Snoring can hurt intimacy

NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- People who snore have less active sex lives than those who don't, to a U.S. survey of adults found.

"Out of more than 1,000 men and women surveyed, 81 percent of the partners of snorers said they don't get a good night's sleep and are constantly tired, making them less likely to have the energy for intimacy," says Dr. Michael Gelb, director of the Gelb Center in New York. "Of those snoring couples, researchers said 70 percent resort to sleeping in separate bedrooms to get some rest and holiday alcohol consumption can make the problem worse."

Gelb -- who has studied breathing-related sleep disorders and how they relate to fatigue, focus and pain -- recommends seeking treatment for snoring and sleep apnea.

Fifty percent of all men over the age of 50 snore. Gelb said that means one out of every two couples struggles to get a good night's rest.