Listen up: How to protect your hearing from a snoring partner
Fast facts – snoring
- Around 10 million men and 4 million women in the UK snore.
- Bed partners of snorers report that they have 3-5 hours’ sleep per night.
- In the UK, snoring is now recognised as grounds for divorce.
- Snorers and their bed partners are more likely to experience hearing loss than non-snorers and their partners.
Snoring has long been held as one of those funny things that humans do. But if you have a partner who snores you’ll know it’s no laughing matter. You’re short of sleep all the time and you often end up sleeping in the spare room or on the sofa to escape. And to add insult to injury, if your bedfellow is a particularly loud snorer – and some snores can be up to 90 decibels or beyond (the same as a jackhammer) – you are likely to be compromising your hearing too.
What is snoring?
Snoring is caused by soft tissues in the head and neck vibrating as a person breathes in and out during sleep. Snoring tends to happen during the deepest stages of sleep and is usually loudest when a person is lying on their back.
A person can snore for all manner of reasons, but what’s often not considered is their bed partner. Compromised sleep levels for any length of time can have a huge impact on a person’s health and wellbeing and the sound levels they’re being repeatedly subjected to can put their hearing health at risk too.
Many countries recognise 85 decibels as the maximum safe noise level in the workplace. If your partner is a loud snorer their snores may exceed that level on a regular basis. So if workplace regulations were extended to people sleeping in their bedrooms, both the loudest snorers and their bed partners would be required to wear hearing protection!
How can you protect your hearing?
The Hearing Clinic stocks SleepSound earplugs from Advanced Communication Solutions. These were initially developed for shift workers who needed to sleep during the daytime. However, they’ve become increasingly popular with people who have snoring partners as they enable them to sleep soundly without distraction. They also offer effective hearing protection.
Why choose SleepSound earplugs?
- Custom made to fit your ears from soft, durable silicone.
- Easy to insert and comfortable to wear all night, night after night.
- Lowers the volume level to a point where you can sleep.
What to do next
Contact The Hearing Clinic for an appointment to get your tailored SleepSound earplugs ordered. If you’re worried that your hearing may have already been affected, we’ll also be happy to give you a full hearing test.
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