Sitting next to a snorer
 

Just wondering what people normally do when they get stuck next to a person snoring loudly. Have you tapped the person to let them know? Ask a FA to help out? Or do nothing?

Happened to me this morning. Was sitting in F and my neighbor was a nice guy/good chit chat. Then, it happened. He fell asleep and most of the F cabin could hear him snoring. We were stuck on the runway at #17 in line or takeoff. I was dyinig to listen to my ipod, but I had forgotten to take it out of my bag in the OH bin. FA's were belted and seated. Finally, got my ipod out after we were in the air, and it helped a ton although he snored and slept through the entire flight. I didn't say anything - while I didn't like the snoring, I didn't really blame him personally. He woke up right before landing and then gallantly let me off the plane ahead of him. I wonder if he knew he snored the whole time and that loudly.

The other strange thing is that the last time this happened to me I was in the same seat in F, same situation of being stuck on the runway. I 've mostly flown coach and really don't recall very loud snorers in coach. Why? Is it because people aren't that comfortable and perhaps more cognizant of the lack of personal space which leads to less deep sleeping?

My SO said he always just travels with earplugs. Probably a good idea.

+1 on the earplugs.

For a minute there I thought you said you were sitting next to a schnorrer, which is an entirely different thing. :-D

I'd much rather sit next to the snorer than the person who takes their iPod out and cranks the volume so that you can hear everything they are listening to.

I put on the Bose and crank up the volume.

Earplugs, earbuds, headphones.

posture. sitting more or less upright.. mouth is less agape... tongue doesnt fall back into throat... etc

use personal audio device or plugs. as a snorer i try not to inconvenience others but its not something i have so much control over

I slept for five hours on a recent AC TATL flight in C. I sincerely apologize to all those seated around me...

LOL!!

( <--fooled ya with my location that I understand that, didn't I? :-D )

I vote for waking them.

Snoring and crying babies -- just because you can't control it doesn't give you the right to disturb everyone else. We paid for our seats too.

I'd rather have a decent flight and the possiblity of a bit of sleep myself, than a sincere apology.

you got an ibod, get decent noise isolation headphones. with my shures, i cannot hear the pilot or the fa when on the intercom.

Ipod or AVOD and just be be thankful they don't have any body hygeine issues!

They are just going to fall asleep and start all over again!

One time I found an empty row of seats in Y on a TPAC 747 so I flipped up the arm rests and made a cozy little bed for myself out of pillows and blankets and made myself comfortable. Some time later I was rather abruptly awoken from a deep sleep when someone kicked my shoe really hard where it was slightly extended into the aisle. I sat up but by the time I looked around, the aisle was empty and the kicker had obviously quickly reseated himself and was playing innocent because I never did figure out who did it. I don't really mind that I was woken up if I was snoring really loudly but I would have preferred to have just been shaken or something.:D

I don't think I usually snore when I am sitting up though..

A lot of people are suggesting that we simply purchase and use headsets/earplugs/music players in order to isolate us from someone else's annoying behavior. I'm curious how many of those people would also suggest that those who are annoyed by the behavior of smokers should simply buy a gasmask.

The bottom line is that someone is engaging in an annoying behavior that significantly disrupts our comfort and/or productivity. The offender should be stopped. Wake the .......s up. If they can't control the snoring, then they should be served a continuous supply of strong coffee until landing. If you were a bedwetter, wouldn't you resist the urge to sleep on an airplane so as not to create an unpleasant situation for yourself and those around you? Why should it be any different for snorers?

lol (redux) oy gevalt

uncontrollable manifestation of anatomy/physiology. would you support banning those afflicted with tourettes as well?

you're on public transportation; deal with it.

Those who have such disorders should have the common decency to reduce their disturbance to others by whatever means are available to them. It's not about "banning" people. It's about people exercising self-control. Ultimately, however, those with no self-control call for others to control them.

What means do these folks have available? A snorer or a tourettes sufferer? Gag ball?

