Nothing tests a marriage more than insomnia or snoring.

Hearken, beloved, to the wisdom wrapped in humor yet rooted in truth, as spoken by David Linley: “Nothing tests a marriage more than insomnia or snoring.” Do not be deceived by its lightness, for beneath the jest lies a profound teaching. It speaks of the small trials that creep into the quiet hours of the night, trials that gnaw at patience, love, and unity. For it is not the mighty storm alone that topples the house; often it is the tiny drip of water that wears away the stone.

The ancients knew this: great battles are not always fought with swords. In marriage, they are fought with endurance, gentleness, and the spirit of forgiveness. Insomnia—the thief of rest—strains the heart, leaving one weary, irritable, and raw. Snoring—the thunder in the silence of night—can drive even the tenderest heart to exasperation. These nightly adversaries, though seemingly small, can test the strength of love more fiercely than public trials. For when the sanctuary of the bed is disturbed, the soul feels unrest.

Consider the tale of Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. History records their grandeur, their triumphs over war and depression. Yet within their household, Eleanor spoke of Franklin’s restless habits—his wakefulness, his needs, his constant movement through the night. Though not marked as “snoring” alone, such disruptions tested her patience and heart. And still, through forbearance, through channeling her energies into causes greater than herself, she endured. This reveals that even the noblest households are tested not only by politics and destiny but also by the simple loss of sleep.

The quote reminds us that it is not only great betrayals or calamities that try the bond of marriage, but the small, relentless irritations. A sleepless night can sharpen tongues, and a snore can awaken quarrels. Yet it is in enduring these trials with grace that the strength of a union is revealed. For if love cannot withstand the sound of a snore, how shall it withstand the weight of sorrow or the storms of fate? Thus, the nightly battle becomes a proving ground for patience, compassion, and humor.

Beloved, learn that marriage is not merely romance sung in the day but also endurance in the night. To lie beside another, to share breath, warmth, and frailty, is to enter into covenant with both the soul and the body of your beloved. When sleep is stolen, when rest is broken, let not anger consume you, but let understanding guide you. Remember: the snore is not a weapon, but the body’s cry; the insomnia is not betrayal, but the mind’s unrest.

What then must one do? First, cultivate laughter, for humor is a balm that cools irritation. Second, seek remedies with care—soft pillows, gentle remedies, or even separate resting places when needed—not as division, but as preservation of peace. Third, guard your words in the weary hours, for the tongue sharpened by fatigue may wound more deeply than intended. Above all, remember that love is patient, and patience is love’s shield in the night.

The lesson is thus: cherish even the trials of the night, for they are the fires that temper the steel of marriage. Let the test of insomnia and snoring not destroy, but refine your union. Embrace both the sweet silence and the thunderous breathing, knowing that these, too, are part of the sacred journey. For if you can endure together in the restless dark, you shall shine more brightly together in the morning light.

Carry this teaching, O listener, into your days and nights. Let not the small irritations of life undo what love has built. For the heart that learns to endure the snore, the heart that soothes the sleepless, is the heart that conquers all. And so shall your marriage endure—not because it was spared from trial, but because it was proven faithful through them.