Many factors cause snoring, some of which are unique to women and people assigned female at birth. While nearly all adults snore occasionally, about 24% of women and 40% of men snore regularly.
In some cases, snoring can be harmless to the person who snores, but may keep a bed partner or roommate awake. More importantly, snoring may lead to less restful sleep for the snorer or signal a serious health condition, like sleep apnea.
Below, we’ll cover common causes of snoring in women and when your snoring may be a reason to talk to your doctor.
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Pregnancy
About 1 in 3 people start to snore during pregnancy. Pregnant people may experience increased snoring due to several physiological changes during pregnancy, including hormonal changes, weight gain, nasal congestion, fluid retention, and changes in sleep position.
Snoring in early pregnancy may be linked to serious conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes that develops later during pregnancy, called gestational diabetes. So, if you’re pregnant, inform your doctor about any snoring you experience, as snoring early in pregnancy is strongly associated with complications later in pregnancy.
Snoring, due to fetal growth and weight gain, tends to begin in the second trimester and becomes more prevalent as the pregnancy progresses. This type of snoring generally stops not long after the baby is born.
Menopause
Menopause is a natural part of aging that usually occurs mid-life when a woman or person assigned female at birth stops menstruating consistently for a full year. During the transition to menopause, called perimenopause, levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone have a large rate of variability over time. In addition to these hormonal changes, perimenopause and menopause may cause weight gain that may lead to snoring.
Along with other symptoms of menopause, snoring can make getting good sleep difficult for women as they age. Talk to your doctor, who can recommend ways to manage your snoring and other symptoms to help you get more restful sleep.
Sleep Apnea
Snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which breathing pauses during sleep. Pregnancy, menopause, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), a condition marked by hormone imbalances, may increase a woman’s risk of developing OSA.
With OSA, snoring is usually loud. A bed partner or roommate may notice periods when breathing seems to stop, followed by gasping or snorting. However, some women who have OSA may not snore. That’s why it’s important to be aware of other symptoms and risk factors for OSA and report them to your doctor.
Some other symptoms of OSA that are more common in women include:
- Morning headaches
- Anxiety or depression
- Sleepiness or fatigue during the day
- Trouble sleeping
- Irritability or mood swings
Other Reasons Why Women Snore
Hypothyroidism, or having an underactive thyroid, is also linked to snoring, and the condition is more common in women and people assigned female at birth.
Of course, there are many other reasons why people of all genders snore. For example, being over 50 increases the likelihood of snoring. Other causes of snoring unrelated to gender include:
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol close to bedtime
- Overweight and obesity, especially around the neck or waist
- Taking certain medications, like sedatives or muscle relaxers, before bedtime
- Nasal congestion from allergies or a sinus infection
- Sleeping on your back
A doctor can help determine whether snoring is a symptom of a health issue, such as OSA, and recommend some strategies you can try to stop snoring.