If you wake a sleeping person, and they go back to sleep, will you wake them again? Are you prepared for the escalation of personal conflict?

Yeah, whatever.

I was on a QF A380 flight LAX-SYD with a loud snorer and I just shrugged it off. I don't realistically expect someone to stay awake for an entire 15 hour flight. People have anatomical problems they can't help, I'm not as selfish or as pompous as to think that I can control someone else's behavior.

People, air travel sucks and we're all in it together. A little compassion and understanding goes a long way when you're packed into a metal tube with 300+ other pax - try not to be indignant, miserable human beings.

Indeed.

If smokers spontaneously combusted in their sleep I would wear a gas mask, otherwise I would ask them to go outside.

My Dad snores rather loudly, it annoyed me till I got some Hearos from Target. If you won't spend $5 for your own sanity than...

There's no "normally." Let's go with "all of the above." Since I am a small, nonthreatening female, there's nothing wrong with touching/tapping the person to let them know, especially in the south where I know they won't freak out. If for whatever reason I don't feel comfortable with touching the person who is snoring and not easily aroused by a comment, then I might speak to the flight attendant. "Can we see if that guy is OK? That sounds like sleep apnea to me?" Or if I really think it's OK (loud snoring, but he's not fighting for air, with those gasps you get when the person has a real issue) then I just put in ear plugs.

Totally based on my "read" of the situation. I don't want someone to go to sleep and never wake up next to me, on the other hand, I don't want to start a discussion either.

As far as more snoring in first class, it's because 1) some people snore more even if they just drink a beer and the beer is free in first, and 2) there's more space and more physical comfort so people can nod off where they might be too paranoid to nod off in coach...so again... if there are more people able to sleep in first it's only logical that more people in first snore than in coach.

Depends on the flight. If it's short, then not a big deal. If it's a daytime flight and long I'd let the person know. Not everyone realizes that they snore or how much.

Should this be an overnight flight, then it's fair game. Some people snore when they sleep and you should expect most people to be sleeping on an overnight flight.

You should always have ear plugs with you. Quite likely, you wouldn't even have needed to start this thread.

I'm not going to get into the what-should-you-do discussion, but as someone who has slept next to a snorer for nearly 30 years, I can recommend the Howard Leight "SuperLeight" earplugs, 33db rating. I use them at home on a regular basis, and I always take them with me when traveling.

If smokers were harmless and merely annoying, I'd sadly have to agree with it. As it stands, a good example of something discoureous to the nose that we've no right to ban would be those folks who wear WAY too much perfume (although I suppose someone who had bona fide allergies to it might take it as a reason to ask to be reseated away from them.)

--

As an aside, there are fairly cheap bite guards (and much more expensive ones available through dentists) that will help some folks with snoring - while I'd certainly never call on their being mandatory (and indeed they don't work for everyone) for those who KNOW they're snorers and are going to fly redeye or 8hr+ long-haul, they might be worth a try.

This is ridiculous. You really think that snorers don't realise they snore? I don't need some overly sensitive seatmate to give me a revelation about my nocturnal behaviour.

I fly twice weekly at the moment, and I need the precious little sleep I get on these flights. Please don't wake me - I have sinus issues that cause the snoring and there's nothing I can do about it, but you have the option to put in earplugs or use AVOD.

Yeah – I need my precious sleep too. Is your sleep more important than mine?

I’ve had large people next to me ask to raise the armrest because they didn’t fit in their seat. Wanted to spread into my seat.

I’ve had moms with lap-riders kicking my seatback. “Can’t control them all the time. Kids are kids”, they explained.

And I’ve had snoorers. Yeah – I have earplugs. I push them in until they touch together and I still hear the sawing.

I try to be respectful and understanding of others.

What I don’t understand is the sense of entitlement exhibited by folks who impose, inflict, or intrude on the rest of us. Yes – we are all in it together. You are the source of the “problem”. So why do I have to accommodate you? Why can’t you be uncomfortable or awake for a while to accommodate me?

