Adjustable Bed & Snoring

[SundayBeers]

We have a premier league SNORER in our house apparently. And, hands up, it's me. If I'm asleep my better half isn't. And, i rarely get more than a couple of hours sleep without being whacked by a pillow in the middle of the night.

I'm reading there's not a whole lot you can do to stop snoring. I'm not going down the health and fitness routine of shedding serious punds. But, reading online it seems an adjustable bed and help a lot. By raising the head above the chest it can open the airways. Thing is, they cost an absolute packet!!!

Anyone got any experience using adjustable beds? Need some advice from a fellow seasoned snorer.

 

[thehaze]

I'm no longer a snorer myself, but still have a couple of friends that are. I used to snore once in a while, in specific circumstances. Hopefully, my reply can prove useful, or at least, not waste your time/upset you.

Before getting an adjustable bed, it would be a good idea to try out a few models from different brands and see what/how you feel about those, seeing how expensive they are. I for one have tried such beds and are not for me. I actually also slept in a couple of these for a few nights, and although the adjustable part is fun and useful for when, let's say reading in bed before sleep, it was not for me. I wasn't comfortable enough, but my girlfriend liked it.

Most times, having a regular bed ( that is comfortable enough, wide enough, etc. ) with extra pillows and changing sleeping habits ( just like everything, it takes time and practice ) can do the trick. I have a couple of friends that have gone this route, as the adjustable bed was not their first course of action. It helped them snore less, but it didn't go away entirely. They drink beer once in a while and when they do, no matter the bed, habits, etc. they will snore like they used to.

Sleeping is really important ( maybe one of the most important things we can do every day ) and snoring is a factor that will diminish one's quality of sleep. I think that an adjustable bed is a good, first course of action towards you ( and your better half ) getting quality sleep.

 

[DBhomebrew]

I'm not going down the health and fitness routine of shedding serious punds.

You probably do want to rule out apnea. I've had more than one friend learn of their apnea due to their partner's complaining over snoring.

With treatment... no snoring, better sleep for both. Win, win. Plus all the other health benefits of a full night's sleep without your breath stopping every once in a while.

 

[Beernik]

I concur with DBHomebrew, talk to a doc about apnea before throwing $$$ at an adjustable bed both for your wallet’s and your health’s sake.

I had really bad snoring & undiagnosed apnea for years. I didn’t go to the doctor until my wife made me. I was only sleeping 3.5 hours a night and my sleep talking became a torrent of sleep swearing directed at my wife.

It also made my REM sleep disorder (acting out dreams) worse.

I’ve had a machine for about a decade now and I love it. It killed my snoring. My sleep is back up to 6.5 hours, which isn’t a lot but still almost double what I was getting without it. It mellowed out my REM sleep disorder to the point my wife described me as “creepy-still.” And finally, if I talk in my sleep, it’s incomprehensible & no one becomes offended.

By the way, I had avoided the sleep study and insisted I didn’t have apnea for years because I wasn’t prone to audible gasping in my sleep.

 

[MrClint]

I did a sleep study and was putting out jet engine decibel levels. The Zyppah mouth piece for snoring took care of that. I've been using these for a number of years now. Works great. I have no affiliation with this company, just a happy customer.

 

[phbern]

We have an adjustable bed and it really didn't do anything for snoring - mine or my wife's. We both use the SnoreRX - similar to the Zyppah MrClint above mentions. Works great! Takes a little getting used to and the instructions for molding it to your teeth can be a bit confusing, but still worth it.

That being said, we still like our adjustable bed - memory foam is awesome! And being able to adjust to read in bed or just relax is great. Ours has an anti-snore angle that, like I said, didn't prevent snoring, but we find it's more comfortable than completely flat.

 

[AlexKay]

++ on go-see-a-doctor-about-apnea. Untreated apnea can have a ton of negative health consequences (weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, stroke). Serious business; that s**t can take years off your life.

@Beernik wrt REM sleep disorder (I have it too! I end up kicking my wife every month or so...): it can be caused by medications, but if there isn't a clear external cause, it can be a very early red flag for Parkinson's. I've talked to more than one doctor who did not know this. It might be worth a trip to a neurologist. (Google "rbd synucleinopathy" if you want to start researching it yourself, though be warned that this turns up some pretty scary stuff.)

 

[DonT]

The wife used to snore badly... (Thank God she doesn't read this forum )
What fixed it was new a pillow. We bought a Sleep Number bed a couple of years ago and took home the new pillows that day. The change that night was noticeable. It got better when we took delivery of the bed. Now I'm able to sleep through the night. If she snores now, it's because she's in a weird position, and just getting her to roll over helps.
I would say look for a good contour pillow that supports your head better. But also see your doctor.... just in case.

 

[Beernik]

At my last trip to the sleep doc, they finally saw my RSD in action. Running & punching are my main symptoms. The punching has almost completely gone away with a CPAP.

They talked to me about the Parkinson’s risk but I have no family history of it for 3 generations. So they told me to start taking melatonin in the meantime. I didn’t have any problems falling asleep before, so now it’s like being Mickey Finned before bed & I sometimes oversleep.

