Partner’s snoring habits may dampen romance--survey

Snoring occurs when the air passage in the throat is narrowed or blocked and the soft tissues like soft palate, airway walls and uvula vibrate.

Dr Chris Idzikowski, of the Edinburgh Sleep Clinic, who was not involved in the study, said, “It is not uncommon for snoring to cause problems in a relationship, or even split couples up.”

Survey findings
The survey, conducted on 4000 British couples, found that a quarter of couples (24 percent) admitted to sleeping separately because of partner’s “unbearable and annoying habits” like snoring, restlessness, and noisiness.

Also, the researchers revealed that couples who chose to sleep together in spite of the problem lost an average of 70 minutes of sound sleep, the Daily express reported.

Lack of sufficient sleep leads couples to heated arguments, frustration, exhaustion and provokes them to sleep apart in different beds, they averred.

In a quarter of the relationships, sexual intimacy between the two suffered and one in 20 people even agreed to considering a break-up because of their partner's snoring.

Hogging the bed sheets was found to be another turn-off for six out of 10 female participants. About one-third of them claimed that they had problems with their partner’s talking out loud in their sleep.

Previous researches have established that about 50 percent of the adults snore at some point of time in their lives, and one in four Britons engage in habitual snoring.

Reportedly, celebrity stars like Tom Cruise, Sid Owen, and Kevin Jonas sleep separately from their better halves because of their snoring problem.

"One solution to snoring is to sleep apart, as a good night's sleep not only revives the body, but also rekindles the romance by making it feel as though you are dating again," said Psychologist Donna Dawson.

The European chain of Etap Hotels is offering a special package for sleep-deprived ­couples, who wish to sleep separately. Such couples can book a second room free of cost.