Women lose 3 weeks sleep yearly to hubbys snoring

The survey of 2,500 adults also found that snoring is such a nightmare that 39 per cent of other halves regularly flee to a spare room in search of peace -- while one in nine couples sleep apart permanently because of the problem.

And contrary to what women might like to think, it is not just men who are guilty of the habit, although they are the most common perpetrators, according to the study.

Figures obtained by the British Lung Foundation show the problem is causing 39 per cent of adults to miss an average of one-and-a-half hours sleep a night. This works out as 574 hours every year -- or nearly 23 days, the Daily Mail reported.

The survey also found that nearly a quarter of men (24 per cent) said they were kept awake by their partner, compared with 41 per cent of women who complained about their men.

According to experts, loud snoring can be symptomatic of sleep apnea, in which muscles and tissue in the throat relax so much during sleep they block the airway.

Disrupted nights leave both partners feeling tired and unable to concentrate and it can even ruin a relationship.

Official figures show the condition affects four per cent of middle-aged men and two per cent of middle-aged women.

But Dame Helena Shovelton, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation said: "If we look at the figures which show that snoring makes a third of people move rooms, it would suggest it could be more common."

Snoring and sleep apnea are more prevalent among the overweight and those who drink excessively -- so losing weight and cutting back on alcohol could help reduce symptoms.

Patients with severe sleep apnea are given breathing apparatus similar in appearance to an oxygen mask to keep their airways open.