How timely: my partner, after trying everything, just had surgery to 1) remove her uvula, which was literally resting on the back of her throat; 2) correct her seriously deviated septum; 3) repair 2 sinus turbinates.
It was NOT a pleasant surgery, but it was performed under general anesthesia by the top doc in NY. She is still recuperating, but already is breathing better. Apnea is nothing to be taken lightly.

My husband snores and sometimes it is so loud the walls shake! I tell him he sounds like a wounded bull and he still doesn't believe me, so I videoed him.

Anyway, he tried a device he ordered online for about $60 and it is like a mouthguard. He hates wearing it, as it pushes his bottom jaw forward slightly, but ahhhh bliss!!! Not a peep! :)

From my experience, Jal Neti works - it cleans the nasal passage and helps in allergies too.

It's pretty annoying, but I would have a tough time asking my husband not to eat after 5PM. How can you sleep if you're STARVING? We're not Juicing kind of people. We like food, especially for dinner.

That mouthguard thing works for us. He never starts sleeping with it in, but when he gets the nudge, he pops it in and we both go back to sleep. Best $60 we ever spent.

If you sleep on your back, try sleeping on your side.

I have a friend that I refuse to share hotel rooms with any more because his snoring makes me want to murder him. We've had lenghthly discussions about this, and even though he does have sleep apnea, he refuses to use a CPAP machine because it would be an inconvenience to travel with. Meanwhile, he stops and starts all night and snores like he's angry with himself.

earplugs save marraiges

Get examined by an allergist. Nasonex and prescription Astelin (a topical antihistimine spray) stopped my husband's snoring. No need for devices or starving.

My boyfriend and I both inherited horrible sleep apnea from our fathers (seriously--and both died early of heart-related issues) and we use the CPAP technology to prevent our own health problems down the road. We have to police each other, since occasionally one of us will wake up and see the other snoring away with the CPAP mask resting on the forehead like a festive hat, or one of those British fascinators. It has been life-changingly awesome and I no longer feel like sleeping in class--which is awkward, since I'm the teacher.

I can see a couple of people have mentioned it already - a mouth guard. Definitely a snorer should be tested for sleep apnea first but I can tell you a close family member had a serious snoring problem for decades! And tried all the usual recommendations from nasal strips, not eating, and even laser surgery on his throat (TWICE! You have to really love someone to go through that because there is a significant recovery period.) The laser surgery worked for a bit but was not as it turns out a long term solution (bit of a mystery how it works).

But finally after years he heard about mouth guards. You can get inexpensive ones that the other commenters mentioned but you can also get custom fit ones (which are a lot more expensive, like an expensive TV or med priced mattress, but really worth it) either from doctors who specialize in sleep issues or a dentist. They take a mold of your mouth to make it and it's apparently much more comfortable though still a bit weird feeling at first. Can't find the name of the brand he used but I'll post that later.

My husband snores like Fred Flintstone! I'm happy for the tips. Until he gets checked for sleep apnea or buys the insert, I'm making do with earplugs. On nights when I happen to be trying to fall asleep while he's snoring, I'll turn the opposite way on the bed, with an extra blanket, and that does a great job of reducing the sub-woofer rumble of the mattress. An extra pillow over my head helps too. :P

Any remedies for a snoring dog? I know, she shouldn't sleep in bed with us but she just keeps on sneaking in. Like a snoring ninja!

These earplugs saved my relationship, no joke: http://www.amazon.com/Macks-Pillow-Silicone-Earplugs-Value/dp/B000067NMJ

A friend who had been prescribed a CPAP went with learning to play a didgeridoo instead and claims to be snoring free after 3 months. Just Google "didgeridoo snoring" and you will see the trend.

I had serious sleep apnea but could not adjust to the Cpap, so was "non-compliant". At my request, my dr. prescribed a mouth appliance my dentist took molds for and ordered. It was expensive - $2500, but it is covered, depending on your plan (it's one of the latest models). This mouth appliance has changed my life, and now I don't want to take a nap after breakfast!

If the snoring is only an annoyance, and not a serious issue, like Sleep Apnea - the non-snoring partner can also be hypnotized to hear the snoring as a relaxing white noise sound. My husband had sleep Apnea, went on CPAP - did a full sleep study in Manhattan, and then he lost about 25lbs. and now he sleeps almost entirely silently. He used to wake up over 300 times a night - now he wakes up 3 - and I wake up 11 times! The CPAP sure helped him not only to sleep - but to feel better overall because his body was starving for rest. He has always used the Neti Pot, as some recommend - but it wasn't enough in the face of Sleep Apnea. Now he is free of the CPAP and no more Apnea, the weight loss did it. Plus it's a good motivator to keep the weight off, as he hated wearing the CPAP. (PS - we used the Fitbit tracker for pedometer and to monitor times we wake up at night. Here is some info - http://www.healthyobsessions.net/2010/03/putting-the-fitbit-to-bed-sleep-tracking/). Sleep Tight and don't let the bedbugs bite....(oh, too scary and true these days!)

