Age, Menopause, Weight, Pregnancy, and OSA are the common causes of snoring in women.
It’s possible that snorers are blissfully unaware of how uncomfortable they make others feel. These night symphonies, however, disturb only you and your sleeping partner or roommates.
Snoring may be more harmful to the snorer than just a bother. While there are some common causes of airway obstruction, such as a cold or allergies, chronic snoring may indicate a more serious issue or serious health condition.
The unpleasant side effects of snoring include poor concentration, daytime sleepiness, and reduced accident risks.
But, how to prevent and stop snoring in women? Please read on.
Table of Contents
What Causes Snoring in General?
Oral anatomy, sinus anatomy, allergies, a cold, the person’s weight, or even a condition of the jaw joint are just a few of the factors that can contribute to snoring. The muscles in the mouth, tongue, and throat relax during sleep, aggravating the preexisting conditions that lead to snoring. Airway narrowing or partial obstruction is typically the issue that causes snoring.
Do Women Snore?
According to statistics, men snore more frequently than women. Latest data on what percentage of women snore showed habitual male snorers are up to 40% compared to 24% of females.
Biology provides the first justification. We used to believe that the average man is taller and heavier than the average woman. It’s also true that men’s airways are smaller than those of women. Therefore, during routine breathing activity, the airflow becomes complicated. The result is that there is a greater likelihood that young women snore as a result of having narrowed airways.
What Causes Snoring in Women?
Although it may seem strange, men’s airways are typically smaller than those of women. The fact that more men than women are affected by snoring may be due to this. A woman may snore if her airway is narrower than usual. However, there are other possible factors too:
– Age – As women age over 30, snoring problems can increase
– Menopause – After PMS, a woman can become just as likely as a man to start snoring
– Weight – Greater weight adds excess fat around the neck area, and this can narrow or partially block the air passage
– Pregnancy – Weight gain during pregnancy can cause expanding blood vessels in the nasal cavity which can become problematic
– OSA – Obstructive sleep apnea which isn’t so common in women, but can still be an issue
You may need to take action if you think any of the aforementioned issues are the root cause or a contributing factor of your snoring. You should really seek professional care if you snore at all. Snoring can not only wake up a sleeping partner, but it can also be a sign of sleep apnea or sleep deprivation.
Ways to Prevent Snoring
Control Your Weight
The throat’s internal diameter is constricted by excess neck weight. Snoring is caused when the neck fat constricts the airways while you’re lying down. Excessive weight loss can thin out the neck’s fat tissue and lessen snoring.
Choose the Right Pillows
You can avoid having your airways obstructed by using anti-snoring pillows. Pillow dust mite accumulation can cause allergic reactions and snoring by causing a breeding ground for the mites. These allergens could be a part of the reason you snore if you experience breathing difficulties at night.
To keep dust mites and other allergens to a minimum, put your pillows in the air fluff cycle every two weeks and replace them every six months. To keep your airway completely open, use wedge pillows that elevate your upper body and align your spine. This unquestionably aids in reducing snoring issues.
Stay Hydrated
A well-hydrated nose is a content nose. Dehydration increases the production of the sticky, thick mucus in the mouth and throat that contributes to snoring. Drinking plenty of fluids cures snoring to some degree. Every day, healthy women should consume a total of eleven cups of water (from all fluids and food).
Check Your Nasal Passages
One of the main causes of snoring is an obstruction of the airway. Air flows more slowly through open nasal passages. This stops snoring.
Some ways to keep your nasal passages open include:
- Using nasal stripson the bridge of the nose to increase the space in the nasal passage. As a result, snoring is decreased and breathing becomes more efficient.
- Using a nasal dilator— a type of adhesive strip with embedded splints applied on top of the nose across the nostrils, that decreases airflow resistance, to assist in keeping the airway open.
- Trying antihistamine pillsor a nasal spray to get rid of allergies.
Maintain Sleep Hygiene
For maintaining good sleep hygiene, it’s critical to get enough rest on a regular basis in a cozy bed, cool environment, and dark room.
Some tips for getting a good and adequate sleep to reduce snoring include:
- Set a strict schedule for when you go to bed and when you get up.
- To block out light while sleeping, use heavy curtains or high-quality blinds.
- When it’s almost time for bed, keep all electronic devices—including mobile ones—at a distance.
Stay Away from Alcohol before Bed
Alcohol causes snoring by causing the muscles in the throat to relax. As a result, you will have less control over your tongue and throat muscles. The result is that your breathing in and out will cause your throat muscles to vibrate more. The louder you snore, the stronger the vibration. Alcohol shouldn’t be consumed in the hours before bed.
Pick a Healthy Sleep Position
Your tongue and soft palate sag to the back of your throat when you sleep on your back. Your airway narrows and gets smaller as a result. Snoring, or vibrating while sleeping, is the end result. Avoiding the tongue from obstructing the airway by sleeping on your side. In a nutshell, choosing a healthy sleeping position can stop snoring.
How to Stop Snoring at Night for Women?
Despite the fact that women snore less frequently than men do, women still need to know how to stop. Notably, there aren’t any particular treatments for women’s snoring. The majority of advice and devices are universal. Therefore, with the exception of pregnancy, the treatment for a woman who snores loudly would be similar to that for a man. Therefore, if you know how to stop snoring for women, you can deal with a snoring man. We’ve compiled seven snoring prevention methods to save you time.
