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Snoring &
Your Sex Life
How
Snoring Can Affect Your Sex Life!
Snoring can put stress on a
relationship.
Sleep deprivation due to a
partner’s snoring can make it a challenge to be cheerful in the morning and can
have a negative effect on the rest of your day, too. But the stress suffered
by the snorer's bed partner isn't the only stress with which we should concern
ourselves. It turns out that snoring, in addition to being a social and medical
challenge, can have negative effects on the sexual functioning of the snorer.
Studies have found that a
significant number of heavy snorers have reduced sexual drive. Quite a few of
snoring men also experience erection dysfunction. Heavy snoring is a
well-recognized symptom of the serious syndrome known as obstructive sleep apnea
(OSA). While asleep, people who have OSA momentarily stop breathing as often as
hundreds of times a night. This occurs because their throat air passage gets
blocked by their tongue, tonsils or soft palate and the uvula, the top part of
the back of the throat. Because OSA repeatedly interrupts sleep during the
night, it can have significant effects on the snorer's body. Generally an
individual suffering from sleep apnea, may not be getting the full night's sleep
he needs, either.
Sleep apnea can inhibit
sexuality because of oxygen deprivation, fatigue and depression. It can also
lead to other complications, including high blood pressure, increased risk of
heart attack or stroke, and excessive daytime sleepiness. All of these
conditions can suppress a healthy interest in sex. Fortunately the snoring
problem could be corrected in most instances by surgery according to Dr. Mansoor
Madani, a pioneering surgeon in treating this disorder. These treatments may
include laser surgery or use of radiofrequency to treat snoring and nasal
congestion.
If the individual doesn’t have
OSA, there are still a few things that can be done to decrease their snoring and
give you a better chance of waking up together in the same bed.
- Weight Loss: Losing
about 10 to 25 percent of total body weight often reduces the symptoms and
intensity of snoring.
- Decrease Alcohol:
Don't drink alcohol late at night. Drinking before bedtime increases
snoring in those who already do snore, and can cause it in those who normally
don't.
- Low Pillow: Sleeping
on a low pillow helps keep your neck straight and your air passage open.
-
Avoid sleeping pills or
narcotics before bed: These depress the central nervous system and
increase snoring. Some cold remedies can have similar effects.
- Stop Smoking:
Smoking increases snoring because it irritates and enlarges mucous membranes
in the throat and reduces the overall oxygen uptake ability in the lungs. It
also may inhibit the production of testosterone, the hormone that causes
sexual drive, and cause blockages of the penile arteries.
-
Don't sleep on your back. How?
Some snorers have sewn tennis balls inside a pocket on the back of their
pajama tops. This keeps them from comfortably rolling onto their backs and
assuming the prime snoring position.
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