How To Sleep When Someone Is Snoring: 7 Strategies To Try

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7 Tips for Sleeping with Someone Who Snores

Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — Written by Jennifer Larson — Updated on January 14, 2026

Focus elsewhere
Wear ear plugs
Listen to white noise
Change partner’s position
Visit a doctor
Leave the room
Snoring and health
Takeaway

Key takeaways

Using earplugs, listening to white noise, or redirecting your attention can help minimize the impact of snoring on your sleep.
Encouraging your partner to seek a professional evaluation for persistent snoring is also important, as it could be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep disruption and snoring can have a negative impact on your health. Addressing these issues together may improve your overall well-being.

It’s nighttime. You should be asleep. But you’re not. Because your partner, who’s lying next to you, is snoring, and you can’t sleep through the racket.

So what can you do besides glare at your partner?

Sleeping next to a partner who snores can be challenging and affect your sleep quality. It’s understandable that this can lead to frustration or even concern for your health.

Here are seven tips to try.

1. Divert your attention

Yes, this may be easier said than done. Sometimes, though, you can put the power of the mind to work and train yourself to ignore or downplay the sound of your partner’s snoring.

There are a few strategies you can try to distract yourself:

meditate
listen to a podcast
try breathing exercises

You may eventually be able to train yourself not to focus on the sound of snoring—or at least tune it out enough to fall (and stay) asleep.

2. Wear earplugs

One of the easiest and quickest solutions is to stuff your own ears with earplugs to muffle or eliminate the sound of your partner sawing wood next to you.

There are several good choices, depending on your needs and the volume of the snoring.

You can opt for inexpensive soft foam earplugs available at the drugstore or silicone noise-reducing earplugs designed for individuals who spend time in extremely noisy environments, such as rock concerts or airport runways.

If you don’t like the feeling of something inserted into your ear, slip on noise-canceling headphones.

3. Listen to music or white noise

A white noise machine generates a steady, consistent noise that’s soothing to listen to. If it works, you’ll be lulled into sleep.

Some white noise machines also offer other options. You can choose to listen to the sound of ocean waves crashing on the sand or a waterfall.

If you don’t want to invest in a separate white noise machine, consider downloading a white noise or meditation app for your smartphone and letting it play instead.

4. Change your partner’s position

For some people, sleeping in the supine position — that is, lying on their backs — makes snoring worse.

Although it’s become a cliché to elbow your snoring partner in the ribs so they’ll roll over onto their stomachs and (hopefully) stop snoring, sometimes changing position is all it takes.

Positional therapy (PT) is a treatment option specifically designed to help people who snore from lying in positions that trigger it. There are several options you could try:

Snore-reducing trainer: Imagine a padded weight belt that you sleep in. That’s basically the premise behind the trainer. It makes it hard for the wearer to sleep on their back, so they must roll over onto their side, where they may be less likely to snore.
A tennis ball: In the middle of the night, when you’re eager to try anything, slip a tennis ball (or any other smooth object) underneath your partner’s back, which will make it uncomfortable for them to lie on their back. However, this may cause back pain.
Head-positioning pillow: A head-positioning pillow, also known as an anti-snoring pillow, may help properly align the user’s neck, making them less likely to snore.

6. Encourage your partner to get evaluated

If the snoring is persistent or severe, discuss your concerns with your partner and encourage them to consult a doctor.

A sleep study can determine how much a person snores and assess the possible causes of their snoring. If the evaluation reveals that they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), they may need treatments to ensure they can breathe well in their sleep.

If the cause is OSA, your partner may be a candidate for:

continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy
bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) therapy
an oral appliance, similar to a mouthguard, which can position your jaw or hold your tongue in place

Surgery is also a possibility when other therapies don’t work.

It’s important to recognize that snoring can affect anyone, regardless of gender. However, a 2019 study found that women often underestimate or underreport their own snoring, which can lead to fewer of them seeking help at sleep clinics.

7. Sleep in a different room

Remember the old adage about how desperate times call for desperate measures? When all else fails, you might have to leave the room at night.

This doesn’t mean it needs to be every night, but on days you are feeling especially exhausted because you were kept awake by your partner’s snoring, you may want to consider finding a different place to sleep for the night, if possible.

If you’re feeling lonely, though, be sure to let your partner know that you’d rather be together. This may encourage them to make adjustments.

Can sleeping with a snorer affect your health?

Yes, sleeping next to someone who snores can have a negative impact on your sleep quality and overall health.

Sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes. According to a 2025 review, it can also increase the risk of:

high blood pressure
type 2 diabetes
coronary heart disease
stroke

A 2023 study found that compared to healthy sleepers, men with sleep problems developed cardiovascular disease (CVD) 2.3 years sooner, while women developed CVD 1.8 years sooner.

When you treat snoring, you’re both more likely to get a better night’s sleep, which may improve well-being for everyone.

The bottom line

If you’re struggling to sleep next to a partner who snores, know that you’re not alone in this challenge. It can be really tough, and it’s important to address it together.

There are various strategies you can explore to lessen the impact, so don’t hesitate to try different ones until you find what works best for you.

Also, consider having an open conversation with your partner about potential solutions. They may have ideas that could help, and working together can strengthen your connection while helping to find a resolution.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Huang BH, et al. (2023). Influence of poor sleep on cardiovascular disease-free life expectancy: A multi-resource-based population cohort study.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-023-02732-x
Shah AS, et al. (2025). Effects of sleep deprivation on physical and mental health outcomes: An umbrella review.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15598276251346752
Stuck BA, et al. (2019). The diagnosis and treatment of snoring in adults.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6947688/
Westreich R, et al. (2019). The presence of snoring as well as its intensity is underreported by women.https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.7678

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Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — Written by Jennifer Larson — Updated on January 14, 2026

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