Hello, my name is John, and I'm a snorer.
*subdued applause*
If only it were that easy. I am in the one in three adults who (according to some sources) make loud noises while they sleep. The noises have a variety of causes, some including myself have problems with the soft palate being a little too floppy, some have problems with that little punchbag thingy at the back of the throat getting sucked into the airway. Others (hopefully not me) have far too much fat around the neck that closes off the airway. I suspect many have a combination of the three.
Some fun-facts:
You are more likely to snore if you are a man, over 30 (though I've been doing it for years) and pretty much certainly for the over 60's gang, and overweight.
Snoring is a co-factor and/or a suspected cause for Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis, strokes, heart disease and failed relationships. Doctors also see it as an early warning for sleep apnea and airway obstruction.
In my opinion it's a cyclical thing, snoring makes you tired and when you're tired you eat more, so you get overweight which makes the snoring worse. I also suspect it's hereditary, most definitely from my mother's side (you should have heard my Nan when she stayed over for Christmas).
Sleep is very important for the maintenance of health, and to be prevented from sleeping is very, very , very annoying.
The problem is that lately I'm doing an awful lot of sleeping around other peoples houses.
Usually when I send a request to a possible host I check to see if I'll be sleeping in a separate room, usually in the host's living room with at least one door between us. If they have a single room apartment I'll usually think otherwise before sending a request. Even if I'm convinced the rest of the experience will be a blast, I know the sleepless nights will make the experience unpleasant.
That is why I wasn't expecting what happened with one host during my last week in Greece.
That's right; I was asked to leave my hosts house due to snoring.
Incredible as it sounds, I don't blame her (the host will remain nameless) and I'm not particularly annoyed as she gave me ample time to find alternative arrangements. What bothers me, if you first imagine a very mild application of the word 'bothers', is the lack of communication. Allow me to expand a little...
I was sleeping in a separate room, on a living room couch that as it happened tended to make me lay on my back far too much, the bedroom adjoining. the sliding doors had to be left open due to my hosts cat's nocturnal activities so really they weren't much help. I slept pretty well during the night helped by a couple of glasses of great rose wine (yes, I know, in hindsight...)
The next morning I awoke to find the house empty and a rather polite and neat note in the bathroom sink first telling me I snored loudly all night, then asking me to make alternative arrangements for that night. It was somewhat passive-aggressive, but wouldn't you be after a sleepless night?
Actually I have almost no problem with being asked to leave, it's the hosts house etc but why not call my name a few times, or failing that wake me up by a polite shake, a flying cushion or a glass of water? In extreme circumstances I doubt anyone would mind being asked to sleep in the kitchen for the rest of their stay. My host's occupation requires her to have very good hearing and also she told me earlier in the day that she had trouble sleeping. Why not ask the surfer if he snores before bedtime and move some cushions and a sheet somewhere else in the house? I suppose you could say more communication would have avoided the situation but a little could have fixed it very quickly.
It has knocked my confidence a bit, I considered putting that I snore in any future requests to possible hosts in case the got any funny ideas about sleeping in the same room. Maybe even thinking about doing less home-stays altogether.
The more I thought about it the more I thought about myself, how I wanted this trip to be and what I could or couldn't do to solve the problem. I will continue to read through profiles and prefer those with separate sleeping rooms, and now if there is any question of my raucous nocturnal breathing disturbing a host I will take immediate action, like going to sleep in the bath tub.
This journey is supposed to be a journey of self-improvement in some respects, I'm trying to ask the question 'how can I be a better person' every day. So in some ways the increased awareness and consideration for the sleep of others has moved me a little way along this path. I have learned something. I hope my host has too, but I doubt it.
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