Snoring in albergue!

[Bumpa]

Snoring by itself is actually benign and harmless but it indicates several other disorders and can also annoy partners and other family members. It can sometimes be a sign of a serious health problem.

According to http://ohealthyeah.com/how-to-stop-snoring/ the main reasons for snoring are: the position of sleeping, drinking alcohol, extra tissue or sleep apnea so are definitely the first things to look at. To stop snoring, it’s necessary to first identify exactly how and why someone is snoring. It could be a sign of sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening condition that requires medical attention. Sleep apnea is a breathing obstruction, causing the sleeper to keep waking up to begin breathing again.
So, if you know the snorer and you're familiar with the reason behind his/her snoring, you can help them find a cure fit for the reason.

I have been reading this thread with interest even if I am a little late to most of the conversation. I have been diagnosed as having sleep apnea but did not carry my machine with me from Roncesvalles to Santiago last year. I can detach the water holder portion of the machine and it doesn't weigh too much. It is not a travel type. Even so, I feel that carrying it in my pack for days may lead to feeling that it should have wheels and a handle so that I can drag it down the path.

The sleep test showed that I was "waking" 55 times an hour on average over the course of the night. Obviously I wasn't sitting up in bed saying "what the....." The process was one of slipping in and out of R.E.M. or deep sleep. The test did not indicate a large amount of snoring but I suspect that I do occasionally snore. Okay, my wife says that I occasionally snore. Okay, she actually says I often snore but she has adapted to it as the sleep apnea machine pretty much ended the snoring. The sleep technician indicated that there are a large number of untreated people who would benefit from sleep apnea intervention.

All this excessive verbiage leads to a question. I will be back on the Camino in the Spring of 2018 and I am thinking of lugging the sleep apnea machine. Have people generally had good luck carrying a machine. I am thinking of: availability of plugs, others reactions to it and the general hassle of another large item to carry.

The blessing of being hearing impaired is that when I take the hearing aids out at night, I hear very little and so snoring and other assorted noises don't bother me. I am concerned that I may have bothered others while traveling "machine less". I would make the effort to carry the machine to avoid disturbing others.

 

[Melensdad]

All this excessive verbiage leads to a question. I will be back on the Camino in the Spring of 2018 and I am thinking of lugging the sleep apnea machine. Have people generally had good luck carrying a machine. I am thinking of: availability of plugs, others reactions to it and the general hassle of another large item to carry.

I had no issues finding plugs. As in zero issues.

Other than using a slightly larger backpack (40L) to carry the machine, hose & mask, which I thing was actually more comfortable to carry because the pack had a 'real' suspension system, my Camino experience was no different that those who did not carry a CPAP machine.

 

[Bumpa]

I had no issues finding plugs. As in zero issues.

Other than using a slightly larger backpack (40L) to carry the machine, hose & mask, which I thing was actually more comfortable to carry because the pack had a 'real' suspension system, my Camino experience was no different that those who did not carry a CPAP machine.

Thanks for the reply. I have a big enough pack and so will need to consider the extra weight

 

[Melensdad]

Thanks for the reply. I have a big enough pack and so will need to consider the extra weight

Glad I could help.

FWIW, I own several backpacks. All my larger packs (40L and over) carry far more comfortably, and carry more weight, while 'feeling' lighter than my smaller packs. The reason for this is that the larger packs are more adjustable for torso length, have real weight supporting hip belts and better back systems, both allow the weight to be carried more easily than daypacks and smaller backpacks.

My daughter has a 35L with a 'real' hip belt and good suspension system, just not sure it would hold a CPAP, hose, mask, etc.

ALSO, since you will leave your water reservoir at home, you may want to buy a handful of these (each is good for about 7 days if you store it in a ZipLock Freezer Bag after each use ... and I recommend the 'freezer' bags because they have a more secure lock and the bags are slightly thicker) These actually work, I love them. They fit between your mask and your hose. Work with any brand of CPAP that uses standard hoses. >>> https://hdmusa.com/product/z1-heatmoisture-exchanger-hme/

 

[Bumpa]

Glad I could help.

FWIW, I own several backpacks. All my larger packs (40L and over) carry far more comfortably, and carry more weight, while 'feeling' lighter than my smaller packs. The reason for this is that the larger packs are more adjustable for torso length, have real weight supporting hip belts and better back systems, both allow the weight to be carried more easily than daypacks and smaller backpacks.

