When it’s your partner who snores.

You’re the one awake. That also makes you the person most likely to notice what matters.

Tonight: look after your own sleep

• Earplugs. Cheap, and worth trying a few shapes to find one you can sleep in.
• Steady background sound. A fan or a white-noise app can soften the peaks.
• A different room on bad nights. Sleeping apart sometimes is a practical choice, not a verdict on the relationship.

These are simple and low-risk. We haven’t reviewed studies on them yet, so we’re not claiming how well each one works.

You may be the only witness

The person snoring usually can’t hear it. You can. These are the things worth noting down:

• Pauses in breathing, then a gasp, snort or choke.
• How often it happens, and whether it’s worse on their back or after alcohol.
• Whether they’re very sleepy during the day or wake with headaches.

A short phone recording of a typical stretch can help a clinician more than a description.

Bringing it up

Choose a calm daytime moment, not 2 a.m. Describe what you’ve noticed rather than how annoyed you are, and suggest finding out together. Germany’s snoring guideline advises a proper check before treatment when someone wants help or sleep apnoea is suspected.

Sources checked 26 Oct 2026.