Snoring During Pregnancy

There are many causes of snoring.

Sometimes the snorer is anything but the stereotypical image of an overweight man who has fallen asleep on his back after a large meal and several alcoholic drinks.

Occasionally the person who is snoring is instead a pregnant woman.

Unfortunately, if a pregnant woman is snoring, it’s likely a sign of a problem. It can be a sign that she is suffering from hypertension, which is a frighteningly prevalent cause of death for the pregnant woman. It can also be a sign that the unborn child is at risk for growth retardation or even death.

Effects Of Snoring In Pregnant Women

In pregnant women snoring can be a warning of pre-eclampsia, which is the condition that includes hypertension, swelling of the limbs and protein in the urine. It can also be a sign of toxemia.

Another indicator is excessive sleeping during the day. During pregnancy there is a marked increase in blood. This is to help nourish the baby. But, because of this increase the blood vessels in a woman’s body will also get bigger. (Pregnancy Snoring)

This becomes a problem as the blood vessels of the nose and throat enlarge in size, which also prompts the mucus membranes to bloat. This causes an obstruction, making it more difficult to breath. It also makes her snore.

Studies have shown that snoring increases during pregnancy. It has been shown that by the last three months of pregnancy, twenty four percent of women are snoring. Or if they previously were snorers then there is a marked increase in the volume.

Eleven percent of pregnant women have an excessive weight gain, which in itself will cause snoring. Women who already snored were found to have to deal with additional snoring, but as well they seemed to suffer from more severe swelling of the hands, face, feet and legs.

One of the concerns is that pregnant snorers tended to also have infants with difficulties. The babies were often born with low birth weights and lower APGARs with most babies not scoring above seven. This was seen in seven percent of snoring moms, many of who also smoked which is another factor in low birth weight.

Tips For Improving The Night Sleep For Pregnant Women

There are a few things a pregnant woman can do to enhance the nights sleep, hopefully making it a night with less snoring, include avoiding caffeine. Caffeine narrows the airways and so can cause more snoring.

Sleeping on the side with an extra pillow will help to open the passageways. They can also try using a snoring appliance like nasal strips that are an easy and relatively inexpensive method to alleviate a snoring problem.

Pregnant women are more susceptible to increases in breathing problems, particularly upper respiratory issues because as they gain weight, pressure winds up being put on the diaphragm and so restrict unproblematic breathing.

Consequently, if you are concerned by an increase in snoring of your pregnant partner, a visit to your health provider may advantage both them and your unborn child. Bear in mind that caution is always better than regret.