Saving Marriages: Elimination of Snoring and Sleep Apnea Can Improve Marriages Inside and Outside the Bedroom

Snoring is often considered funny ,but it can seriously disrupt otherwise good marriages. The spouses of snorers lose up to 15% of their sleep according to Mayo Clinic. This can lead to shortened tempers, weight gain, daytime sleepiness and buried anger and hostility for your spouse. Frequently, it leads to one of the partners leaving the marriage bed on search of quiet.

Sleep Apnea, is usually characterized by snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness but other symptoms can be devastating to marriage tranquility. Communication breakdown is frequent due to short term memory loss associated with untreated sleep apnea. Motor vehicle accidents, personality changes and trouble at work are also frequently seen in patients with sleep apnea.

Of course there are many medical problems associated with sleep apnea and snoring but often the damage to interpersonal relationships can be the most damaging. There is frequently hostility directed toward the patient who refuses treatment.

The primary reason patients refuse treatment is the the "HATE CPAP!". Studies have shown that 60 % of patients abandon CPAP. Not wanting to wear CPAP is also a major reason that patients avoid being evaluated for sleep apnea. This avoidance can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other serious medical consequences.

It is vital that sleep apnea be treated effectively but it does not matter if the effective treatment is CPAP, BiPAP, and Oral appliance or surgery.