My daughter has a 35L with a 'real' hip belt and good suspension system, just not sure it would hold a CPAP, hose, mask, etc.

ALSO, since you will leave your water reservoir at home, you may want to buy a handful of these (each is good for about 7 days if you store it in a ZipLock Freezer Bag after each use ... and I recommend the 'freezer' bags because they have a more secure lock and the bags are slightly thicker) These actually work, I love them. They fit between your mask and your hose. Work with any brand of CPAP that uses standard hoses. >>> https://hdmusa.com/product/z1-heatmoisture-exchanger-hme/

Thanks again. I'll have a look at them

 

[naplesdon]

Sorry to sound "defensive" about this touchy subject. I snore loudly and warn others around me when I find my bed. That being said I probably am dealing with apnea. My bed has been shaken by other pilgrims to wake me numerous times and I have been dissed in the morning about "Why don't I do something about your snoring problem?" As far as I'm concerned, it is not my problem. If you can't deal with shared sleeping facilities, find a hotel!

 

[naplesdon]

But Lirsy! It's so much more dramatic and FUN to be afraid!

Yeah, like a subway ride in Marseilles or a bush taxi in northern Nigeria. Gotta love Spain.

 

[karenmwang]

I have been reading this thread with interest even if I am a little late to most of the conversation. I have been diagnosed as having sleep apnea but did not carry my machine with me from Roncesvalles to Santiago last year. I can detach the water holder portion of the machine and it doesn't weigh too much. It is not a travel type. Even so, I feel that carrying it in my pack for days may lead to feeling that it should have wheels and a handle so that I can drag it down the path.

The sleep test showed that I was "waking" 55 times an hour on average over the course of the night. Obviously I wasn't sitting up in bed saying "what the....." The process was one of slipping in and out of R.E.M. or deep sleep. The test did not indicate a large amount of snoring but I suspect that I do occasionally snore. Okay, my wife says that I occasionally snore. Okay, she actually says I often snore but she has adapted to it as the sleep apnea machine pretty much ended the snoring. The sleep technician indicated that there are a large number of untreated people who would benefit from sleep apnea intervention.

All this excessive verbiage leads to a question. I will be back on the Camino in the Spring of 2018 and I am thinking of lugging the sleep apnea machine. Have people generally had good luck carrying a machine. I am thinking of: availability of plugs, others reactions to it and the general hassle of another large item to carry.

The blessing of being hearing impaired is that when I take the hearing aids out at night, I hear very little and so snoring and other assorted noises don't bother me. I am concerned that I may have bothered others while traveling "machine less". I would make the effort to carry the machine to avoid disturbing others.

My husband purchased a travel size cpap for me from Amazon. It's not technically set to my prescription, and it emits a low level sound and is capable of gently forces air down the airway so the airway doesn't collapse on itself, leading to snoring. I've used it several times when traveling for more than 3-4 days and it has proven useful. It's about 1/4th the weight of the regular machine. My question now is whether there will be electrical outlets available for my use in bed at the alburgues.

 

[grantgholson]

I never found earplugs enough of a barrier against loud snoring (though I am a bit of a light sleeper.)

My trick is to carry a small, AAA battery-powered mp3 player that has an 8-hour track of a fan playing on it. Pop some comfy earbuds in, and the white noise cancels out all other extraneous noise. Works wonders.

You can get players like mine super cheap now online--some come with timers, so you can set yours to play until you're well into dreamland and then shut off. You only really need to change batteries once a week, and you're less dependent on having to find free outlets.

 

[Stivandrer]

I have a snoring wife, it seldom breaks all my nights.
Always was so tired on the Camino that I had a healthy sleep. -and some red wine I had too, the truth be told...
Funny thing is, I work as a sleeping night staff in an institution for many years, waking up at the slightest creaking of a floorboard outside my room, at the flapping sound of someone posting a letter outside my window, as I father I would hear our boys way before my wife did; but I somehow welcome the comforting blanket of a chorus of snoring pilgrims and sleep like a baby !
Strange, isn´t it !?? - Maybe I am truly at home !

 

[Piero Frustascarpe]

I'm a roncador muy ruidoso (very noisy snorer).
I solved my problem thanks to a trick that I got from the Buteyko breathing method.
Before going to sleep I (gently!) shut my mouth with two inches of paper plaster.
It doesn't give me any inconvenience and I sleep very well. Besides, human beings - like most of the mammals - are born to breathe through our nose.

