You’re lying there counting sheep, and next to you comes another snore. Sound familiar? A snoring partner is one of the most common reasons people wake up tired even though they sleep “normally” themselves. The good news: you don’t have to move to the couch just yet. Here are 8 things worth trying, one by one.
Why is snoring so disturbing?
Snoring is irregular. Quieter, then louder, with pauses and sudden bursts. That unpredictability is exactly what makes it so hard to get used to – unlike the steady hum of a fan or rain, which many people actually find relaxing. That’s why most effective fixes come down to two things: blocking the snoring or masking it with a calmer sound.
1. Fall asleep first
The simplest trick: go to bed 15–20 minutes before your partner. Staying asleep is easier than falling asleep in noise, so if you drift off before the concert starts, you have a better chance of sleeping through the night.
2. Help your partner change position
For many people, snoring gets worse when they sleep on their back. Gently rolling your partner onto their side, or a pillow behind their back that makes rolling over harder, often makes the night noticeably quieter. It costs nothing, so it’s a good place to start.
3. Mask the snoring with white noise
White, pink or brown noise, rain or ocean sounds create a steady background in which individual snores stand out far less. A phone app or a streaming playlist is all you need. The catch? A speaker playing all night disturbs the other person – and that’s where earbuds come in.
4. Choose sleep earbuds, not regular earbuds
Regular wireless earbuds stick out of your ear. When you lie on your side, they press into your ear, hurt and can fall out during the night. Sleep earbuds are designed differently: they are small, light and sit flat in your ear. For example, SleepyPods weigh about 2 g each and don’t stick out, so you can sleep on your side with them. They work in two ways: the snug fit passively muffles snoring, while white noise, music or a podcast plays just for you.
Good to know: SleepyPods do not have active noise cancellation (ANC). The noise reduction comes from the in-ear fit, and a calm sound masks whatever still gets through.
5. Try earplugs
Foam or silicone earplugs are a cheap, proven option. They block noise well, but not everyone can tolerate them – some people dislike the blocked feeling and hearing their own pulse, others can’t hear their alarm. If earplugs work for you, great. If not, see our comparison Earplugs or sleep earbuds?
6. Reduce other noise in the bedroom
Snoring is rarely the only sound at night. A humming fridge behind the wall, traffic, a ticking clock – each one adds up. Closing the street-side window, heavier curtains and moving noisy devices out of the bedroom all make snoring easier to mask.
7. Talk about evening habits
Your partner often has no idea how loudly they snore. A calm conversation (ideally not at 3 a.m.) is a good start. For some people snoring gets worse, for example, after drinking alcohol in the evening, with a cold and a blocked nose, or after a very late, heavy dinner. Small changes on their side can help you both.
8. Know when snoring needs a doctor
If the snoring is very loud, there are pauses in breathing, and your partner is clearly sleepy or tired during the day, it’s worth them seeing a doctor. Earbuds and earplugs help you sleep, but they are no substitute for a diagnosis when the snorer’s health may be involved.
Summary
A combination works best: falling asleep first, reducing bedroom noise and a sound that masks the snoring. If regular earbuds hurt at night and earplugs don’t do the job, take a look at SleepyPods sleep earbuds – flat, light, and backed by a 365-day money-back guarantee if they don’t work for you. More answers in our FAQ.