Once medical reasons are ruled out - weirdly the thing that fixed the issue for us was getting a better mattress.

Our first mattress, as for many new couples moving in together, was a really, REALLY cheap mattress. My husband snored loudly enough that I really did resort to earplugs.

When that slim mattress finally gave out, we bought a nice, big, firm mattress for considerably more money - and instantly the snoring stopped. I'm not sure if it was the higher quality mattress, or just moving to a firmer mattress, but someone it worked.

My parents also swear by tilting your bed. Not much, just a small three inch riser put underneath the bottom feet of the headboard. Much cheaper to try out than buying a new mattress. This is also supposed to help a bit with acid reflux as well.

@ewamys Thanks for the laugh, the snoring ninja mental image was priceless.

Earplugs are a snoring partner's best friend. And they're cheap and easy to use.

Not eating after 5 pm stops snoring? I don't think that's even medically sound. Millions of people who eat dinner after 5 pm every day don't snore.

I also had surgery to correct this and the sleep apnea that I had. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed, which, as an adult, was horrible. The recovery was at least a week, but I'm so glad I did it.

I like that my partner snores. It's comforting. Perhaps because he is often so stressed from work that if he's snoring I know he's getting semi-good rest. He doesn't have sleep apnea that we are aware of, and he definitely doesnt do it every night, only when he's really relaxed.

I have a PUG. I know snoring.

i once woke up at a relative's to find everyone discussing sleep apnea and how frightening it is to sleep near someone who stops breathing like that.

i knew they were talking about me. must admit, i do feel exhaust a lot of the time. and i've started to look exhausted all the time. apnea stole my pretty!

Ahhh yes....excellent description..."the sub-woofer rumble of the mattress"! Excellent ear-plugs are essential but this is a more complicated issue.

Here are the 2 mouth guards I mentioned earlier....... that could be tried after having a sleep test for apnea (of course if you go to your dentist, they will likely have a range of products) Also, a sleep test for apnea now doesn't necessarily mean you have to stay overnight in hospital. Depending on each person's individual circumstances and what clinic they go to they might send you home with something you wear overnight at home.

Anyway the products this family member tried are:

1- SomnoGuardAP (http://www.tomedcare.com/) which was less expensive and he got from his physician but he found he couldn't get the fit quite right (everybody has different shape and size of mouth though so just because it wasn't right for him....) But he also found this one a bit harder to keep clean. I don't know why exactly. Also said he found it a bit loose. But that could have been a fit issue too.

2- The Silencer (http://the-silencer.com/) which was considerably more expensive and he got from his dentist, but it "fits like you're never going to get it off!" (his words) and he found it easier to keep clean.

Both and like most others can be adjusted even after the fitting and he said it usually takes wearing them for a bit to get the adjustments just right.

Had a boyfriend who snored sooo loud, like a bear in the woods! I lived in a batchelor apartment: no where to go. I used to wake him up in the middle of the night and make him go home so I could get enough rest to go to work the next day!

It can't be said enough - get the snorer to see a doctor.

My husband snored loudly - I could still hear him in the guest room on the other side of the house. He also had sleep apnea, and would sometimes go so long between breaths that I'd nudge him to partially wake him up.

If he'd listened to me, I might still be a wife instead of a widow.

throughout the years, I've survived multiple incidents of people (sharing hotel rooms, staying in a cabin w/ the parents, etc) snoring by simply plugging in my ipod. Those in-ear headphones work wonders for noise-cancellation, and you can go to sleep listening to music or an audiobook, or nothing at all.

Or, earplugs.

Number one priority for the person who snores...see a doctor.

Ugh, I went on a trip with my husband and his whole family and we had to share a room (awkward). His dad snored so loud that I spent the night listening to my ipod (Au Revoir Simone - Still Night Still Light, on repeat) with a pillow over my head. Can't handle snoring!

Live alone. There is much to be said for separate domiciles. Or murder.

There are chin straps called "Sleep Angel" which look like atheletic protection head gear for sports. They keep the mouth and jaw from relaxing and opening. If the snoring is just a weak front jaw they should work fine and are cheaper than all the suggestions except for saline nasal sprays to clean the air way passages before bedtime. You can find their website online and order direct for the sleep angel.

