Why Does Snoring Happen During Pregnancy?

It's not unusual for pregnant women to snore. However, you might discover that you snore more frequently and loudly than usual while pregnant. It is conceivable for pregnant women who did not snore before to begin doing so.

Chronic snoring while napping during gestation might indicate breathing issues that could impact the fetus's ability to get enough oxygen. As a result, this article will discuss several snoring remedies for pregnant women as well as the causes of snoring.

What are the Causes of Snoring During Pregnancy?

Snoring happens when the tongue, mouth, throat, or nasal paths shake while you breathe. The primary cause of this sensation is the narrowing of nasal passages. 

Snoring appears when the air cannot voluntarily transfer via the blocked area or when it is pushed through a thwarted space, rendering its tissues bump against one another and jiggle, causing a rough or harsh noise.

Many factors cause snoring like:

• Conditions like sinusitis might bring about transient snoring problems
• Physical matters like a shifted nasal septum and inferior throat and tongue tone

Snoring during pregnancy, nevertheless, can have other causes. It was discovered that the frequency of snoring raised more than twice from the first to the third trimester of gestation. Following are a few of the significant causes of snoring. 

Differences in Hormone Levels 

During pregnancy, hormonal shifts are the preliminary cause of numerous problems, and snoring is one of them. As you get expectant, your body removes more estrogen hormones. These hormones boost the nasal tissue and push the mucous membranes in the nose to swell.

They even handle blood vessels inside your nose to enlarge and cause nasal congestion. Pregnant women frequently snore because nasal passages become congested and narrowed, forcing them to breathe through their mouths as they sleep.

Raise in Blood Volume

Another reason for snoring during pregnancy is the growth in blood volume—the blood volume by the third trimester. Your blood plasma volume is nearly 40 to 50 % more than you expected.

This expansion in blood volume suffices the blood vessel with additional blood. Blood vessels in nasal passages also swell, restricting the passage. It drives the path more challenging for air to transfer. It is the leading reason for the growth in snoring during the third pregnancy trimester.

Pregnancy rhinitis

Almost one-fifth of pregnant females encounter pregnancy rhinitis. Congestion of the nasal passages that survive up to six weeks during gestation is called pregnancy rhinitis. 

Pregnancy rhinitis might happen at any time during pregnancy. This condition usually impacts females in the first trimester and then again in the second trimester. The nasal paths could become blocked because of rhinitis, which can drive snoring.

Weight Gain

Weight gain in pregnancy transforms the way you breathe. During pregnancy, as your uterus grows, it forces upward and externally, pushing your diaphragm to develop upward. There will be a lower residual volume in the lungs, which may cause your throat to be more exposed to obstructions and lead to snoring.

Pre-Pregnancy Weight

If your BMI was high before conception, snoring is more likely. A high BMI makes it more likely that extra fat will accumulate around your neck's soft tissues. It narrows the airways, impacting how the expectant female breathes during sleep. It can lead to the evolution of snoring.

Symptoms of Snoring During Pregnancy

The sound of snoring can vary from slightly audible to incredibly annoying sounds that might be heard outside the room. Pregnant ladies who snore more continually at night might feel sleepy during the daytime since they don’t bring a good night’s nap. It could conduct them to be less productive.

Following are a few distinctive manifestations of snoring during pregnancy: 

• You might notice sleep breaks
• Headaches in the sunrise
• Tiredness during the day
• Concentration difficulties
• Morning hurting throat
• Sleepless nighttime
• A sense of blocking or gasping during the night

Risks Linked with Pregnant Woman Snoring 

For mild, infrequent snoring, no testing nor therapy are essential. Typically, it makes a noise that wakes the housemate or sleeping partner.

Snoring that appears up to three times a week is believed as primary snoring. Since the happening is more regular, it can be annoying for sleeping companions. Nevertheless, it does not usually generate any health concerns.  

A pregnant woman's health is more hazardous to snoring connected with disturbed sleep or OSA. Without therapy, OSA can have severe consequences during pregnancy. The risk related to inflated snoring during pregnancy are-

• Increased blood pressure is linked to increased maternal snoring in the second and third trimesters of gestation.
• A growth in snoring during gestation is forcefully associated with gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
• Snoring is linked with negative delivery results, including cesarean deliveries and premature births.

Tips to Control Snoring During Pregnancy 

Snoring due to pregnancy is possible to stop once you’ve given delivery. By minimizing or eliminating your snoring at this time, you can free up your mind to concentrate on other pregnancy-related issues. Do you want to know how to stop snoring when pregnant? Here are a few valuable suggestions.

Employ Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece

An anti-snoring mouthpiece is a simple and effective technique to stop snoring when pregnant. These mouthpieces stop snoring by putting a gum barrier over your teeth.

They operate by pushing your lower jaw ahead. A narrow airway induces snoring. Your breathing passages might be thwarted due to extremely relaxed soft tissues or the bottom of your tongue dropping back. 

Mouthpieces constrict your airway tissues during bedtime, stopping them from falling over the breathing paths. The anti-snoring mouthpiece even raises the tongue off the rear of the throat, causing it more comfortable to breathe.

Pregnant women might snore due to being fat, back sleepyheads, and those with regular nasal blockage might benefit from mouthpieces.

Nasal Strips

The nasal strips are sticky bandages applied over the nose's bridge and on either side of the nostrils. They are filled with plastic ribs or splints.

Nasal strips unclog your nasal paths naturally, permitting you to breathe better, decrease snoring, and relieve clogged nasal passages. Nasal strips for snoring during gestation are non-medicated, so you don’t need to stress their safety. You can either place them into your nostrils or across the bridge of your nose. 

Elevate Your Head Little

To permit better airflow via the nose while resting, attempt elevating your head a little. With this technique, your breathing will be more accessible, and you might not snore much; raising your head when napping will also reduce heartburn. Also, you can try to elevate your bed or add additional pillows.

Sleeping on a Side 

Sleeping on your back squeezes your airway and directs you to snore. However, sleeping on your sides during gestation controls potential contraction of your airway that might occur with other sleeping positions, like resting on your back. 

Apart from stopping snoring, sleeping on your left side is favourably helpful during pregnancy since it enhances blood circulation and decreases the circumstance of a stillbirth.

Bottom Line 

In most cases, snoring during pregnancy is nothing to be concerned about, and you may solve the issue with a few straightforward lifestyle modifications and after delivery. First-trimester snoring during pregnancy should be reported to the doctor, especially if it is excessive.

If you are facing issues in this context, contact Antenate and talk to our gynecologist and Fertility Expert, Dr. Shesha Sinha, who can provide immediate medical assistance.