Getting enough sleep each night improves our mood, health and overall wellness. Having a good night of sleep is important for the health and happiness of any relationship. For some people with sleep apnea, the interruption to sleep might lead to relationship difficulties that put serious pressure on partnerships. Analyzing the ways sleep apnea affects couples by causing snoring and sleep trouble helps us understand and deal with this problem. In this blog post, I look at the effects of sleep apnea on both partners and why it’s important to get the problem treated to restore happiness and energy in your relationship.
Exploring Sleep Apnea and What Its Symptoms Are
Sleep apnea means breathing repeatedly stops and restarts while a patient is asleep. A person with Sleep Apnea may snore loudly, sometimes stop breathing during sleep, gasp repeatedly, have headaches in the morning and feel very sleepy during the day. OSA is found in most cases and happens when throat muscles relax and block the airway. CSA appears when there is a breakdown in the brain’s communication with the muscles needed for breathing. They can both cause problems with how well people sleep and, as a result, their relationships.
How Does Snoring Affect Relationships
Where one partner has sleep apnea, many couples say they struggle with snoring. While being irritating, snoring has a strong effect on relationships. For people who snore, it can be something they worry about and feel irritated by. Some might worry about sharing a room and end up doing things like sleeping far from their spouse to prevent disturbing them.
For someone who doesn’t snore, listening to their partner for hours can cause regular sleep interruptions. If you don’t sleep well for a while, you may begin to feel irritable and more emotional and could even develop depression. The person not affected by snoring sometimes becomes irritable or chooses to avoid their partner which builds anger and stress between them.
Poor sleep disrupts the natural circadian cycle of people and causes other problems.
Because sleep apnea often causes fragmented sleep, the affected partner may not notice they wake up multiple times during the night. Because of broken sleep, the affected person might struggle to join in with everyday activities or be as active in the relationship as they’d like.
It can be difficult for the non-apnea partner to see their loved one find it hard to keep up, lose sleep or change mood because of sleep apnea. Because spouses are unable to alleviate their partner’s sleep apnea symptoms, they may begin to feel irritable and upset. Over time, things in a relationship may change and one partner may begin to feel more deeply affected by the other’s health issues.
How important is communication?
It is very important to communicate honestly about sleep apnea to deal with its effects on a relationship. Talking about how sleep apnea symptoms influence their partnership and their emotions can help both partners. Motivating the partner to get treated by a doctor can greatly improve relationship harmony.
Supporting each other in words and deeds can relieve some stress caused by sleep apnea. Having empathy is important, as anyone living with sleep apnea didn’t make the condition happen, it’s a real medical health problem that isn’t a choice.
If you use therapy, you may see progress toward repairing your relationship.
Managing sleep apnea helps both people in a relationship feel much better. Options such as using CPAP, wearing an oral appliance and making certain lifestyle changes can ease symptoms and lead to a better night’s sleep in patients. CPAP gives a constant flow of air to the airway through a mask which reduces snoring and helps prevent break in breathing.
People with sleep apnea may find it beneficial to lose weight, stop smoking and have no alcohol before sleeping. There are some cases where doctors prescribe surgery on the throat to remove tissue or correct a problem that is blocking the airway.
If you don’t have sleep apnea, witnessing your partner improve their health can give you great comfort. Better sleep for both can help them create a happier and more harmonious relationship.
Treatment Is Helpful, But A Successful Partnership Is Crucial
Being treated is vital, but caring for each other’s feelings is important as well. Setting a routine that promotes good sleep hygiene such as sleeping at the same time every night, creating a calm sleep setting and doing restful activities before bed, can help couples.
Getting counseling can help couples discuss their problems and find ways to deal with sleep apnea together. Couples can gain help from a therapist in speaking more effectively and building a stronger bond.
Conclusion
The problems from sleep apnea such as sleep disruption and loud snoring, can cause problems in relationships. Even so, if a couple recognizes the issue and gets appropriate support, they can lessen these problems and improve the quality of their relationship. Good communication, empathy and support are important for partners in this experience.
Better sleep starts with awareness—take the first step
Visit apacdsm.com to explore treatment options that support not just your health, but also your relationship. When both partners sleep well, communication improves, stress decreases, and daily life becomes more connected. A good night’s sleep is something you can share—together.