It sounds like the sort of sexist stereotype dainty ladies were once told at finishing school, so it’s perhaps surprising that women really do – on the whole – snore less than men. Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, an ear, nose and throat consultant and sleep surgeon at University College London hospitals, says men are almost twice as likely as women to snore. “But that gap narrows at two particular points in women’s lives,” he says. “One is after menopause, typically between 45 and 55. The second is pregnancy, especially in the third trimester.”
Snoring happens when airflow is partly blocked through the upper airway, causing vibration in the back of the nose, the soft palate, the throat, tongue or epiglottis (the “lid” over your windpipe). This happens because the muscles of the airway relax while we’re sleeping and are dragged down by gravity when we lie in bed. Other factors can make us more likely to snore. Alcohol relaxes the muscles further. Extra body weight puts pressure on the throat. Allergies, nasal polyps, a deviated septum or simply a heavy cold can all block the airway.
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Female hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone, appear to keep the airway muscles more toned, says Cheong. “That’s why women tend to catch up with men when levels change during menopause and pregnancy.” Added weight during pregnancy compounds the problem.
Interestingly, he says, when women do snore, they’re less likely to report it, “because it’s more stigmatised”.
Cheong says a change in snoring patterns should not be ignored, as it could be a symptom of a medical issue. “It can be an indicator of sleep apnoea – a serious condition where breathing repeatedly stops during the night.”
Regardless of your gender, Cheong says that if your snoring is loud enough that it regularly disrupts your partner’s sleep, it’s worth going to the doctor.