 

[Icacos]

I'm a roncador muy ruidoso (very noisy snorer).
I solved my problem thanks to a trick that I got from the Buteyko breathing method.
Before going to sleep I (gently!) shut my mouth with two inches of paper plaster.
It doesn't give me any inconvenience and I sleep very well. Besides, human beings - like most of the mammals - are born to breathe through our nose.

View attachment 39883

That little bit of Scotch tape won't do anything. Besides it's on your whiskers, and it won't hold. Perhaps we should try something like this ....

 

[Piero Frustascarpe]

That little bit of Scotch tape won't do anything. Besides it's on your whiskers, and it won't hold. Perhaps we should try something like this ....

Dear friend, I appreciate your humor!
Even if I may seem weird, I use this expedient since many years. The paper plaster (it's medical plaster, not scotch) stays attached to the lips, not to the whiskers, so it remains in place all the night.
You can imagine how many times other pilgrims or hikers make fun of me...
And whenever there is someone who wants to make a bet with me (usually the stake is a beer at the end of the leg of next day), I always win, because I don't snore.
And it happens that acquaintances who already know my joke make the bet too, but in my favor!

P.S.
There is no need to use duct tape to keep the mouth shut. The light "suggestion" of the paper plaster on the nervous endings of the lips is enough to trigger the reflex response of the masseter and temporal muscles to keep my mouth shut.

 

[Icacos]

Dear friend, I appreciate your humor!
Even if I may seem weird, I use this expedient since many years. The paper plaster (it's medical plaster, not scotch) stays attached to the lips, not to the whiskers, so it remains in place all the night.
You can imagine how many times other pilgrims or hikers make fun of me...
And whenever there is someone who wants to make a bet with me (usually the stake is a beer at the end of the leg of next day), I always win, because I don't snore.
And it happens that acquaintances who already know my joke make the bet too, but in my favor!

P.S.
There is no need to use duct tape to keep the mouth shut. The light "suggestion" of the paper plaster on the nervous endings of the lips is enough to trigger the reflex response of the masseter and temporal muscles to keep my mouth shut.

This is too funny!!
I just re-read your post. You DON'T snore! No wonder your technique always works.

 

[Melensdad]

My question now is whether there will be electrical outlets available for my use in bed at the alburgues.

I had zero problems finding an outlet.

 

[tjb1013]

My husband purchased a travel size cpap for me from Amazon. It's not technically set to my prescription, and it emits a low level sound and is capable of gently forces air down the airway so the airway doesn't collapse on itself, leading to snoring. I've used it several times when traveling for more than 3-4 days and it has proven useful. It's about 1/4th the weight of the regular machine. My question now is whether there will be electrical outlets available for my use in bed at the alburgues.

I carried a Philips Dreamstation Go for 36 days on the Frances in the fall. No one complained, one bunkmate admitted he could hear it - barely - but it didn’t bother him.

I found outlets in every albergue. Two places provided me an extension cord (I elected not to carry one myself), one person was moved to an upper bunk in Logroño so I could have the bed near a plug.

Azofra was a special case - the wall outlets were not working but the bathroom outlets were, so we moved a bed into the empty third floor’s rest room.

 

[Bob P]

Snoring is NOT apnea. I have had two sleep studies ( at considerable expense), one at hospital and one at sleep center. I do not have sleep apnea, but I snore. CPAP machines are for apnea. My doc said it is not healthy to use a CPAP just to eliminate snoring. So, what do you do? I have tried mouth-pieces, nasal inserts, diet changes, drinking habits ( both more and none) and it makes very little difference. I use the snoring apps. to check now instead of costly sleep studies. Surgery is unacceptable except in cases of severe apnea. It's not a choice folks, it's just how some bodies work.

 

[Martin Cole]

Bob. All empathy and appreciation of your attempt to curb the issue.
Still earplugs do not always solve the issue of me and others of being kept awake all nigh and the consequences that come from that for us. I accept the odd night here and there but sometimes it is the straw that breaks the camels back.
Thanks for all you have tried.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I accept the odd night here and there but sometimes it is the straw that breaks the camels back.

A good night for a good night's sleep in a hostal!

