I know this is a season in my life…but sleep deprivation is something I can’t ever get used to.  This time around it’s even worse because I don’t get an opportunity to nap when the baby is asleep.  I have an active toddler who decided to stop napping consistently when our daughter was born.  And I have a husband that sleeps and snores through everything.

Nearly forty-five percent of adults snore on occasion and about 25 percent snore habitually (source: Sleep Expert and Select Comfort’s Vice President of Sleep Innovation and Clinical Research, Pete Bils).  True confession…my husband and I have slept apart on nights where I can’t sleep due to his snoring, but we try very hard not to make this a habit.  Here are some tips for those who snore:

• Exercise and lose weight if indicated
• Avoid alcohol and relaxants near bedtime since snoring is exacerbated by these substances
• Back sleepers suffer more so ensure that the “snorer” is sleeping on a softer mattress and uses a fitted pillow to encourage a better sleeping posture.
• Use a pillow that promotes natural head and neck alignment to open the airway.
• Seek treatment for allergies, colds and other respiratory problems.
• Consult with a physician about the use of dental appliances to hold open your airway or surgery to correct the defect in the affected area of the collapsed air passage (snoring could be an indication of a condition such as sleep apnea).
• Sleep partners should attempt to go to bed first so that they are already into a deep sleep when the “snorer” goes to bed.

So while I try not to make it a habit of sleeping apart from my husband, sometimes, when I really need to sleep, I’ll do this.  It’s important for couples to sleep together to maintain a healthy relationship.  I have spent many a night tossing and turning because of my husband’s snoring.  Here are some tips on avoiding the “tossing and turning” phenomena:

• Consider consulting a physician to rule out a sleep disorder
• Re-evaluate the mattress you’re sleeping on and consider adding a mattress pad to maximize the comfort of your bed
• Consider that your mattress may be too small for you and your partner.  A larger mattress provides room and reduces disturbances between partners because motion is isolated.
• Consider changing  your pillow if you are experiencing head, neck, or shoulder discomfort.

Be sure to come back at the end of the week for more sleep tips, courtesy of Select Comfort.  The quality and duration of sleep is very important for physical and emotional health and this is a topic I’m very interested in learning more about.

Select Comfort is having a Presidents Day Sale which ends February 21, 2010. Right now you can save 50% off Sleep Number i9 beds (memory foam bed), $750 off Sleep Number p6 bed, and 20-50% on pillows.  Be sure to register for a chance to win a personalized bed package worth over $3,600 (sweepstakes ends February 27, 2010).

I did not receive compensation for this post.  The information was provided, courtesy of Select Comfort and I found it interesting enough to share with you.