Surrounded By Snorers

Q: What is it with men and snoring??!! I don’t know many men who can honestly say that they don’t snore. My father-in-law did it; my dad does it. And, now, I am double-whammied, because I have not only one man in my house who snores but two!

Prior to having kids, I was a pretty deep sleeper. My mom used to say that I could sleep through World War III and never even know it. Once kids came along, though, I started waking up at the drop of a hat. Now, I’m lucky to sleep throughout an entire night without someone or something disturbing my slumber.

It started out with my husband being the sole snorer in the family. It used to be just when he slept on his back. Now, it’s whether he’s on his back, his side, or standing on his head — it makes no difference. To give him credit, he has tried to rectify the situation by testing out the Breathe Right strips, the mouth sprays, etc., but, unfortunately, nothing seems to work. I, too, have tried to better the situation by nudging him, yelling at him, and even kicking him in the night, of course to absolutely no avail. I have finally resorted to wearing those stupid foam ear plugs each and every night to block out the noise.

And, wouldn’t you know, my other little man in the house has now followed in the footsteps of his father. Over the past couple of years, my son has become a mouth breather. Translation: the kid saws logs like nobody’s business at night. I can often hear him all the way down the hall even though his bedroom door is closed. My mom made me ask the pediatrician about it to see if he might have a problem with his adenoids. The doctor said that he really doesn’t recommend removing them unless sleep apnea is involved. He definitely doesn’t seem to stop breathing in his sleep — I’ve listened intently on many occasions. He’s got a steady and very excruciating rhythm going on with his snoring.

So, why is it that men are typically the ones who snore? My daughter doesn’t snore, and I certainly don’t either. Am I really doomed to stuff foam in my ears for the remainder of my nights? I don’t want to become like Lucy and Ricky and sleep in two different beds! I guess I just answered my own question — foam forever it is….

Dr. Smith: Don’t know where you live, but you should not take either your husband’s, nor your little man’s snoring lying down, and get some help. If your husband is now snoring regardless of sleep position, this has almost certainly elevated to obstructive sleep apnea, and if you don’t know the complications related to this, feel free to read all about them on my web site.

As far as your son, mouth breathing is not healthy, and can mean his adenoids are swollen. When this happens, he is forced to breathe through his mouth, which swells the tonsils even more. It also causes some structural changes in his mouth over time, as his upper arch begins to narrow, the roof of his mouth rises up, and before you realize it, there is even MORE constriction of the nasopharynx, and he becomes a permanent obligate mouth breather.

So, for your husband’s health, energy level, weight complications, etc.., get him some help. For your son’s future, get HIM some help. Let me know if I can help guide you somewhere.