Snoring is an unfortunate part of life for many women, but it’s especially common during pregnancy. It’s not a primary concern from a medical perspective, but it can be disruptive to the rest of the household. There are some easy solutions that can help with your snoring and make sure you get a good night’s sleep.
If you’re someone who hasn’t been plagued by snoring in the past and suddenly find yourself doing so after you become pregnant, this could be one of those delightfully annoying side effects of growing a little human inside you. We’re here to break down why it happens and how to stop it.
Is it normal to snore during pregnancy?
It’s quite normal for pregnant women to experience mild snoring during sleep. This is due to the increased size of their body and the extra weight they are carrying around. Snoring during pregnancy is also common because of the baby bump which is pressing against your windpipe as you sleep on your side.
What Causes Snoring During Pregnancy?
There are several factors that play a role in snoring during pregnancy. As your baby grows, he or she will press down on your lungs, making it harder for you to breathe. This can cause you to snore more than usual. Your body fat percentage also plays a role in how loudly you snore—the fatter you get, the louder your snores will probably be! As your weight increases with each passing month of pregnancy, so does the amount of tissue surrounding your airways and nostrils. This can cause obstruction of airflow through your nose and mouth during sleep.
Snoring during pregnancy may be a symptom of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a common cause of snoring. This sleep disorder causes breathing to stop and start repeatedly during sleep. Snoring may be the first sign that you have sleep apnea, but it’s not the only one: other symptoms include daytime fatigue, trouble concentrating and irritability.
When you’re pregnant, your body releases hormones that relax the muscles in your airways. This can cause milder forms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) than those experienced by non-pregnant people with OSA.
Snoring during pregnancy can also indicate preeclampsia
If you’re experiencing snoring during pregnancy, it can be a sign of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention and can affect both the mother and the baby. Symptoms include high blood pressure, headaches (often very severe), swelling in the hands and feet, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, pain in the upper right side of your abdomen (below your ribs), difficulty concentrating or remembering things, frequent urination and unusual fatigue. It is best to consult a doctor about this condition.
Snoring during pregnancy may simply be the result of increased nasal congestion
The most common explanation for snoring during pregnancy is simply that the nasal passages are congested. This can be caused by allergies, sinusitis, colds or even pregnancy hormones. Nasal congestion is also common in children.
A saline spray or neti pot can help relieve this condition. A neti pot is a small ceramic pot used to irrigate the nasal passages with salt water (generally 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt to 8 ounces of room temperature water). Saline sprays can also help relieve congestion by moistening the air going into your lungs and reducing irritation.
You can get relief from snoring by sleeping on your side
Sleeping on your side can help you breathe easier and avoid snoring. The best way to sleep on your side is to lie on your side and then turn your head to the side.
If you use a wedge pillow, place it under one hip or buttock so that it props up that leg slightly higher than the other one. This will slightly tilt your body forward as well as shift some weight off of the airway at night.
How to prevent snoring during pregnancy?
There are some ways you can prevent snoring during pregnancy:
- Make sure your bed is comfortable. If you have trouble breathing at night because of an uncomfortable mattress or pillow, it may be keeping you up at night and causing more snoring than usual.
- Take care of yourself during pregnancy. Eating right, staying active, and getting enough sleep will help keep you healthy and less likely to snore during pregnancy.
- Sleep on your side with one leg bent or your knees raised slightly.
- Cut down on dairy products (they may cause mucus production)
- Don’t eat spicy foods before bedtime (spicy foods can irritate your oesophagus)
The best solution – mouth guards for snoring in pregnancy
A custom-made mouth guard is one of the most effective ways to reduce snoring during pregnancy. A mouth guard is an inexpensive way to improve your sleep quality while you’re pregnant. These devices keep your jaw in place while you sleep, so you don’t open your mouth wide enough to let air get through your throat. A custom-fitted device will work well during pregnancy because it can be adjusted as your jaw grows throughout your nine months.
Will snoring be regulated after childbirth?
After the birth of your baby, your snoring might get worse or better. It’s common for women who were previously pregnant to experience an increase in snoring after giving birth — but it doesn’t necessarily happen right away. If you haven’t seen any changes in your snoring by the time you’ve been home from the hospital for a week or two, it may mean that it’s not related to pregnancy at all and that you have another underlying health condition that needs treatment.
Are there any risks associated with snoring during pregnancy?
Poor sleep quality can cause fatigue and dizziness in pregnant women. This makes it difficult for them to perform daily activities smoothly, causing premature birth or miscarriage or even fetal brain injury due to a lack of oxygen supply (hypoxia). Therefore, pregnant women should get enough sleep every night so that they can have sufficient energy for daily activities and take good care of themselves and their babies properly.
We believe that these tips have been useful to you and that you will be able to fight snoring in the right way!
