Snoring

Always Be Closing

Orite lads

My girlfriend doing my nut in recently over my snoring (male, early 30's, don't drink or smoke, relatively fit)

Anything I can do or take to shut her up?

Cheers

Walter Sobchak III

Buy her a pair of silicone earplugs for Christmas.

Plopsu

Go to the doctor. I had to have my adenoids out when I was a kid because my snoring was so bad it was drowning out the tv downstairs.
That said, it's gotten pretty bad again and I'm fairly sure they haven't grown back.
Are there any positions you sleep in that make it better/worse?

Always Be Closing

Would nasal strips do the job?

http://www.boots.ie/boots-re-balance-snoring-nasal-strips-20-strips-10125934

She says she can deal with snoring but it's not the snoring that bothers her - at the end of a breath apparently I make this weird popping noise

Might get her to record me tonight

silverharp

an aside is sleep apnea which you would want to sort out in the long term if you have it. Snoring can be weight related

Esel

Always Be Closing wrote: »

Would nasal strips do the job?

http://www.boots.ie/boots-re-balance-snoring-nasal-strips-20-strips-10125934

She says she can deal with snoring but it's not the snoring that bothers her - at the end of a breath apparently I make this weird popping noise

Might get her to record me tonight

Sleep apnoea?

Always Be Closing

How can you stop sleep apnea?
Lose weight. ...
Quit smoking.Smoking contributes to sleep apnea by increasing inflammation and fluid retention in your throat and upper airway.
Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives, especially before bedtime, because they relax the muscles in the throat and interfere with breathing.
Exercise regularly.

I'm a healthy weight (6'2, 13 stone)
Don't smoke
Don't drink or take drugs or medication
Exercise 5 times a week

She does however say I'll stop breathing for a while and then exhale, which would mean sleep apnea diagnosis makes sense

Thoie

Sleep apnoea isn't always weight related - there's two different types - obstructive and central sleep apnoea. Obstructive is generally (but not always) associated with being overweight. Central has nothing to do with weight at all - people of any weight can have it.

Best bet is talk to your GP, get a referral to a specialist, and do a sleep study. You'll sleep in a hospital for a night, hooked up to various bits of machinery measuring your breathing etc. Nothing painful, just a bit of a dull evening.

Jobs OXO

Always Be Closing wrote: »

Orite lads

My girlfriend doing my nut in recently over my snoring (male, early 30's, don't drink or smoke, relatively fit)

Anything I can do or take to shut her up?

Cheers

Spend five minutes doing each of these exercises in turn every day when you brush your teeth at night or in the morning. Aim to do them as fast as you can. As with any strength training, the more you do, the better your results will be. 
1. Extenders
Stick your tongue out straight as far as it will go. Try to touch the tip of your tongue to the end of your nose, and then your chin. Then move it to touch your left then right cheek. Repeat the four points quickly ten times.
2. Curls
Move the tip of your tongue backwards in your mouth, so it curls over towards the soft palate. Stretch it as far back as it will go, then bring it forward to touch the back of the upper teeth. Repeat quickly 15 times.
3. Hummers
Grip the tip of your tongue gently between your teeth. Make a humming sound, starting deep then increase in frequency until it is as high pitched as you can make it. Repeat ten times.
4. Hippos
Open your mouth as widely as you can and say ‘ahhhhhhhh,’ for 20 seconds. Repeat once.
5. Snorters
With your mouth closed, breathe in sharply through the nose. You may snort a bit. Do this rapidly in four sets of five repetitions, with a five-second break between each set.
6. Deep sniffs
With your tongue sticking out as far as it will go, take long, deep nasal breaths. Repeat 20 times.
7. Gulpers
Swallow ten times consecutively with your mouth closed, as forcefully as you can.
8. Pitchers
With your tongue poking out as far as it will go, take a deep breath in and make a high pitched noise, like air gargling. Continue for 30 seconds.
9. Boas
Swallow very slowly in a controlled manner, making it last five seconds. Hold as much pressure as possible in the throat throughout. Repeat five times.

shinju

If you really want to make a difference then start big (relatively) without any invasive surgeries or medication and get a good nasal dilator.
This one is great:
http://www.respifacile.com/reusable-nasal-dilator

It really does make a difference.

Otherwise (if you have a bad snoring problem) you are wasting your time with nasal strips etc.

However, breathe right nasal strips along with the dilator are better.

