How to Survive Wedding Season and Avoid a ‘Sleep Divorce’: Say ‘I Do’ to Better Sleep for a Happier Marriage

Wedding season has commenced—nothing says ‘wedded bliss’ like celebrations with friends and family, love, laughter, and uninterrupted sleep.

In Scottsdale, Arizona, spring wedding season coincides with peak allergy season, especially with blooming desert plants near venues like The Clayton House or McCormick Ranch Golf Club. While these stunning backdrops are perfect for saying ‘I do,’ they also bring snoring-induced ‘sleep divorces’ into sharper focus for many couples.

In all seriousness, sleep plays a significant role in building a foundation for happy relationships. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, more than one-third of Americans indicated that they occasionally or consistently sleep in a separate room to accommodate their partner. One of the biggest sleep disruptors is snoring, which can be linked to various factors, including seasonal allergies, sinusitis, and sleep apnea. Understanding what causes snoring and how to manage it can ensure a happy and healthy relationship.

What is Snoring?

Snoring happens when air can’t flow easily through your nose or mouth, causing loud noises during sleep. It is a common condition characterized by noisy breathing during sleep, typically caused by the vibration of soft tissues in the upper airway. Although snoring can disrupt sleep quality for both partners, it does not necessarily indicate a severe health issue.

Seasonal Allergies and How They Cause Snoring

Not only is it wedding season, but it’s also allergy season—affecting millions of people worldwide. In the Scottsdale area, allergens like desert pollen, dust, and springtime blooms can easily irritate your airways and worsen existing allergy symptoms. When the body encounters an allergen, it produces antibodies that trigger the release of chemicals such as histamine, which causes an allergic reaction.

Symptoms of allergies can range from mild to severe and affect different body parts, including the respiratory, skin, and digestive systems. Allergies can also lead to chronic conditions like asthma and sinusitis, which can result in disruptive snoring patterns.

Sinusitis and Snoring

Sinus health is closely related to snoring, as nasal congestion and blockages can significantly contribute to the problem. In Scottsdale, where dry desert air is a daily reality, inflammation or blockages due to allergies and infections are common and can force mouth breathing—raising the risk of snoring. Additionally, swollen sinus tissues can disrupt airflow, creating turbulence that leads to throat tissue vibrations—the primary cause of snoring sounds.

Risks of Chronic Snoring

Chronic snoring is not only risky because it can cause extreme tension in a relationship, but it’s often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night. This disrupts your sleep cycle and prevents you from reaching the deep, restorative stages needed for full recovery. Left untreated, OSA and ongoing snoring can raise your risk of serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The constant fatigue and daytime drowsiness that result from poor sleep can also affect your focus, mood, and productivity—ultimately negatively impacting your relationship with your partner and overall quality of life. If OSA is suspected, a sleep study—available through local specialists in the Scottsdale area—is strongly recommended to determine how severe the condition is and guide next steps.

Top Tips to Regain Control of Your Snoring

There are a variety of ways you can keep your snoring under control—and your medical professionals can give further recommendations, based on whether allergies or sinusitis is playing a role in your unique situation.

• Get your lifestyle habits in check. Specific lifestyle changes can positively impact sleep apnea symptoms. Examples include losing weight, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and sedatives before bedtime, and sleeping on your side instead of your back.
  • Tap over-the-counter allergy medicine and decongestants—and don’t be afraid of generic brands because they are just as effective as the name brands. Getting into a solid routine with allergy medication, nasal decongestants, and saline sprays can reduce nasal congestion, improve airflow, and potentially reduce snoring.
  • Try an oral appliance. Oral appliances are specially designed devices that help keep the airway open by repositioning the jaw or tongue during sleep. They can be an effective solution for individuals with mild to moderate sleep apnea or for those who find CPAP therapy uncomfortable.
  • Get a sleep study. A professional sleep study, the apnea-hypopnea index, is typically conducted in a medical setting. The results are set to a scale, and a higher number directly correlates to sleep apnea severity. These studies assist health professionals in diagnosing the severity of the condition.
  • Consider balloon sinuplasty with turbinate reduction. Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that aims to improve nasal airflow by opening blocked sinus passages. By improving nasal airflow and reducing congestion, balloon sinuplasty can alleviate sinus-related obstructions contributing to sleep apnea, facilitating better breathing and potentially reducing the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. Turbinates are small structures in the nose that clean, humidify, and heat air as it passes through the nose and into the lungs. With continued inflammation, they get too big. Bigger turbinates cause more nasal blockage during the day, and at night, they get even bigger and cause more sleep disruption and snoring.

How Sinus & Allergy Wellness Center Can Improve Your Snoring

If you (or your partner) are experiencing sleep disruptions, it’s important to seek professional help. The Sinus and Allergy Wellness Center staff in Scottsdale is rooting for you and your relationship—the team is experienced in helping people manage their snoring by non-invasive means. Schedule an appointment today with our Scottsdale team to fight snoring and take the next step toward a happy and healthy relationship.