source stopsnoringdevicesnow

I’m sure you have heard the complaints by friend about spouses who snore and keep them up all night.  One spouse snores and the other kicks him to turn over or just stop. It’s rather common too and over time it will take its toll.

The Sleep Disorders Center at Rush University Medical Center conducted a scientific study to look at how a husband’s sleep apnea impacts a wife’s sleep and their marital satisfaction.

“This is a frequent problem within marriages that nobody is paying enough attention to,” said Rosalind Cartwright, PhD and founder of the Sleep Center.  Couples who struggle with sleep apnea have a high divorce rate. Can we save marriages by treating sleep apnea? It’s a question we hope to answer. “

The Married Couples Sleep Study evaluated 10 couples in which the husband had been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The couples completed surveys regarding sleepiness, marriage satisfaction and quality of life. Then they spent the night in the sleep lab where researchers determined each spouse’s quality and quantity of sleep. 

Cartwright said, “Our early results are showing that the wife’s sleep is indeed deprived due to the husband’s noisy nights. This is not a mild problem.  The lack of sleep for both partners puts a strain on the marriage and creates a hostile and tense situation.”

In one situation the wife was awoken eight times an hour.  She tried earplugs, earphones and other devices. Ultimately she opted to sleep alone. 

“The strain on the marriage was evident. The couple was fighting all the time and the surveys revealed low satisfaction with the marriage, especially when it came to effective communication," said Cartwright.

The husband underwent treatment for his sleep apnea.  Afterward the wife’s sleep improved and so did their marriage. 

If your spouse snores insist on treatment. The watch your sleep improve and in turn your marriage will improve too.

 

Tags: sleep apnea, snoring, marriage satisfaction
Categories: Men's health