Snoring is a huge turn-off in many relationships and marriages.
In most cases, the man starts snoring a little, and it doesn’t bother the lady to the extent of complaining.
However, as time passes, his snores grow loud, making it difficult for the partner to sleep well.
Before they know it, snoring becomes a conflict in the marriage, especially when the man is too selfish to care.
When that happens, the lady becomes frustrated to the extent of toying with the idea of a divorce.
The question is, is snoring a reason enough to justify asking for a divorce?
Is it possible to solve the snoring issue even when the snoring partner is not cooperating in finding a solution?
What options do you have other than asking for a divorce?
Also, are you sure that snoring is why you are contemplating asking for a divorce or just an excuse for other unrelated unsolved issues?
Things to Consider Before Opting for a Divorce
Truthfully, divorce is a delicate decision that shouldn’t be rushed if the situation prompting it can be improved.
You may have already decided to divorce your husband, but have you exhausted the following options in trying to handle the issue?
1. Open Communication
Have you tried addressing the issue with your husband during the day when you are all awake and calm?
Trying to have a conversation in the middle of the night after waking him up from his snoring state won’t help the situation because you are disappointed, and he is sleepy to engage in a sober talk.
An honest conversation will allow you to air your frustrations, and if your husband is accommodating, he will cooperate in finding a way to rectify the situation.
While communicating, remember to approach the issue with empathy because your husband may be equally frustrated by the condition.
2. Emphasize a Medical Checkup
Your husband’s snoring could result from an underlying medical condition, hence the need to be evaluated at a medical facility.
If not treated, he could be at risk of sleep apnea, which can escalate into heart disease and stroke.
Letting your husband understand the potential risk of snoring can motivate him to seek medical services and solve the snoring baggage.
3. Suggest a Temporary Sleeping Arrangement
Tell your husband that his snores won’t let you have a peaceful sleep and you prefer to spend the nights in a different room until his snoring improves.
Doing so will encourage him to fix his snoring condition to win you back into the bedroom.
Let his snoring condition be the only reason for you to switch bedrooms, and don’t involve other issues, as it may make it difficult to solve the predicament at hand.
4. Lifestyle Changes
Your husband’s lifestyle choices, such as drinking alcohol and gaining weight, may be causing his loud snoring.
Talk to him about cutting his weight by exercising and eating healthy or quitting smoking and alcohol.
Doing so may reduce his snoring significantly.
5. Invest In Anti-Snoring Solutions
Positional pillows, sleep masks, and earplugs are among the solutions that may help to manage his snoring.
However, these are temporary solutions, so you should aim to find a long-term solution, such as him undergoing surgery or other professionally recommended procedures to contain the snoring permanently.
These solutions will help you forget about the divorce idea for a while as you seek a permanent way to control snoring.
6. Consider Therapy
If fixing the snoring issue using the above options doesn’t bear fruit, you should try therapy before delving into divorce.
Sometimes it takes the intervention of a third party to knock sense in people who are hesitant to improve a situation that affects those close to them, and a therapist could be the savior of your marriage.
A couple’s therapist will help you navigate the snoring problem and approach it in a more accommodating manner.
The therapist will help your husband see the need to fix his snoring, helping you restore understanding in your union.
What options do you have if your husband is unwilling to work on his snoring problem?
What should you do if your husband interprets your complaints as overly dramatic, yet his loud snores drastically affect your sleeping pattern?
You have tried knocking some sense into him to find a solution, such as using a sleeping machine, changing his lifestyle, or undergoing corrective surgery, but it has all fallen on deaf ears.
It must have reached this point for you to think about divorcing him.
However, have you tried sleeping in another room, also known as a sleep divorce, or on the couch? That is if he has refused to leave the bedroom.
This may be a wake-up call for him, and he may consider working on his snoring.
Some couples don’t share a bed or bedroom for different reasons, and snoring is one of them, and it is not a big deal to them.
Most people find such an arrangement a sign of a dying intimacy or union, but in most cases, it is all about facilitating quality sleep for each other.
Research has shown that couples who sleep separately, in different rooms or different beds in the same room, experience happy and fulfilling marriages.
Sleeping in another room to avoid your husband’s loud snores isn’t a bad idea, after all.
Is divorce an option?
Sure, bring the divorce up and let him know that if it is the last thing you will do for peace of mind, you will gladly follow it through.
At first, he may think you are bluffing and just trying to play with his mind.
Let him know that you are serious about it since he has failed to do anything about his snoring, even after moving rooms to show him the seriousness of the matter.
His failure to take responsibility is enough evidence that he doesn’t care about your well-being, and a divorce is justified.
If he shifts the blame to make you look like the bad person for leaving the bedroom, interpret it as emotional blackmail.
You can also file a divorce because besides snoring and depriving you of a good night’s sleep, he is knowingly neglecting his health by turning a blind eye to what could lead to serious complications like sleep apnea.
Go ahead and schedule an appointment with a divorce lawyer for guidance on what to expect in the proceedings and the implications of your decision.
You never know, pulling the divorce card may be the wake-up call your husband needs to see the extent his irresponsible actions have pushed you into.
If he remains unhinged by your decision to divorce him, you may as well walk out of his life soonest possible.
Bottom Line
Sleep deprivation is unhealthy and shouldn’t be tolerated at any cost, especially when caused by a partner unwilling to do anything to remedy their snoring problem.
You already know about different practical solutions to snoring, and if you have a caring partner, he should try one or several of them so that your sleeping isn’t affected.
If your partner is adamant about finding a solution, pulling off a sleeping divorce may help him see the gravity of the situation and prompt him to address his snoring.
Divorce should be the last option only if your partner fails to find a remedy to the situation and consistently shows no remorse or fails to pay attention to how the predicament is affecting you.
