We all have those moments when we’re pushed to our limit, and for one Redditor, it came in the form of a roommate’s snoring. Despite her best efforts to ignore it, using earplugs, headphones, and even trying to drown it out with music, her roommate’s loud, choking snoring kept her awake, night after night.
When she tried to discuss it with her roommate, she was met with indifference. But after a few sleepless nights following long workdays, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
Recording the snoring and playing it back at full volume, she confronted her roommate, forcing her to hear what she had been enduring. The fallout? A meeting with the manager, a new roommate assignment, and a lesson in empathy. Was this an overreaction or the only way to get through to her? Keep reading to find out how the story played out.
A fed-up roommate records her snoring roommate and plays it back to her to prove a point about the noise, eventually leading to a room swap
Living with roommates can sometimes be a balancing act between personal boundaries and compromise, especially when it comes to something as fundamental as sleep.
For OP, the challenge was made even harder by a roommate’s refusal to acknowledge or address an issue that was affecting OP’s health and well-being: loud, disruptive snoring.
Snoring, especially when accompanied by choking or gasping for air, can signal a potentially serious health problem, such as sleep apnea. As OP described, the sound was so loud it could be heard over the ship’s engine and docking noise, and the concern for her roommate’s health was genuine.
Yet, despite OP’s efforts to communicate the problem, the roommate dismissed it, which led to feelings of frustration and powerlessness. Psychologically, being ignored or having your concerns downplayed by someone else can lead to a sense of disempowerment, especially when the issue seems so easily solvable from your perspective.
OP, feeling unheard and desperate for sleep, decided to use her roommate’s own behavior as a way to show her the impact of her actions. Playing the recording of her own snoring was a response driven not just by frustration, but by a need for validation.
Psychologist Dr. Thomas G. Plante, who specializes in conflict resolution, states that malicious compliance often arises when people feel their concerns are invalidated, and they seek to force a resolution in a way that feels satisfying yet harmless. OP’s decision to record the snoring wasn’t necessarily about inflicting harm, but about making the roommate face the consequences of her actions.
This behavior fits with the psychological principle of social reciprocity, the idea that people expect their actions to be reciprocated. When OP voiced their concerns and tried to resolve the issue through conversation, but the roommate refused to engage or acknowledge the problem, OP felt justified in turning the tables by showing her exactly how disruptive her behavior was.
While OP’s response was unconventional, it was rooted in a desire to restore balance in the relationship by making the roommate experience the discomfort OP was enduring on a daily basis.
However, despite the satisfaction that OP likely felt after playing the recordings, revenge, even in the form of compliance, can often lead to unintended consequences.
As Dr. Michael McCullough, an expert in revenge and forgiveness, points out, revenge often provides temporary emotional satisfaction but rarely leads to long-term resolution or healing.
In this case, while the roommate likely felt humiliated, the situation could have been addressed more effectively through direct, open communication about the issue rather than escalating the situation through retaliation.
Ultimately, the resolution came not from OP’s act of retaliation, but from the intervention of a third party: the manager. The roommate’s refusal to acknowledge the problem, paired with OP’s action, led to a mediated conversation in which the issue was addressed. The manager’s decision to support OP’s need for rest and highlight the roommate’s lack of cooperation marked a turning point.
Take a look at the comments from fellow users:
These groups highlighted the serious health risks of untreated sleep apnea
These commenters strongly encouraged the roommate to get a proper diagnosis for sleep apnea
![[Reddit User] − Ok shes a jerk but also TELL HER THIS FRFR: I had the same thing. I snored SO LOUD, I had to be in a room alone.](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/wp-editor-1763628297555-14.webp "Roommate Snored So Loudly And Refused To Address It, So Woman Recorded It And Played It Back To Her Every Time She Tried To Rest")
![Seriously. I was in my late 20s when I had the surgery. [The proceedure is called Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP Surgery)]](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/wp-editor-1763628306315-19.webp "Roommate Snored So Loudly And Refused To Address It, So Woman Recorded It And Played It Back To Her Every Time She Tried To Rest")
These users shared personal experiences with snoring and sleep apnea
These commenters agreed that sleep apnea was likely the cause of the snoring and choking noises
Was the Redditor justified in playing her roommate’s snoring recording as a form of revenge, or did she go too far? While it’s clear that the snoring was causing significant issues, some might argue that a direct conversation could have resolved things in a more mature manner. What do you think, was it sweet revenge or a step too far? Share your thoughts below!
