Please sign in to post.

Snoring on Planes

I need your help. MY SO and I are making our first trip to Europe and to put it bluntly, he is a very bad snorer. He refuses to sleep on planes because he is concerned he'll snore so loud he'll keep other passengers awake. But I'm trying to convince him to try to sleep so he won't be exhausted by the time we arrive.

Any suggestions on what he can do to limit his snoring?

Posted by
6734 posts

Francine, you might try "Breathe Right" nasal strips (you wear them on the outside of your nose). I'm sure they won't always be 100% effective, but I think they can help (sometimes).

My own opinion is that anybody who is planning to try and sleeep on a flight and doesn't have earplugs with them is asking for trouble (I bring earplugs with me everywhere..).

It's nice of your SO to be so considerate. I wish everyone on the plane was...

Posted by
12 posts

It's not so much him being considerate. I think he'd be embarrassed if he was heard. :)

Posted by
23178 posts

There is so much background noise on a jet that I would doubt if anyone would hear him except perhaps on the people next to him. I think there are many other more important things to worry about.

Posted by
242 posts

I once got the seat next to me vacated because my seatmate couldn't stand the snoring. We hadn't even taken off yet! ;)

:shrug:

But you know what? I'm considerate too, which is why I try for a window seat if I can so I can at least point my schnozz the other way.

Tell that nice SO of yours not to worry. People wear headphones to shut out extraneous noise and depending on where you sit, the noise of the jets is louder. And finally: If we can ALL put up with that incessantly crying baby in the middle rows, we can sure handle someone who snores.

Y'all have a great time!

B~

Posted by
368 posts

Wow, I think it would be fantastic to be able to snore and keep other people awake on an airplane. I suffer from the problem of not being able to relax and sleep on a plane and I end up being wired, tired and not wanting to do anything by the time we land.

Posted by
9363 posts

Snoring might not be that bad on the airplane, since he won't be lying down. He's likely to have an easier time breathing in a semi-sitting position.

Posted by
113 posts

I normally snore loudly also, but I recently discovered that I don't snore very much when I'm sitting in an airplane seat, assuming that I use a neck travel pillow to keep my head upright. To get a bit technical about it, snoring is often caused by the base of the tongue receding back into the throat and blocking the airway. But in my case anyway, this doesn't occur if I sit upgright in the seat and if I use a neck travel pillow. Of course, your SO's mileage may vary.

Also note that bad snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea. If your SO wants to get tested for that, some doctors/dentists can outfit him with an oral appliance (i.e. a mouthpiece to wear at bedtime) that can greatly reduce snoring/apnea.

Posted by
2297 posts

My SO once had a flight home from a business trip to China. When he boarded the plane he was shocked to see that he would be sharing it with 50 baby girls and their adopting parents ... in the end those didn't make a sound, it was the snoring guy behind him that made him use his ear plugs. And that was it, he slept as much or as little as on any other flight ;-)

Posted by
12172 posts

Does he fall asleep watching TV? Does he snore then or only in bed? If he snores when he sleeps sitting up, try the breathright strips before you fly to see if they work. I've used them for athletics and found they really do open up your nostrils. I've never tried them as a snoring antidote but hear they work for that too.