You don’t have to share a bed or even a room with a snorer to be bothered by the sound of their snoring. But it’s still possible to work to resolve their snoring issue and get a good night’s sleep.
Bring It Up
The first step to resolving the snoring situation is to mention it. Don’t bring this up alone if you don’t have to: enlist the help of other roommates, if there are any. Note that you’ve been bothered by their snoring, but emphasize how important it is that they know they snore, because snoring might be a sign of life-threatening sleep apnea, especially considering how loud their snoring is. But even if it’s not sleep apnea, snoring itself is potentially harmful.
Show sincere concern, which probably just means being honest. No matter how you may feel when their snoring is keeping you up at 3am, you don’t really want them dead. (especially if there’s going to be years of snoring before then!)
Try to Adapt
If your roommate can’t or won’t do anything about their snoring, you may have to try to adapt. Try earplugs, music, or a white noise generator to drown out the noise.
If you can’t drown out the noise, try changing your schedule. If you get to sleep before your roommate, you’re more likely to sleep through the snoring.
Avoid doing things that can lead to escalating the situation, such as waking them up by pounding on their door in the middle of the night. Snorers may not be getting good rest and they can be irritable, angry, and disposed to violence.
Force a Move
If there are other roommates, talk to them about evicting the snorer, unless they talk to a doctor or sleep dentist about their snoring. If it’s just the two of you, consult your lease about options you may have. If yours is the only name on the lease, you may have greater freedom to evict a snorer. Otherwise, you may not be able to send a snoring roommate on the road.
If that’s the case, you may have to be prepared to move yourself. This isn’t, of course, the best option, but it may be the only course left to you.
If you are being bothered by a snoring roommate, we can refer them to a sleep doctor for sleep apnea testing. Please call (402) 493-4175 for an appointment with an Omaha sleep dentist at the Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center.
