oakland and Orinda) for sleep
apnea. He performed surgery on me to remove nasal polyps and fix
my deviated septum. I went from moderate sleep apnea to mild. It
didn't sure the apnea, as I use a nasal pillow (I think the
easiest to tolerate, just google ''nasal pillows'' for picture)
CPAP machine. I did not opt for further surgery to eliminate the
apnea since success rates are not that good, and surgery can
lead to permanent side effects, i.e., change in voice, etc.
Overall, I found Dr. Moyce to be very professional, and his
staff was very helpful. I had the sleep study done at Calif
Center for Sleep Disorders. Good luck.
anon
My husband snores very, very loudly
Sept 2002
My husband snores very, very loudly. Several years ago he was
diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. He has an appointment in
November with a sleep clinic to assess this further.
Unfortunately, we could not get an appointment sooner. We are
having our first baby this October and I can't wait any longer
for the snoring to stop! The snoring has gotten so severe that
it keeps me up throughout the night and interferes with my
sleep. Once I am up, it is very difficult to get back to
sleep. There are a few postings on this issue from previous
inquiries but I am wondering if anyone can recommend a physician
(preferably with Health Net) that will be able to see my husband
before November! Also, if anyone has other recommendations on
snoring remedies, please let me know. There are numerous
products advertised on the internet claiming to help with
snoring, but I have no idea whether any of them work. Thanks.
maria
I have been seeing Dr. Glen Petersen who is a pulmonary
specialist with an office at Alta Bates for my sleep apnea
problem. I think he takes Health Net. Also, I was referred in
the past to Dr. Joanna Cooper, who is a neurologist at Dr's
Hospital in Pinole. I think she also takes Health Net. Good
luck.
Anonymous
My husband snores so loud that the roof shakes. Before our
baby was born i wore earpugs and could sleep, even
though I still heard him a little. Now, with my little one I have
to sleep in the other room. My husband snores worse
according to his weight, he needs to lose some now to
stop snoring.
I don't know if the remedies work and I've heard that the
operation isn't too effective.
I sleep with my husband until the baby (19mos) wakes, at
which point I go to sleep on the pullout futon that I have
already set up. I sleep with my baby (still nursing in the
night) until the morn.
I know you want advice that tells you that you will enjoy sleep.
But I tell you that when I first had the baby I slept with my
baby and my husband in the bed and never heard him
snore. I was so dead tired that I only woke to the stir of my
baby.
Sleep is never what it used to be after the baby.....you'll
adjust. I was the biggest sleep lover you could ever had
met.....now I just get it when I can.
Good Luck
anon
My brother tried the ''surgery'' for his throat that works for some
people. He had it done 3 times (it often must be repeated to be
effective) and it didn't have any effect for him. My sister-in-
law is often tired.
I realize this is no solution, but my husband and I sleep in
separate rooms and it works well. We both sleep better. I've
confessed this little secret to a few women and (surprise!) they
confide that they have separate sleeping arrangements too! Our
sex lives haven't suffered.
anon
My husband has snored loudly throughout the entire time we have
been together. Seems to be that treatment for the snorer is
either ineffective (such as BreatheRight strips) or
drastic/dangerous (e.g., mechanical breathing apparatuses or
operations). My solution: I wear earplugs.
lawson
The ''drastic'' response to relieve snoring that I assume folks
were talking about in the 9/6/02 edition, not only relieves
snoring, but could save lives. Sleep Apnea is a serious problem.
I would recommend that serious snorers see a sleep disorders
doctor who can test them for Apnea. While their spouse may be
losing sleep, the snorer often is not sleeping either. My doctor
told me after my sleep study that I never reached REM sleep and
never even made it stage 2 sleep. I was waking about every 45
seconds to a minute to recover my breathing which had brought my
blood oxygen to a very dangerous level. While I didn't know I was
in a serious condition, I did know that I would wake up in the
morning not feeling rested at all. I now wear an oxygen mask
(from a CPAP machine) that forces a continuous stream of air up
my nose and keeps my airway clear. I have had the best sleep that
I can remember and feel refreshed and energetic for the first
time in years. I highly recommend that you encourage your
''others'' to check it out and make sure that their snoring is not
just affecting you.
I made an appointment CA Center for Sleep Disorders in Oakland
(510-834-8337). The doctor I saw said that from the redness and
swelling in my throat he couild tell that I did have Sleep Apnea
and ordered the sleep study. They scheduled it in their office
for the next week and I had the results a few days later. Also,
Stanford has a well-recommended sleep clinic as well..
Jon
Have you tried snore reduction surgery?
Dec 2001
My husband has always been a loud snorer--so loud in fact, that I can pretty
much hear him from every room of our house when he's asleep and snoring in
the bedroom. He snores despite sleeping on his stomach, side, etc. and
things like those Breathe Right nasal strips don't work on him. I've
tolerated his snoring for many years but now that we have little kids and
I'm pretty sleep-deprived as it is, it's unbearable to have to lose more
sleep over snoring.