Cutie 3.14

Chin strap perhaps?

https://goo.gl/images/NWkRBo

the_syco

Always Be Closing wrote: »

She does however say I'll stop breathing for a while and then exhale, which would mean sleep apnea diagnosis makes sense

Get a sleep study done. If you have private health insurance, check what they'll cover. Also, your sleep will be A LOT better.

Have a CPAP machine for about two years now. Before, I could be two floors down in the house, and the people on the top floor (three floor building) would still hear me snore. Now, the current housemates don't know I snore. Last housemates heard me snore once (I took the mask off in my sleep due to it being too hot; 30 degrees at night in Toronto last summer), and they didn't know WTF was happening, as I was snoring so loudly (but they had never heard me snore before).

Machine is fairly silent.

Gillo

Is it not awkward to sleep with a machine like that?
I'm not knocking the medical benefit's but I toss and turn in my sleep so imagine if anything I'd be constantly waking up- most mornings I wake up on my chest and face pretty much in the pillow so imagine the mask being pressed into your face. I'm genuinely curious to hear what it's like to use that machine as I snore a a lot.

the_syco

Gillo wrote: »

Is it not awkward to sleep with a machine like that?
I'm not knocking the medical benefit's but I toss and turn in my sleep so imagine if anything I'd be constantly waking up- most mornings I wake up on my chest and face pretty much in the pillow so imagine the mask being pressed into your face. I'm genuinely curious to hear what it's like to use that machine as I snore a a lot.

Nosemask goes on, and I'm asleep within 20 minutes; as opposed to what used to be an hour or two. The nosemask is fitted fairly securely over my nose, and the hose going from it to the machine is about 1.5 to 2 meters long I'd say.

Before I started using the CPAP device, I used to wake up on my back or either side, but now I generally wake in the same position as I fell asleep.

drake70

Gillo wrote: »

Is it not awkward to sleep with a machine like that?
I'm not knocking the medical benefit's but I toss and turn in my sleep so imagine if anything I'd be constantly waking up- most mornings I wake up on my chest and face pretty much in the pillow so imagine the mask being pressed into your face. I'm genuinely curious to hear what it's like to use that machine as I snore a a lot.

I have been using a CPAP for around 15 years. I toss and turn and the mask stays on for me.

I used to like sleeping on my stomach, but can't now and eventually my sleeping self learned this.

Teyla Emmagan

Sew a golf ball into the back of your pyjamas. Between the shoulder blades. If required buy the pyjamas first. Will keep you off your back and stop the snoring.

Zulu

Unlike everyone above, how about you try not making this your problem?
Lets call a spade a spade here - this is her problem. You're most likely happy away in the land of nod, right?

...so, maybe your solution is for her to get hypnotised? She could get your snoring to be a trigger for her to fall asleep. Problem sorted!

(problems may not actually be sorted at all)

Esel

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Sew a golf ball into the back of your pyjamas. Between the shoulder blades. If required buy the pyjamas first. Will keep you off your back and stop the snoring.

A tennis ball is recommended, afaik? Same effect but not painful as a golf ball I'd say.

Anyone tried either version?

Thoie

If he has sleep apnoea, it's a serious medical issue, not "just snoring". That really should be ruled out first before resorting to over the counter/home remedies.

askU

the_syco wrote: »

Get a sleep study done. If you have private health insurance, check what they'll cover. Also, your sleep will be A LOT better.

Have a CPAP machine for about two years now. Before, I could be two floors down in the house, and the people on the top floor (three floor building) would still hear me snore. Now, the current housemates don't know I snore. Last housemates heard me snore once (I took the mask off in my sleep due to it being too hot; 30 degrees at night in Toronto last summer), and they didn't know WTF was happening, as I was snoring so loudly (but they had never heard me snore before).

Machine is fairly silent.

Is it possible to hire a CPAP machine to try it out or should one just buy this machine if they think it would help?

shinju

askU wrote: »

Is it possible to hire a CPAP machine to try it out or should one just buy this machine if they think it would help?

It costs about €90 per month to rent and about 1200 to purchase. I believe that a prescription may be required, so you will have to be referred to a respiratory specialist and/or a sleep clinic first.

Google cpap rental Ireland.

If it's just for snoring (rather than sleep apnoea) i would suggest trying the nasal dilator first, makes a big difference and is not mechanical so does not make any noise. It also fits in your pocket so is perfect for staying away at friends/family, hotels and for use on airplanes.