I am the snorer. I spent years gently nudging my husband so as not to frighten him awake. He seldom snores now. I snore. I know my snoring is of the sudden bark type. I tried putting my head under the pillow, holding my mouth shut with my fist (even then I snore). His anger knows no bounds to the point his health is at risk. He torments me awake instead of shaking me. I am now sleeping in another room and I'm in heaven. I know that I only snore when I am totally exhausted or ill with a sore throat or something like that. I know his anger isn't uncommon. I know "go to the doctor" may be an option but at this point I'm enjoying my rest too much to experiment.

What works best for me is to go to bed sooner than he (the snorer) does. He is nice to wait for 45 minutes or so until I've fallen asleep first. I also had to stop drinking coffee, and no caffeinated tea after mid-afternoon!

Sometimes I still wake up in the night and have to reach over and push his shoulder because he is back on his back. He will comply even while asleep by turning over onto his side, which stops it long enough for me to go back to sleep.

If he'd listened to me, I might still be a wife instead of a widow.

So sorry to hear this. I have sleep apena too, and it's the worst. I did manage to lose 40lbs on the Dukan Diet, and that's certainly helped. I've also had a couple of sinus surgeries, and those have helped as well. Unfortunately I can't wear a CPAP - just rip the thing right off in the night.

for me, when my husband snores, I stroke his chest for a bit and the snoring stop

@kriszti-
You must be a newlywed. After 36 years of marriage, I'm sometimes tempted to stroke my snoring husband's chest with a club.

After three years of living together (sleeping in separate rooms), my partner got a sleep study done and was diagnosed with medium severe apnea. The cpap he uses is impressive - it's so quiet, and he wakes up with tons more energy than before.

Unfortunately, they don't make cpaps for my snoring (more like snorting) chihuahuas.

My husband lost nearly 50 lbs and his snoring stopped. I still sleep with earplugs, but just because I like to pretend I can't hear the children in the morning. After 14 years of marriage, we are both sleeping much better and are much happier during the day.

Funny story- my husband used to accuse me of snoring, but his was the really bad snoring. One night, we and our 3 children had to share a motel room. Well, he was keeping us all awake with his snoring. Suddenly, he got up and looked furiously at me, and took a pillow and blanket down to the floor to sleep there. He had woken himself up with his own snoring and was convinced it was ME! And that time, aha! I had 3 witnesses. What an a-hole. We have since divorced.

That picture looks like an advertisement for Kitten Mittons.

I snore. It is a habit I picked up from living without a partner from the time I was 29 until 51. Once I did have a partner again, we took turns keeping each other up since he snores as well. First I made sure that neither one of us had any type of breathing problem. After that was confirmed I determined it was simply a matter of habit; much like my dog who whimpers and hunts in her sleep. The solution: simply to wake each other as nicely as possible when the sound woke either of us. First we had to agree upon the method. He chose a kiss and I chose a whisper. The results were astounding! Occassionally, even now, I will wake him or he will wake me. Most often that occurs after an intensely stressful day or when either of us have an Upper Respiratory Syndrome. I set up a futon in our office and I sleep there when either occur. I've always liked to be alone when I am ill or upset so this works well for us.

I'll admit that I snore... quite loud, someone once called it "chainsaw noise". That someone is no longer in my life (that's for another blog). What work for me is to sleep on my stomach. Probably not the most ideal way to sleep.. but if you are looking for a short term solution, this would work.

Any advice as to how to approach this topic with a partner who snores? Everytime I bring his snoring up he gets defensive. I am at my wits' end though - I'm 6 months pregnant and don't sleep much as it is, much less while he is snoring away. We are also planning on keeping the baby in our room after she is born and I'm worried about his snoring keeping her up. Not to mention I won't be able to use earplugs once she is born. Any advice short of nagging him until he goes to the doctor or sleeping separately?!?

@getthebubbles
I would approach it from the "possible sleep apnea, scared for your health" angle. Shamelessly bring up the impending baby in a tearful "I don't know what we'd do without you..."
Also, Twenty bucks says that in three months he'll be cranky and sometimes sleep on the couch because "the baby is waking him up" :)

My mum used an "old wives tales" and put a cork under my dad's pillow, haven't heard a thing since. Same for my hubby, he makes ALL KINDS of weird sleeping noises and snores as well. Cork in his pillow, very rare do I hear him now. Cost us the bottle of wine, which we drank :)

My mother has serious snoring problem..It was stopped by doing surgery last year..