 

[Deleted member 39850]

Hi all, this is my first Camino, and last night was my first night in an Albergue, (Presado) what is the form on people who snore?
The large chap in the bunk next to me was fair rattling the windows, kept me and others awake, does one attempt to wake said snorer up, or grit ones teeth?
Have many people been found smothered in albergues?
Please pass on your thoughts,
Yours sleepless,
Robey

If you can find an athletic headband with bluetooth headphones, I recommend it! You pipe in your own white noise, they lie flat so they are comfortable for sleeping; and you can use them as an eye-cover too. The shops in the larger towns may have them. I picked up mine from Amazon.

 

[Stivandrer]

Breaking news - no snoring

I just did prt 1 of my VdlP and in Fuenterroble, No One snored for the entire night in the Shackleton Hut behind the hostel.
Even those I knew on the trail who could compete with a Jonsered chain saw....
I know because I had a wakeful night with the anguish of a strained muscle in my hip.
-and Shackleton as the night was bitterly cold in the dorm and the barrel stove, so common in Spain, was my responsiblity..
So you see, miracles do happen.
.https://photos.app.goo.gl/uqLtF4JtgRAkw6ni9

 

[Bob P]

On day 29 of journey now. Albergues all but one night. 5 to 60 people in a room. There have been all kinds of snores, groaning, moaning, gassing, etc. One guy so loud thought walls would shake. One gal so wild thought stuff was going on in bunk below. I think it is rather clear that if you want quite nights sleep,,,, go find a hotel
Buen Camino

 

[Stivandrer]

Tried that now, and to my amazement I now suffer from the noises of the night in the shape of water running, elevators sliding ( the most strange repetitive sound ever )
Sleep is a most curious thing...

 

[tillyjones]

Sorry to hear this. It can be very difficult. Quality silicone earplugs will help but only to a point. I also met a couple women who took sleeping pills but I never have. Depending on the person you could wake him or her up but I have found this to be useless in the long run because she or he will simply start again once back to sleep. I have had the best success by sleeping somewhere else, in other words, putting some distance between myself and the offending sleeper, either bringing my mattress with me, sleeping on a couch in another room or using my lightweight inflatable camping mattress which I always travel with for just such occasions. It only weighs 350g and I can sleep anywhere: hallways, kitchens, living rooms and even outside. Good luck!

But perhaps, with a concerted effort and many wake -ups the snorer will become irritated at his own inability for uninterrupted sleep that he/she will choose for a private room or the likes moving forward.

Let's face it...those rattle-the-window snorers know perfectly well that they do it and I think its inconsiderate that they knowingly expose others to it.

 

[JillGat]

But perhaps, with a concerted effort and many wake -ups the snorer will become irritated at his own inability for uninterrupted sleep that he/she will choose for a private room or the likes moving forward.

Let's face it...those rattle-the-window snorers know perfectly well that they do it and I think its inconsiderate that they knowingly expose others to it.

This is group living. There will always be snorers. Use earplugs and, if necessary, get a prescription for 5 mg zolpidem. I don't agree that you should wake people up.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

But perhaps, with a concerted effort and many wake -ups the snorer will become irritated at his own inability for uninterrupted sleep that he/she will choose for a private room or the likes moving forward.

There is zero chance I would do that, but good luck convincing others!!

Virtually all the snorer-haters I met snored; they just did not know they did, and did not wake themselves. Physician, heal thyself (or take earplugs).

 

[Iriebabel]

I use noise cancelling earbuds...fall asleep to an audiobook every night on the Frances...worked except in Villa Franca. When an itallian freight train kept passing thru. I didn’t sleep much that night so I woke up early aiming to catch the sunrise. On my way out the snoring was so loud I noticed it forced one Pilgrim to go sleep in the hallway. Brilliant idea why didnt I think of that... by the way if people are tired enough I think everyone snores a little but the person just dont notice it because they are deeply asleep.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

But perhaps, with a concerted effort and many wake -ups the snorer will become irritated at his own inability for uninterrupted sleep that he/she will choose for a private room or the likes moving forward.

Let's face it...those rattle-the-window snorers know perfectly well that they do it and I think its inconsiderate that they knowingly expose others to it.

You can turn it around , you can take the private room .
Wish you a snore free Camino.

 

[John Sikora]

Yep, never thought that I would appreciate my snoring, until I realized that I could use it as the ultimate justification to get a private room and avoid being summarily executed by otherwise gentle pilgrims.