We'll probably seek the advice of our health practicioner but I'm wondering
if anyone out there has experienced any positive or negative results from
snore reduction surgery (our medical coverage is with Kaiser Permanente).
Assuming that my husband doesn't have any serious problems (sleep apnea,
etc.) we'll probably explore this option.
Thanks.
Instead of going the surgery route, you might want to at least look
into other options. I have a snoreguard device that I wear to sleep
when I don't want to snore. It's like a hinged top and bottom retainer
molded to my teeth that forces my lower jaw to jut out and creates
more breathing space at night. It works pretty well, and isn't too
uncomfortable if you wear it all the time. There is another device
that is more fixed, but also molded to your teeth that takes up more
mouth space and lets the wearer breath through a small hole. Both
devices can be obtained through a dentist. My snoreguard cost about
$300 maybe two years ago. Lots cheaper and less invasive than surgery,
although not a permanent fix. Does your husband have a deviated
septum? This could also contribute to snoring.
Good luck, Anonymous
My husband and I had issues with his snoring. In the end, he had a sort of
ultrasound that cauterized some of his nasal tissue. He is now snoring and
making other disgusting mouth and nose noises far less than he had before.
Good luck to you!
From what I've heard about the surgery, it's not something to undertake
lightly. Do talk to your practitioner and consider the other options
first.
It's amazing to me that these guys don't wake themselves up with their
snoring!
Louise
My husband also is a snorer, and has now undergone two procedures for
snoring. They have been VERY successful, and he snores far more softly,
when he snores at all. This has been great for our marriage and family life
(not to mention our friendships; before children, we went to one memorable
NEw Year's gathering and sleep-over at someone's beach cabin, only to find
that several people left the house in the middle of the night because they
couldn't bear the snoring!!). A few words of advice:
Your husband should undergo a sleep study first. Apnea is no joke. My
husband didn't have apnea, or at least the test was inconclusive. HE says
that the quality of his rest improved dramatically after surgery, and that
he never realized how tired he really was before. If a sleep study proves
apnea, insurance will probably pay for the surgery. Otherwise, it's usually
out-of-pocket (check with Kaiser on that). The surgery cost us a couple of
thousand dollars -- it was worth it.
The surgery itself can take a couple of forms: there's the one my husband
had, where they basically cauterize the soft palate -- unpleasant (you can
smell your tissue burning), and recovery takes about a week. Then there's
radial ablation, which does the same thing with vibration (I think). This
is newer, less painful, but potentially less successful. Either way, your
spouse will probably need to go through the procedure more than once before
it really takes. AS I said, my husband has had two procedures: the most
dramatic difference happened after the first one, but the snoring returned
and he felt he needed another one about a year later. Eighteen months after
procedure #2, he snores sometimes at the beginning of the night, but stops
when he hits deep sleep, and also sometimes snores after drinking red wine.
But the sound level and quality of the snoring is way, way different
(softer, regular, more like a purr), and if it weren't for our
always-up-at-three smaller baby, I'd sleep right through it all the time.
My husband snores long & loud, and the combination of that and the sleep
deprivation caused by young ones is just dreadful. You have my sympathy!
You should definitely look into sleep apnea. My husband has mild apnea, but
nothing serious. Because I was so miserable with his snoring, he recently
underwent snore reduction surgery (I'm not sure exactly what the procedure
is called) at Kaiser in which radio waves were used to shrink the soft
palette. The procedure was very uncomfortable, he couldn't talk for several
days, and his throat hurt for at least a week afterwards. His snoring did
not stop after the surgery, and in fact, got much louder immediately after
the surgery. However, the volume eventually decreased by about 15 to 20
percent. He had another procedure done several months later. This one hurt
less, and he recovered more quickly. However, the volume of his snoring has
not decreased much -- maybe another 5 to 10 percent. We are considering
whether to have him undergo a third procedure -- he was told sometimes it
takes 3 or 4 procedures, and there is no guarantee. The one big improvement
it made was that he used to start to snore while he was still half-awake.
Now, he doesn't start snoring until he is more deeply asleep, which helps me
somewhat. One caveat -- his snoring got much much worse immediately after
the surgery both times, and was just unbearable for over a week. Dr. Cruz
at Kaiser Oakland does the procedure, but it was not covered by our
coverage, and we had to pay for it out of pocket. Would I recommend it?
Maybe -- it helps a little, but is definitely not a miracle solution, or at
least hasn't been for us. It is also expensive. Good luck, and silent
dreams!
Anonymous
About the snoring surgery. My father has been a terrific snorer for all of my life,
and several years before that from what I'm told. If my father is sleeping in his
bedroom with the door closed, you can hear him 2 floors below. Needless to say, it
has significantly impacted my mothers life, though it does make for good comedy on
family vacations . 10 years ago, when he was in his late 40's, he had a sleep study
and was diagnosed with apnea -- please do not overlook this step! 4 or 5 years ago
he finally got a CPAP machine, which is basiclly a mask hooked up to an oxygen
machine. This has helped his snoring tremendously. However, because my parents
travel a fair amount he decided to have surgery so he wouldn't have to lug his
machine around the world with him. He has had surgery 2 times in the past year
(cauterization of the uvula, I believe), both of which did nothing for him except
give him a sore throat for a couple of weeks. So he's back to the CPAP. He sounds
kind of like Darth Vader, but better that than a jackhammer!
