A Little "Night Music"

Well, I think I will change the pace up a bit here and talk about something that many of you (ladies) will understand! How about we talk SNORING??? Yep, snoring...that annoying habit so common among men.

The idea for this post came to me as I lay awake last night, listening to my significant other "create a symphony" through his nostrils. Now, all of you who know me and Ed know how much I love that man! But, he is definitely a first-class snorer. To be fair, he warned me up front that he snored. In fact, I believe his exact words were that he could "suck the acoustic tiles off the ceiling" when he really got going. Well, dang, if he wasn't exaggerating!

Ed has the enviable ability to drop off to sleep very quickly. Great for him...not so great for me. He is almost always asleep before I am, even if I hit the sheets before him. The snoring starts right away, usually within moments of him dozing off. The sounds he makes range from a mild "honking" to a full-blown snore reminiscent of old Saturday morning cartoons, complete with whistles and plenty of lip action.

Now, Ed admits he snores. He is fully aware of his snoring. When I videotaped him, he wasn't the least bit surprised by the sounds issuing forth from his mouth and nose. So, it's not as if he is in denial about it. Nor do I in any way mean to imply that he snores intentionally. It's just a fact of life for us.

So, how do we (or I) deal with it? Well, first I try just giving him a little nudge and a soft "ssshhhhh". Sometimes it is just a matter of getting him to change positions to get a little peace and quiet. More often, though, I have to escalate my approach and rouse him to a more awake state and "politely request" he stop snoring. If that doesn't do the trick, I admit I often resort to louder comments to the effect that "other people are trying to sleep here, you know!" As a last resort, I throw the covers back and grab my pillows and stomp down the hall to sleep in the other room. More often than not, my theatrical efforts as I exit are totally ignored because he is, of course, sleeping soundly at this point.

Now, I have not resorted to making him order those throat sprays or biteguards advertised on tv. First of all, they're overpriced and I sincerely doubt they work. I have tried earplugs and cotton balls in my ears. However, the earplugs hurt when I lay on my side and I have this awful fear that I won't hear my alarm clock the next morning. Cotton balls, well, they just muffle the sound and provide no relief.

So, how to fix this problem??? I love sleeping with my husband, snuggling up and feeling his reassuring presence next to me. I don't want to have to retreat to a different room. I know this is a "problem" many other couples experience. And I have no doubt that there are ladies out there who snore, too, causing their husbands to toss and turn in sleeplessness.

I don't know if there is any one clear-cut solution or quick fix. Perhaps, this is just God's way of teaching me a little patience. All I know is that we're working on it and through it...

If you have a similar situation, I would love to hear how you deal with it!