How to Get Your Spouse to Stop Snoring

author avatar Dr. Eric Berg 08/31/2023

Do you know someone who snores all night every night? There is nothing worse for your quality of sleep than to be next to someone making loud noises all night long. Not to mention that it leaves the person who snores unrested, exhausted, and unhealthy too. So if you want to know how to stop snoring (or how to get your spouse to stop snoring), be sure to keep reading. With a few important lifestyle changes, you and your partner could be well on your way to sleeping soundly – and silently.

In this article, I will cover:

A frustrated woman in bed pinches husband’s nose with clip to make spouse stop snoring.

What is snoring?

Snoring happens when there is a loss of tone in the structures and muscles in the back of your throat. This area is often referred to as the soft palate.

When these structures lose their tone, they essentially become floppy and can cause a vibrational sound as you breathe in and out during the night. That is what is happening when you snore.

An illustrated diagram of snoring anatomy, soft palate, nasal airway, blocked air, sleep apnea.


Sometimes, snoring is mild and only happens occasionally. For example, you might snore when you are extra tired, are in a certain sleep position, have nasal congestion, or have had alcohol.

But in other cases, snoring can become a long-term, chronic problem that disrupts quality of sleep for both yourself and anyone who you share a bedroom with. You might have sleep apnea, for example, which is something that can have some serious consequences. If you or your spouse is a real snorer, then you probably know how much of a problem it can become.

In order to fix the issue and no longer snore, it is helpful to understand what is causing the problem in the first place. So what exactly is going on in your airways and throat that makes these obnoxious vibrations that keep you up all night?

 

What causes snoring?

You'll find many home remedies, medical treatments, and other anti-snoring tips out there. From CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines to devices that fit in your mouth to nasal strips, there are a lot of options.

Unfortunately, CPAP machines for sleep apnea are uncomfortable, dry out your mouth and nasal cavities, and have other hassles. Devices that you put in your mouth to open up your airway might help, but again, they are a hassle.

And most importantly, they do not address the root cause of the problem. Sooner or later, you're going to want to address what is going on underneath the surface that is causing you to snore.

There are two common causes that are often at the root.

1. Being overweight

There is a large correlation between being overweight and being a snorer. Snoring is much more common in people who are overweight and obese. This is because the excess weight and fat can get in the way of your airways and impede your breathing muscles.

For example, if you have a big neck with too much fat, that fat can get in the way of your throat airway, obstructing airflow. That is called obstructive sleep apnea and is a common sleep disorder. Or you might have a large belly and lots of visceral belly fat in your abdomen. The constant pressure that puts on your diaphragm will limit the amount of air your lungs can get and cause snoring issues.

But being overweight isn't the only source of snoring.

Word snoring written on tablet with stethoscope and pen and paper on wood background.


2. Nervous system issues

The nervous system controls the tone and structures of the back of your throat. In particular, the autonomic nervous system is involved here. So if you have a problem with certain cranial nerves (like cranial nerve IX or X), that can create a loss of tone in the back part of the throat so that the airway vibrates and results in those loud, obnoxious noises.

You might also have a problem with your phrenic nerve. This is a nerve that comes from the diaphragm and goes up into the neck. It controls how much air your lungs are actually getting when you breathe. Again, if you have a problem with the nervous system and this nerve, it can create a huge effect on your airways, the amount of air coming into your body, and your snoring.

So what can cause these kinds of problems with the nervous system? A few different things might be coming into play:

  • You are deficient in vitamin B1. Also known as thiamine, this vitamin plays a key role in the autonomic nervous system. If you are deficient in it, you can have massive problems with your nervous system, in particular the cranial and phrenic nerves involved with snoring. You can become deficient in vitamin B1 when you have Fat Storing Hormone resistance or are eating a high carb diet.
  • You are diabetic, pre-diabetic, or Fat Storing Hormone resistant. These conditions can quite negatively impact the nerves that involve the back of the throat and snoring. When you have diabetes or Fat Storing Hormone problems, you can get general nerve dysfunction (called neuropathy). Additionally, when you become diabetic, you almost always become deficient in vitamin B1. Interestingly, B1 is protective against diabetes. So this is yet another reason why getting enough B1 is important if you currently snore.

If these causes are at the root of your issue, then there are a few simple things you can do to fix the problem.

 

How to stop snoring: 4 easy tips

A hand held up with words STOP SNORING written in red with bedroom in the background.



Losing weight is one of the top anti-snoring tips, and it can make a big difference if that is the root of the problem. But you can still end up snoring if you lose weight, or if you were already thin in the first place. So what can you do if that is the case?

You don't need to turn to nasal rinses, a tennis ball on the back of your shirt, or anti-snoring devices. Instead, a few lifestyle changes can make all the difference.

Below are the four best things you can do to address the root of the problem and stop snoring forever.

1. Get more vitamin B1

As mentioned above, the nerves involved in snoring, your air passages, and your soft palate are highly influenced by vitamin B1. When you don't have enough of this vitamin, you can get the kind of nervous system dysfunction that results in snoring. In fact, I believe that the sleep disorder sleep apnea is really a nutritional deficiency involving vitamin B1.

We need plenty of vitamin B1 to keep our nervous system healthy and to stop snoring. Unfortunately many people are deficient, and this is often due to too many carbs and sugar in the diet.

So make dietary changes to limit your carbs and boost your vitamin B1 intake with nutritional yeast (which you can add to your meals as a healthy supplement).

Vitamin B1 or thiamine molecular structure illustration


2. Increase vitamin D3

When you have sleep apnea or you snore all night, you probably wake yourself up a lot.

Vitamin D3 (in doses of about 20,000 IU) can really help you get better quality sleep each night, which will help you feel better. This vitamin helps get you into deeper delta wave sleep and helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which will ensure you are getting enough oxygen and rest every night.

Getting out in the sun and taking a supplement are two great ways to boost your vitamin D intake.

3. Try Healthy KetoTM

This low-carb approach to eating can help you to reverse Fat Storing Hormone resistance, which can be a major part of the snoring problem. Additionally, it can help you to get rid of any excess weight accumulating in your neck and abdomen. Check out my guide to Healthy KetoTM to learn more.

4. Do intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is another way to improve your Fat Storing Hormone function, lose weight, and get healthier overall. This way of eating can be another tool to use to help address the root causes of your snoring issues.

 

Key takeaways

Whether you have sleep apnea or other snoring issues, you know how disruptive and problematic snoring can be. It is well worth your time and effort to address the root cause and find a solution.

An annoyed woman holds her pillow over her ears next to sleeping snoring husband in bed.


So if you want to say goodbye to sleep deprivation for yourself and/or your partner forever, then follow these key tips:

  1. Get more vitamin B1 to improve the function of the nerves involved in snoring.
  2. Boost vitamin D3 to support your sleep quality.
  3. Follow the Healthy KetoTM eating plan to fix Fat Storing Hormone issues that can contribute to snoring.
  4. Try intermittent fasting, which can also help with Fat Storing Hormone issues.

Give these tips a try and see what happens. Then go ahead and share your results with me in the comments section below.

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Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for quality and relevancy.

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