Tara
Can't bear to be in the same room with snorer
Sept 2001
One member of my family has a nasal condition that results in
intermittent "whistling", congestion, and snoring. These noises are
growing increasingly difficult for me to bear, to the point where I
often do not want to be in the same room with him. We have been
arguing about this, with little resolution. He is only somewhat
willing to seek medical treatment for this, and has asked me to do
what I can to try to be less bothered by these noises. Does anyone
have experinces with such issues? I was wondering about hypnosis, but
am open to all suggestions. Thanks.
Elizabeth
Snoring can be an indicator of many things, from allergies and congestion, to a condition such
as sleep apnea which can be serious. It would be a very good for your loved one to get a check
up with your health practioner - no harm done, you'll probably get some help, and it could rule
out any serious worries. best of luck.
Nuckypuff
My husband can't sleep because of my snoring
Oct 2000
My child is finally sleeping through the night but my poor husband
is not because of my snoring!! I've seen ads re: pills (which I am
reluctant to take) and other type of devices. Any advice? thanks.
BB
This problem plagued my husband and me for several years. Our
only solution seemed to be sleeping in separate rooms, but that
caused additional unhappiness. I found a product online that works
for most of the night, it's called Snoreless. It's a throat spray,
made by Nutrition for Life. But I still woke him up in the early
morning hours. Last summer when we were on vacation in the Southwest
it was quite hot, so we used a large floor fan at night. My husband
was able to sleep undisturbed! The droning of the fan blocked out
my snoring noise. So now at home we use a small air purifier/fan
called Bionaire, placed right next to his side of the bed, which
serves the same purpose. I think they sell them at Home Depot.
I thought we were doomed to sleeping apart, but these two simple
things have solved the problem. Good luck!
If you snore a lot and pretty loudly, you might have sleep apnea,
which may not only keep your husband awake, but could be dangerous
to your health. People with apnea stop breathing momenarily many
times each night and, as a result, wake up many times without even
knowing it. It results in sleep deprivation, even though you may
think you've slept through the night. Anyway, I'd check with a
doctor about this, even if your husband's problem with your snoring
has been solved.
Craig
Snoring 2-year-old
I don't know if this subject has been addressed before but it's an issue
for my family now. Our almost 2 1/2 year old son Philip has begun to
snore. Not just a light sound, but sometimes full blast tonsil
flappers. While growing up with a father who could shake the house has
conditioned me somewhat to snoring, my wife is ready to get her own
apartment. How have you parents dealt with this problem? Has it been
one at all?
Jonathan
To the parent with the 2 yr. old "snorer" -
My 8 yr. old son snores still, but he was MUCH MUCH louder when he was about
1.5-5 yrs. A specialist at Kaiser told us that he had enlarged tonsils and
adenoids and that the snoring was partly due to this. If I can remember
correctly, he said the adenoids typically are at their "peak" size-wise at
around 5 yrs. old and that things would probably start getting better after
that. We decided to not have them removed (he already had tubes in his
ears) and the situation did indeed improve as he grew older. So, maybe
there's hope that your 2 yr. old won't always snore. If you haven't
already, you may want to have a doctor check his adenoids just to find out
if the snoring is related.
My son also moaned VERY loudly - esp. early in the morning and ALWAYS on
camping trips (and he still does, but also not nearly as much.) I recently
spoke with a sleep specialist here at UC and he said moaning while asleep is
also fairly common in kids and its just a way some children get through the
transitions of sleep (REM etc.) - kids who sleep-walk or have night terrors
do it during the same period of sleep. Most people also outgrow these
behaviors.
randice
>To the parent with the 2 yr. old "snorer" -
>My 8 yr. old son snores still, but he was MUCH MUCH louder when he was about
>1.5-5 yrs.
My experience confirms that specialist's theory. Our son could be heard
snoring in the next room over the TV playing when he was 3-4 yrs old. Now,
at 6, he only snores when he has a head cold and not nearly as loudly.
Kay
Just a quick note on snoring to Jonathan. My now 5 year old son still
snores early in the evening and has snored since he was 2. I spoke with his
doctor who checked him out and said that his tonsils and adnoids seem normal
and that he will grow out of it. To stop the noise, I go in and turn him
over when he starts snoring and then re tuck him in pretty firmly. I have
never awakened him in doing this because he is a deep sleeper. Usually, he
snores just for the first couple of hours and then stops so I am awake to
keep changing his position.
You might have your sons tonsils checked out if you are quite concerned but
I believe that my son's snoring has greatly reduced through both age and my
readjusting him early in the evening. And, yes, I agree that a 2 year old
can snore very loudly!
Kathleen
this page was last updated: Nov 27, 2012
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.
Copyright © 1996-2013 Berkeley Parents Network