How to Cope with a Bad Bed Partner
Jamesha Edwards, 32, was no stranger to sleepless nights. Her husband, Lionel, 40, saw to that with his snoring. "The snoring was so loud," she explains. "And really scary. He was [often] gasping and fighting in his sleep because he was trying to get air." Edwards, a sales representative who lives in Pottstown, Pa., alternated between sitting awake worrying about her husband's health and being forced out of their bedroom in search of peace and quiet.
Hers is a familiar story. A National Sleep Foundation survey found that nearly one in four couples in the United States sleeps in separate bedrooms, a number that has more than doubled in just a few years.
For College Students, Yes, Sleep Matters
Q: My friend says I'm ruining my health by pulling all-nighters, but I say it's no big deal. Who's right? A: You're kidding, right? People do vary slightly in their sleep needs, but the idea that a person can exist on three or four -- or no -- hours of sleep a night is FALSE. In fact, you're in the crowd of college students who are chronically sleep-deprived -- which research links to a variety of health problems."Lack of sleep impairs your ability to learn, remember, and process new facts,"...
Read the For College Students, Yes, Sleep Matters article > >
Snoring -- the vibration of air against narrowing upper airways -- is the No. 1 complaint of bed partners, according to Charles W. Atwood Jr., MD, sleep medicine physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A small airway, a large neck, nasal congestion, or a blockage such as tonsils can cause snoring. Sleep apnea, a condition marked by breathing that stops for brief periods, is another, more serious cause of snoring. "The person with sleep apnea has a brief arousal, which restores the airway tone, usually there is a loud gasp or snort and the person may startle a little and then go back to sleep. This cycle may continue for dozens or hundreds of times a night," Atwood explains.
The tossing and turning or getting in and out of bed all night that goes along with insomnia causes trouble between couples. So does involuntary jerking motions, which are sometimes linked to restless leg syndrome.
Sleepless nights bring more than just dark under-eye circles. High blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, depression, and loss of concentration have all been linked to sleep apnea. And over time, insomnia "makes people feel run down, tired, and less productive," Atwood says. "Their quality of life is diminished."
Edwards' husband was ultimately diagnosed with a severe case of sleep apnea and now sleeps with a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine, that uses air pressure to open his upper airway. He breathes easier at night, and so does his wife. "I could see the difference right away," she says. "It's created a whole new [direction] for our relationship."
Hers is a familiar story. A National Sleep Foundation survey found that nearly one in four couples in the United States sleeps in separate bedrooms, a number that has more than doubled in just a few years.
Recommended Related to Sleep Disorders
For College Students, Yes, Sleep Matters
Q: My friend says I'm ruining my health by pulling all-nighters, but I say it's no big deal. Who's right? A: You're kidding, right? People do vary slightly in their sleep needs, but the idea that a person can exist on three or four -- or no -- hours of sleep a night is FALSE. In fact, you're in the crowd of college students who are chronically sleep-deprived -- which research links to a variety of health problems."Lack of sleep impairs your ability to learn, remember, and process new facts,"...
Read the For College Students, Yes, Sleep Matters article > >
Snoring -- the vibration of air against narrowing upper airways -- is the No. 1 complaint of bed partners, according to Charles W. Atwood Jr., MD, sleep medicine physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A small airway, a large neck, nasal congestion, or a blockage such as tonsils can cause snoring. Sleep apnea, a condition marked by breathing that stops for brief periods, is another, more serious cause of snoring. "The person with sleep apnea has a brief arousal, which restores the airway tone, usually there is a loud gasp or snort and the person may startle a little and then go back to sleep. This cycle may continue for dozens or hundreds of times a night," Atwood explains.
How Sleep Problems Affect Relationships
The tossing and turning or getting in and out of bed all night that goes along with insomnia causes trouble between couples. So does involuntary jerking motions, which are sometimes linked to restless leg syndrome.
Sleepless nights bring more than just dark under-eye circles. High blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, depression, and loss of concentration have all been linked to sleep apnea. And over time, insomnia "makes people feel run down, tired, and less productive," Atwood says. "Their quality of life is diminished."
Edwards' husband was ultimately diagnosed with a severe case of sleep apnea and now sleeps with a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine, that uses air pressure to open his upper airway. He breathes easier at night, and so does his wife. "I could see the difference right away," she says. "It's created a whole new [direction] for our relationship."
SHARE
