Baby boomers’ snoring has breathed life into the sales of mouth pieces, clips, strips, nose sprays and specialized mattresses. Now home builders have heard the roar.

A so-called snore room is the latest offering from Del Webb, which builds communities for people 55 and older.

Buyers whose marriages are plagued by a spouse who snorts, grunts and wheezes while he or she sleeps can opt for an adaptable bedroom plan marketed as the “owners retreat” at Sun City Shadow Hills in Indio. Designed for couples who start out in the same bed but end up apart because of ear-piercing snoring, insomnia or late-night TV viewing habits, this secondary bedroom is connected to the bathroom of the master bedroom.

“A nice enclave that shares the master bathroom provides a civilized alternative to the family room sofa,” said Jacque Petroulakis, corporate communications spokeswoman for PulteGroup Inc., the parent company of Del Webb. Many people “don’t like the idea of having totally separate rooms, but before this, didn’t have any other choice.”


About a quarter of couples in the 55-and-older age group sleep apart to get a good night’s rest, according to PulteGroup, which got the data from a third party but also conducted focus groups and interviews as it developed the bedroom plan.

Among other new life-easing features the builder is offering are pass-throughs from the closet to the laundry room. A door large enough to push a hamper through connects the two spaces.

lauren.beale@latimes.com