Close to 90 million Americans are habitual snorers and about 160 million are occasional snorers. But when it comes to gender comparison, men are 40% more likely to snore compared to women. It is not only an unpleasant sound, snoring is a strong indicator of serious health problems like cardiovascular disease and sleep disorder.
According to the experts at Snore Whisperer, snoring can be a significant risk factor for heart. So, that’s why it is essential to understand the root causes of your snoring and find the solution. At this point, a lot of female snorers have OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). It means that the upper portions airways are closed off. It blocks oxygen and can restrict respiration. It causes a lot of sleep interruptions and can be the reason for other consequences.
What is interesting to note is snoring pattern among men and women is different. Let’s see the differences between women’s and men’s snoring:
Causes of women’s snoring
- Hormones
Estrogen plays a key role for women. Estrogen is the female sex hormone which helps ovum to mature. It also supports bone formation. Moreover, it has an impact on serotonin levels. Serotonin is known as a neurotransmitter. Sometimes people call it “happy chemical.”
The important thing to know is that it helps to maintain muscle tension. When the level of estrogen is pretty low, serotonin goes down as well. As a result, muscle tone is decreased, and airways become laxer.
It can explain why so many women start snoring when menopause begins. Women’s ovaries stop producing sex hormones – estrogen and progesterone. Some women also suffer from premature ovarian failure. It means they are not able to produce estrogen at an early age. As a result, and it makes them snorers.
- Birth control pill
Women start taking birth control at a young age. Since this method of preventing pregnancy is linked to women’s hormonal balance, it can be another reason why women start snoring.
If the hormonal balance doesn’t return to normal after some time, it is better to switch to a different medication. In this case, women should definitely talk to their health care provider first.
- Pregnancy
A women’s body transforms during the nine months of pregnancy. Snoring can be caused by weight increase or nasal congestion. During pregnancy swelling in nasal passages is more likely to increase. As a result, it blocks airways and causes snoring. Statistics show that one out of four pregnant women is a snorer.
- Obesity
Nowadays obesity is a global problem. 40 % of adults in the United States have issues with weight. And at this point, snoring and overweight create a vicious circle.
Women with extra weight are more likely to snore because of the compressed diaphragm. Also neck fat can cause compression of the airway. Since snoring usually disturbs sleep, women can’t rest well. It leads to gaining even more weight.
- Bad habits
Chronic smokers usually have problems with sleep. Cigarette smoking can provoke blockage in the airway.
- Sleeping position
Women who sleep on their back are more likely to snore. Sometimes, adjusting your sleeping position can help.
How snoring affects women?
The recent study proved that women are affected by snoring differently than men. Women are more likely to be depressed and have insomnia. Tiredness during the day causes problems with remembering things and concentration. Female and male snorers the same age with similar habits (like drinking alcohol or smoking before going to sleep) have different results. The study shows that women are more likely to have excessive daytime sleepiness.
Snoring can pose life-threatening health risks since it causes high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. It increases the chances of having a stroke.
Sometimes sleep apnea is mistakenly considered to be the symptom of hypochondria, depression or hypertension. Women have different symptoms of snoring.
Women who experience sleep apnea usually have problems with regulating their mood during the day. It becomes harder for them to make decisions and communicate with other people.
Men who snore usually wake up during the night and gasp for air. For instance, women feel anxiety and tiredness. They mistakenly link their poor physical condition and feeling of sadness with depression.
Treatment
As mentioned above, many different factors can cause women’s snoring. So, treatment should be based on individual characteristics. Sometimes making slight changes to your lifestyle can also help to lower risks of snoring.
There are some general pieces of advice for women who want to stop snoring:
Improve your diet
If you want to bring your estrogen level back to normal, you need to start eating healthy. A low-carb diet can be a good solution in this case because it has carbohydrates that are extremely important for your body. Noisemakers should also consume products that contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins — for example, vegetables, fruits, fish or peanuts.
Change your lifestyle
If snoring makes a woman feel tired and irritated during the day, it is the right time for her to consider leaving inconvenient habits behind. It means she needs to reduce alcohol consumption and stop smoking cigarettes. Sports can help to feel better. It might be shocking for a woman’s body who hasn’t taken care of her health for a long time. However, it will make a significant change.
Drink water
Women should drink around eleven glasses of water per day. Being dehydrated can become another reason for snoring. Soft palate and secretions in the nose become sticker, and it causes disturbed sleep.
Don’t forget to rest.
Women who forget to practice good sleep hygiene can start snoring even though there are no other health problems. Working long hours without taking a break can make woman overtired. So, in order to prevent snoring, women need to make sure they sleep at least 7 hours per day. Also, it is necessary to check whether there is fresh air in the room.