Sleep or snore?

Anthony Burgess quipped: "Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone".

Mmm, I found out just how true that can be! My daughter recently visited and with her dad away on business, we shared a room. At least, we did for a while. When I woke up, I found that she had fled to the sofa during the night, accusing me of snoring! What, me? I am usually the one who prods hubby during the night, urging him to turn on his side so that I can get some shut-eye.

So, very upset and embarrassed, I googled all the reasons (and cures) for snoring. I was a little comforted to learn that as many as 30 to 50% of all people snore at one time or another. Colds, allergies and sinus infections which block the air passages, are a frequent cause of snoring. So is obesity and smoking, both factors constricting the airways.

Not only is snoring a nuisance and sleep deprivator for those around the snorer, but the culprit him/herself apparently also lose quality of sleep. Because the snorer does not reach the deeper stages of sleep, he or she is not fully rested the next day. This may lead to daytime sleepiness and a lack of concentration. A dry, sore throat and headaches may also occur. But I was very surprised to learn that weight gain may be a result of  constant snoring too!  Oh boy, I am going to do something about my snoring right away, for that's one consequence I really don't need. Bad enough that it is winter - hot chocolate, rich stews ... everything that piles on the kilo's.

So what to do? Apparently, learning to sleep on your side can go a long way to alleviating or at least improving the problem. Then there are special "no-snore" pillows, throat and nasal sprays, mouth devices, homeopathic remedies, aromatherapy, hypnosis ... And if all fails, the non-snorer can resort to wearing special snoring ear plugs!

Do you or your partner snore? And how do you deal with it to ensure sweet, sweet sleep for all?