Is It True That … Women Snore Less Than Men?

It sounds for illustration nan benignant of sexist stereotype dainty ladies were erstwhile told astatine finishing school, truthful it’s possibly astonishing that women really do – connected nan full – snore little than men. Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, an ear, chemoreceptor and pharynx advisor and slumber surgeon astatine University College London hospitals, says men are almost doubly arsenic apt arsenic women to snore. “But that spread narrows astatine 2 peculiar points in women’s lives,” he says. “One is aft menopause, typically betwixt 45 and 55. The 2nd is pregnancy, particularly successful nan 3rd trimester.”

Snoring happens erstwhile airflow is partially blocked done nan precocious airway, causing vibration successful nan backmost of nan nose, nan soft palate, nan throat, lingua aliases epiglottis (the “lid” complete your windpipe). This happens because nan muscles of nan airway relax while we’re sleeping and are dragged down by gravity erstwhile we dishonesty successful bed. Other factors tin make america much apt to snore. Alcohol relaxes nan muscles further. Extra assemblage weight puts unit connected nan throat. Allergies, nasal polyps, a deviated septum aliases simply a heavy acold tin each artifact nan airway.

Female hormones, specified arsenic oestrogen and progesterone, look to support nan airway muscles much toned, says Cheong. “That’s why women thin to drawback up pinch men erstwhile levels alteration during menopause and pregnancy.” Added weight during gestation compounds nan problem.

Interestingly, he says, erstwhile women do snore, they’re little apt to study it, “because it’s much stigmatised”.

Cheong says a alteration successful snoring patterns should not beryllium ignored, arsenic it could beryllium a denotation of a aesculapian issue. “It tin beryllium an parameter of slumber apnoea – a superior information wherever breathing many times stops during nan night.”

Regardless of your gender, Cheong says that if your snoring is large capable that it regularly disrupts your partner’s sleep, it’s worthy going to nan doctor.