Snoring has long been the source of shtick for comics, and the cause of sleepless nights for bedmates. But snoring is no laughing matter, and much more than an unwelcome alarm clock. Snoring is caused by health issues and can lead to serious medical problems. Further, snorers and their partners can face mental health and emotional issues.

Those who live with a snorer can find life almost unbearable. Sleeping together becomes a leap of faith, and snoring has been cited as grounds for divorce. It's important to remember, however, that it's not just the silent partner who suffers. Anyone within ear's reach can be affected, including family members living in the same house or even neighbors in an adjoining housing unit. Noise levels from snoring can reach the same decibel level as a jet engine and the noise does travel, even through walls.

Anyone affected by snoring will suffer from lack of sleep. It can be impossible for the partner of a snorer to get to sleep, let alone stay asleep. The effects of too little sleep over an extended period of time can have an emotional and mental impact, which is often overlooked.

Consider the profound impact that snoring can have. Snoring has been known to cause marital breakdown and divorce. People have been evicted from their homes because of the noise nuisance caused by their snoring. Snoring has ended friendships between housemates. The daytime sleepiness that follows a disturbed night of inadequate sleep has caused people to lose their jobs. Snoring and the lack of sleep it causes can and will lead to poor memory and lack of concentration.

The lack of sleep and the stressful living conditions caused by having a loud snorer in the home can lead to a wide range of emotional and mental health problems including:

* depression and anxiety

* resentment

* exhaustion

* frustration

* anger and feelings of violence

* desperation

* helplessness and anguish

* low levels of confidence and self esteem

The hidden emotional and mental problems faced by those living with a snorer should not be underestimated. Further, when someone is exhausted from lack of sleep, it can be dangerous just to drive a vehicle to work. Those who operate heavy machinery or work in an otherwise potentially dangerous environment may have to miss time at work or even find another occupation. Snoring puts the lives of the snorer and others at risk, simply because the resulting daytime sleepiness.

A great deal of attention has been paid to the physical causes and problems of snoring, but the very important emotional effects can often go ignored. Snorers often face the embarrassment of sleeping in public places. Snorers will often do what they can to avoid the embarrassment of sleeping in public. As a result, they may be so sleep deprived that they'll fall asleep at the most inopportune times – often waking themselves after a very short period by the volume of their own snoring.

If you live with a snorer, encourage him or her to see a doctor. It is possible to find the root cause of the snoring and even eradicate the problem completely. You will both feel better in the morning.