 

[tomnorth]

Okay, but here’s the injustice of it all. Is it just me, or do others notice that heavy snorers go to bed first and fall asleep first? I just wish they’d give the rest of us a half hour head start. ;-)

Full disclosure, if I’ve got a cold or had more wine than I should have I may snore, otherwise I tend not to. That’s according to my super light sleeping wife.

 

[Kanga]

My darling husband swears I do not snore. But I do.

Love is not only blind, @tomnorth, but sometimes deaf as well!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I just wish they’d give the rest of us a half hour head start. ;-)

What if you are the only non-snorer in a 120 bed albergue of snorers? Do they wait on you?

 

[Just_Me]

I never found earplugs enough of a barrier against loud snoring (though I am a bit of a light sleeper.)

My trick is to carry a small, AAA battery-powered mp3 player that has an 8-hour track of a fan playing on it. Pop some comfy earbuds in, and the white noise cancels out all other extraneous noise. Works wonders.

You can get players like mine super cheap now online--some come with timers, so you can set yours to play until you're well into dreamland and then shut off. You only really need to change batteries once a week, and you're less dependent on having to find free outlets.

yep, works best for me too.
or mentally re-framing the noise as something pleasant and indeed necessary to my sleep.
I was so successful with the latter that I woke up when the person stopped snoring because something was missing!

 

[tomnorth]

What if you are the only non-snorer in a 120 bed albergue of snorers? Do they wait on you?

Preferably, yes!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Prepare by prior adequate consumption of vinto tinto or cognac

I think some people prepare for their own snoring by prior adequate consumption of vino tinto or cognac!

 

[Deleted member 43780]

And for closing comment on this one.....

Exactly why I love my hammock!

 

[Bob P]

But perhaps, with a concerted effort and many wake -ups the snorer will become irritated at his own inability for uninterrupted sleep that he/she will choose for a private room or the likes moving forward.

Wow,,,, I strongly suggest that you don't go waking up people repeatedly. One man woke me one night with a blood-curdling scream. He thought it was funny way to stop my snore. I informed him that if it ever happened again, he might never wake up again. He did not scream again and he was gone when I woke up the next morning...hope he slept well with that thought in his mind

I've asked many hospitalero/a about snoring. They assured me almost everyone snores at some point in the night.

I have posted about snoring on another thread what I have learned about snoring. Snoring and sleep apnea are NOT the same thing and a breathing machine is not healthy if used only to stop snoring. After two sleep studies ($$$$) I found out I do not have apnea, but intermittently snore. So, I got a "snore tracker app" on my phone and discovered that if the temperature drops below 70F, I snore most of the time. If the temperature is between 70F to 75F, I snore about 20% of the night If the temperature is above 75F, I do not snore at all. This might be something for people to consider when they leave the window open on cold nights!

 

[JillGat]

There is zero chance I would do that, but good luck convincing others!!

Virtually all the snorer-haters I met snored; they just did not know they did, and did not wake themselves. Physician, heal thyself (or take earplugs).

I was shown into a dorm one afternoon with another peregrina who pointedly asked if we would have to share the room with men. She seemed very perturbed by the idea, so I asked her why. She said it was because men always snore and keep her up. Then she lay down for a nap and you've never heard such snoring in your life. I recorded it, but changed my mind about sharing it with her the next morning. It is pretty spectacular to hear.

 

[JillGat]

And for closing comment on this one.....

Exactly why I love my hammock!

I thought about taking a hammock! Did you often find places to hang it outside the dorms?

 

[JillGat]

I never found earplugs enough of a barrier against loud snoring (though I am a bit of a light sleeper.)

My trick is to carry a small, AAA battery-powered mp3 player that has an 8-hour track of a fan playing on it. Pop some comfy earbuds in, and the white noise cancels out all other extraneous noise. Works wonders.

You can get players like mine super cheap now online--some come with timers, so you can set yours to play until you're well into dreamland and then shut off. You only really need to change batteries once a week, and you're less dependent on having to find free outlets.

I want to know about this player. Can you post a link? Thanks!

 

[trecile]

I want to know about this player. Can you post a link? Thanks!

No need to carry a separate mp3 player. You can get apps for your phone that will play white noise sounds. They usually have a timer feature.

 

[tomnorth]

I want to know about this player. Can you post a link? Thanks!

I use this app.

White Noise Pro by TMSOFT