I'm a farter so i cant really complain about others :)

this made me LOL so hard my husband came running to ask what is so funny

This made me LOL too! Seriously, one fart and I'd let it go. Multiple times, and I would say something. I don't care if there is conflict.

As for snoring, I'm also in the camp that this is public transportation and people WILL snore, so that is why I didn't say anything to the guy next to me. If it had been a red eye or a TATL flight, I would actually have expected to endure something like that, and I would have brought ear plugs. But this was a 3 hour flight at 10:15am, so it was unexpected. It also was exacerbated by the fact that we were were waiting in line for take off for almost half an hour so no earphones.

Like I said, I didn't personally blame my neighbor, but I couldn't help thinking that for a 3 hour domestic flight, I wish I had not been gotten the upgrade. The slightly wider seats and the cold lunch meal was not worth it. Would rather have sat in a coach seat.

My Sony noise cancellation headphones take care of most of the snoring and other noises, like little children. Having said that, I've never had anyone next to me snore their brains out. I did have people behind or in front of me, but the headphones do take care of that.

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Were you travelling in F in a 747? If not that must have been one really loud snorer!

Typically the roar of the aircraft engines during cruise is loud enough to drown out all but the very loudest of noises - crying babies excepted ;)

In a 747 and probably the A380, the cabin is a long distance away from the engines, hence the snorers will come into their own.

I can't really blame snorers, not much they can do about it. I always travel with Bose headphones and a decent amp :D

Tongue in cheek... are you 100% certain you're not a snorer yourself? If you were are you certain your SO would tell you?

I would just put up with it. However, I would, at the same time, be wishing that the snorer had the courtesy to do something to reduce his snoring. Most snorers would know that they snore.

If I were a snorer (which I'm not, thankfully), I would stay awake as much as I can so as not to disturb others, because I actually have a serious dislike of disturbing other people's peace.

On a practical level, if possible, if I am seated next to a loud snorer, I would ask to be moved to a different seat, away from the snorer. I'd also put in my newly minted custom-fitted in-ear earphones and try to block out the noise.

If it is my husband who is snoring (which he does), I'd wake him up enough to stop him from snoring, because I know how to stop him from snoring without fully waking him up. That will result in everyone's benefit, including mine and his.

However, I think there may even be a merit in gently rousing a snorer enough for the snorer to stop snoring in any case. I don't think snoring loudly is good for the snorer himself (I stand to be corrected, but that's what I read somewhere)?

Foam earplugs - in my ears, not shoved up their nostrils.

HA! Thanks for the giggle. ^

why is it that the most provocative persons are also the most passive-aggressive. if you want to be confrontational why not be upfront about it?

I know it's annoying but people snore, it's a fact of life and they have no control over it at all.

Unfortunately I am a snorer especially if I have had an alcoholic drink, or I've got a cold, or hayfever, or my asthma is particularly savage that day, or if the air is very dry as on a plane.

I don't like doing it, I wish there was a magic cure but there is nothing I can do apart from staying awake, and on an overnight flight when I've spent the whole of the day working it wouldn't be possible for me to stop myself sleeping. I think it's ridiculous for people to suggest that people who snore should stay awake on long flights.

I also hate listening to the other snorers (in actual fact I find it very difficult to sleep on planes even in international business class) but I just pop in some earplugs, or my headphones and accept that I'm on public transport.

Snoring won't be helped much by waking the person up.
It certainly won't cure it.
They'll go right back to it - how can they help it?

The earplugs and headphones are the only logical answer.

Who would take this rubbish seriously?

^

It can hardly come as a surprise to any frequent traveler that airplanes can be noisy for various reasons. If you don't want to invest in noise canceling headphones, at least get some earplugs. Sometimes you can get them from the FA if you ask nicely. Personally I combine both.

However, if I'm really bothered, I don't see the harm in a slight nudge without waking the person.