My only encounter with a snorer was on a long-haul Air New Zealand 777 flight when the man in the seat behind me performed a sustained postprandial symphony. Easily audible over the sound of the engines, his snoring wasn't conducive to anyone nearby getting to sleep.
Of course, there's a profound irony in the fact that the person who is effectively denying others sleep is himself asleep and blissfully unaware of the consternation he is causing. It's beyond irritating. Thank goodness for those airline earplugs.
According to Helpguide, common causes of snoring are: being middle-aged or older, being male, being overweight, alcohol consumption and sleeping on your back. The gentleman I encountered certainly ticked the first three boxes and he'd enjoyed plenty of red wine with dinner.
I was lucky my snoring companion was effectively a one-night stand. Some people endure it in their own homes. In Snoring is Ruining My Marriage! one woman wrote: "Aside from smothering my husband with a pillow, is there something I can do to fix this night-time terror ...? .... Most nights, I have no choice but to seek refuge in the spare bedroom or on the couch."
Gosh, what's wrong with that picture? So this woman's husband snores and keeps her awake, yet she's the one who must face the inconvenience and discomfort of shifting to an alternative room? Well, that's her first mistake. Where's his incentive to sort out his snoring if he's not the one suffering for it? If he's a known snorer, the short-term solution is surely simple: banish him from sleeping in the bedroom until he's at least taken steps to curb this antisocial habit. Just think of it as tough love.