- Choose the right pillows
- Change sleeping posture
- Avoid extra weight gain
- Keep water balance
- Do exercises daily
- Monitor your sleep
- Check your nasal passages
Given that men and women snore for various reasons, women shouldn’t be held less accountable for their health. It is best to consult a doctor to ensure restful sleep because obstructive sleep apnea is significantly underreported and underdiagnosed in women.
What is the Treatment for Snoring?
Losing weight and making other lifestyle adjustments can help with snoring, but these changes won’t work if the snoring is brought on by a condition like sleep apnea or a disorder of the jaw joint. Although CPAP therapy can help with snoring brought on by sleep apnea, many patients find it to be intrusive, loud, and uncomfortable.
Oral appliance therapy is an alternative to CPAP therapy for snoring and sleep apnea. It also works well for snoring brought on by TMJ issues. Many patients experience a 90% reduction in their symptoms after three months of oral appliance therapy.
Do Men Snore More Than Women?
Regarding those noises that keep people awake, there are definite gender differences. Men do snore more than women do.
Men typically take the lead because of anatomical differences between men and women’s bodies. 4 out of every 10 men snore, in comparison to roughly 3 out of 10 women.
Men’s narrower air channels than women’s are a birth defect that results in nighttime noise. It is more difficult for oxygen to flow during routine breathing when the airway is smaller. Additionally, when air is forced through a small opening, the tissues immediately around it violently vibrate, increasing the volume of snoring.
According to statistics, men are more likely than women to drink alcohol, and they are also more likely to do so excessively. Men are more likely than women to smoke, which makes them more susceptible to snoring as a side effect.
However, snoring is not necessarily a “men’s” or “women’s” health issue but a general one. Some causes of snoring are specific to women or affect them more than men.
Is Snoring Normal?
Snoring is a bothersome sound that results from breathing during sleep being obstructed. When you make loud breathing noises like wheezes, rattles, or whistles, your airway is blocked.
The night symphonies are what bother your partner or your roommates. Snorers may be blissfully unaware of the annoyance they cause to others.
Snoring, however, can be more than just an annoyance. While there are some common causes for airway obstruction, such as a cold or allergies, chronic snoring may indicate a more serious issue or be a symptom of a serious medical condition.
Snoring-related vibrations can cause injury and artery inflammation. Such alterations lead to atherosclerosis, a condition in which arteries harden and result in a number of vascular diseases.
Numerous unpleasant side effects, including daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and increased accident risks are connected to snoring.
To put it simply, loud, persistent snoring is not normal. If you or your spouse has snoring problems, it’s important to speak with your doctor. Your physician can assist you in figuring out the cause of your snoring. In the end, treating the issue will be made easier with an understanding of the cause. You and your partner need treatment if you want to sleep better every night.
Should You Have a Sleep Study If You Snore?
Polysomnogram (PSG) or a sleep study is an electronic test that transmits and records your brain waves, heart rate, breathing, and blood oxygen level while you sleep. Along with tracking various bodily functions, the test also captures eye and leg movements while you sleep.
While the subject is sleeping, a number of sensors are fastened to his or her body. As a diagnostic tool for sleep medicine, the test is used. In order to determine whether you have a sleep disorder (such as obstructive sleep apnea), a qualified sleep specialist uses the recordings as data in their investigation and analysis.
There are four different types of sleep studies.
Diagnostic Overnight PSG
This involves keeping an eye on bodily processes while you sleep, such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, breathing, and limb movements.
Diagnostic Daytime Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)
This test aids in the identification of narcolepsy, a neurological condition that causes extreme daytime sleepiness and drowsiness. It keeps track of how quickly you nod off in complete silence and how frequently you experience REM sleep during the day.
Two-night Evaluation PSG and CPAP Titration
If sleep apnea is found during the first night’s diagnostic evaluation and general monitoring, you must return for a second night to determine the ideal air pressure for continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP). This device uses a specially made nasal mask to deliver oxygen into your airways.
Split-night PSG With CPAP Titration
If moderate or chronic sleep apnea has been identified or there is some suspicion during the portion of the first-night recording, this is an overnight PSG performed with a 2-hour period of baseline sleep study information, followed by a continuous positive airway pressure treatment (CPAP). To calculate the CPAP pressure necessary to counteract sleep apnea, the second half of the night is used.
These studies are designed to diagnose sleep disorders, including:
- Sleep apnea
- Insomnia
- Circadian rhythm disorders
- Parasomnias
- Narcolepsy
- Restless leg syndrome
To wake up to your wife snoring louder than a chainsaw is the most rattling experience. The days when snoring was thought to be a problem with men’s health are long gone. More sleep is lost and irritability is caused by snoring than most people realize, and it can affect anyone. It is a strong catalyst for relationship resentment, ridicule, bitterness, anger, and disappointment. Losing weight, abstaining from sedatives and alcohol for at least 4 hours, as well as heavy meals or snacks for 3 hours prior to going to bed, exercising, and sleeping on your side rather than your back are some behavioral remedies for snoring treatment that sleep specialists recommend.
It is always wise to speak with a sleep expert before trying anything drastic for women who have snoring problems.
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