Talking to my wife today, I’m not punching lately, but I still occasionally run. It’s time for me to do my 1 year follow up on my new machine. I’ll talk to the doc about it again.

Cheers.

@Beernik wrt REM sleep disorder (I have it too! I end up kicking my wife every month or so...): it can be caused by medications, but if there isn't a clear external cause, it can be a very early red flag for Parkinson's. I've talked to more than one doctor who did not know this. It might be worth a trip to a neurologist. (Google "rbd synucleinopathy" if you want to start researching it yourself, though be warned that this turns up some pretty scary stuff.)

 

[AlexKay]

At my last trip to the sleep doc, they finally saw my RSD in action. Running & punching are my main symptoms. The punching has almost completely gone away with a CPAP.

They talked to me about the Parkinson’s risk but I have no family history of it for 3 generations. So they told me to start taking melatonin in the meantime. I didn’t have any problems falling asleep before, so now it’s like being Mickey Finned before bed & I sometimes oversleep.

Talking to my wife today, I’m not punching lately, but I still occasionally run. It’s time for me to do my 1 year follow up on my new machine. I’ll talk to the doc about it again.

Cheers.

Sounds like your doctors are on top of things! I didn’t get any benefit from melatonin, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

I’m a kicking and screaming guy, myself.

 

[Steveruch]

I started snoring about five years ago when we moved to northern CA. We were stuck living in an old school bus that was unlevel with my feet higher than my head. It stopped when we moved to Indiana and got a level bed.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Sounds like your doctors are on top of things! I didn’t get any benefit from melatonin, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

I’m a kicking and screaming guy, myself.

I didn't get any benefit from melatonin either, also ambien and ambien cr don't help much either, usually I go to bed around 10 and wake up between 1 and 3 and can't get back to sleep.

I snore as well, so does my wife.

 

[SundayBeers]

Jeez... thanks for all the feedback guys. Much appreciated. I guess the first thing I need to do is contact a doctor and have a chat about sleep apnea. That's something I hadn't even been thinking about. one more, thing to add to the worry list. but looks like it has to be done.

Funny thing is, it looks like an adjustable bed might actually help relieve snoring AND sleep apnea. Check this out adjustable beds snoring sleep apnea. By raising your head above your torso it helps keep the airways open. And this is exactly what you need to relieve pressure on the soft tissue at the back of the mouth.

What's the typical treatment for sleep apnea? Is it always having to wear that big face mask thing? I can't see how anyone could get a good night's sleep wearing one of those. They look a bit like something out of star wars.

 

[shetc]

I am/was a supersonic snorer as I have severe sleep apnea. I tried cpap like 15 years ago and it was not a success. I have a new doctor who said the therapy/hardware is much improved. Turns out she was right - I'm using cpap successfully, and the snoring is gone.

 

[DBhomebrew]

I recall one of my scoutmasters using a CPAP in the early-90s. Every day us scouts had to carry the truck battery back to the parking lot to charge. Then back in the evening to whatever backwood campground the troop was camping in. Truck battery.

My Mom's got one now that runs on AAs.

 

[shetc]

I recall one of my scoutmasters using a CPAP in the early-90s. Every day us scouts had to carry the truck battery back to the parking lot to charge. Then back in the evening to whatever backwood campground the troop was camping in. Truck battery.

My Mom's got one now that runs on AAs.

Mine plugs into the wall. My wife can't hear it running, it's that refined now. The funny part is it's controlled remotely by the sleep doctor (and the insurance company also keeps an eye on it to make sure I'm using it).

 

[DBhomebrew]

I'm talking portable units. Just using the fact of the size of battery to show the progress in technology.

 

[Beernik]

I’ve seen three general treatments for apnea:
1. CPAP machine. I had no problem adapting to one. I think it’s because I was wearing a half face respirator occasionally at work when I got it. It was just a matter of learning how to sleep with that much pressure on my face.
2. Dental appliances. I’ve never tried one but I’ve known a guy who had one. Basically it makes your mouth bite in a way that keeps the airway open. He liked his.
3. implants. They have something now that’s kind of like a pacemaker implant and it stimulates your lungs if you stop breathing. Watching a video of it kind of freaked me out. It would be a last resort for me.

I love my CPAP. I hate when I have to sleep without it.

 

[seatazzz]

My husband is a world-class snorer; mainly because he prefers to sleep on his back. A few years ago he did the sleep study thing and now has a CPAP. Total game changer; before I was waking up almost every 30 minutes to shove him over on his side, and he insisted that he didn't have a snoring problem. Earplugs were tried (by me) but I missed the alarm too many times. After he got the cpap I get a complete night's sleep next to the big sleeping starfish that is my husband. We also got an adjustable bed (Purple) last year; he likes the head raised, I do not. Now he works swing shift I can have it as flat as I want it. The mattress itself, while VERY pricey, is super comfortable; we had a memory foam one for a while but it killed my back. Also the commercials are quite amusing.