They say that you can never judge a book by its cover and that goes for marriage; you may never really know your spouse until you live together. After marriage, many issues will be exposed which can make or break the union and bad habits can take a big chunk on the list of this subject. Everyone has bad habits; some can be harmless and others irritating and intolerable which can gradually drift couples apart. Until you start living with your spouses, you may never know the magnitude of their bad habits. Are you worried about your spouse’s bad habit which has become unbearable?
Be honest about your feelings
The fact that you are married does not mean you have to live with your spouse’s bad habit or continue to suffer in silence. You must be open and honest about your feelings. Habits like heavy snoring can become unbearable if it is persistent and ignoring it to prevent conflict can also cause more harm than your good intentions.
Sleeping beside a spouse who breathes or snores heavily all night can be disturbing and leave you feeling restless in bed while your spouse sleeps merrily. Ignoring this situation can have an adverse impact on your own health and lead to insomnia if you constantly struggle to sleep well. The best way to tackle this situation is to confront it together by sharing your feelings with your spouse so that you can have an honest conversation about the situation and recognise the effect it is having on your relationship.
Be creative and not reactive
The truth is that many people snore heavily and are not aware while others may not even realise the effects snoring can have on them and their partner’s health especially when they cannot hear themselves snore. Denial may be the first reaction when you confront your spouse about snoring. Try to avoid argument or conflict and creatively find a way to prove it to him or her. Capturing your spouse on video when he/she is snoring in bed is a great way to build your own evidence and start the conversation in the morning. This will be helpful in the situation where the “fry pan calls the kettle black” to capture your spouse who is constantly complaining about your mild snoring because you have been long-suffering in silence about his own disturbing snoring habit.
Be tolerant and make adjustment
Most adults snore regularly and others occasionally which can be aggravated by the individual’s health conditions or lifestyle. Studies also show that snoring can be hereditary. Therefore, it is important to recognise what causes your spouse’s habit so that you can learn to be more considerate and make the right adjustments too.
Snoring can become a sleep disorder when it is chronic and raises the risk for cardiovascular problems which may need clinical advice. On the other hand, condemning your spouse’s habits will not only aggravate the situation and intensify your displeasure which can reduce your own chance of having a good night’s sleep. You must realise that certain habits do not go away suddenly and change is a gradual process. But with love, support, and good intentions, you can help your spouse take the positive steps to improve on his or her lifestyle.
Credit: Elizabeth Badejo, Punch