- Wife sought divorce due to husband's loud snoring affecting her sleep
- Marriage was otherwise healthy with no complaints of abuse or harassment
- Counselor recommended a three-month separation before final decision
It sounds like the plot of a romantic comedy, but for one couple in Bhopal, loud snoring had become serious enough to push their marriage to the brink of divorce.
The wife had no complaints about her husband's nature, his family, or their relationship. In fact, she repeatedly described him as "a very good person". Her only grievance was that his thunderous snoring kept her awake night after night, leaving her exhausted and frustrated.
"I cannot stay awake all night," she told the family counselor while seeking a divorce.
The unusual case surfaced during family counseling conducted by senior counselor Rita Tuli in Bhopal, where she often handles marital disputes involving allegations of harassment, domestic violence and incompatibility. This case, however, stood out because the marriage itself appeared healthy except for what happened after the lights went out.
According to Tuli, the woman said her husband's loud snoring had become unbearable. Despite repeatedly bringing it up, the husband insisted that he did not snore, leading to frequent arguments every morning.
"There were no allegations of mental or physical harassment. The wife clearly said she had no complaints against her husband or his family. Her only issue was that she couldn't sleep because of his loud snoring," Tuli said.
As sleepless nights turned into daily quarrels, the wife became convinced that divorce was the only solution.
Rather than encouraging the couple to rush into legal proceedings, the counselor suggested an unconventional experiment live separately for three months before making a final decision.
The idea was simple distance often helps couples distinguish between temporary irritations and genuine incompatibility. Three months later, the couple returned for a follow-up counseling session with an unexpected answer.
They admitted that they had missed each other during the separation and realised that their relationship was far more valuable than the nightly inconvenience caused by snoring.
Both also confirmed that there had never been any form of physical or emotional abuse in the marriage. Looking back, they felt ending the relationship over snoring would have been a mistake.
Following the counseling, the couple decided to withdraw the idea of divorce and continue their married life together.
