Causes of Snoring While You're Pregnant
Although, very few women will admit they snore, it is very common among pregnant women. This is usually because the woman is suffering from sleep apnea. A woman's body goes through a tremendous amount of changes while she is carrying a child. They range from emotional changes to physical changes. Many women find it difficult to get comfortable when they are trying to sleep.
Because it can be quite a task to find a comfortable position for an expecting mother to sleep, she might begin to notice she tosses and turns throughout the entire night. What she might not know is, she is snoring during the time she does fall asleep. However, if her partner is smart, he will not tell the expecting mother that she snores!
Due to the newly added estrogen levels in an expecting mother's body her neck muscles are relaxing a little easier than usual. This can definitely be one of the causes for her newly found snoring issue. The worse is still yet to come. Generally, the snoring will become louder and more troublesome as she reaches her final stage of pregnancy.
Another common cause for the snoring in a pregnant woman is the weight gain. Not that she is overweight, but weight is definitely a factor in snoring. Usually, if she is able to sleep on her side she will be able to minimize if not eliminate her snoring. Sleeping on her side is usually more comfortable and healthier for her and the unborn child.
The main warning sign or symptom of sleep apnea in a pregnant woman is the chronic snoring. Often times, the snoring can disturb the soon-to-be mom and her significant other. It is also common for a pregnant woman suffering from sleep apnea to actually wake herself up by snoring, not to mention waking her partner up in the middle of the night, as well.
If a pregnant women is suffering from sleep apnea she needs to report this to her physician, mid-wife or other health care provider. Sleep apnea can cause a pause in the breathing, meaning oxygen is unable to reach the brain. In addition to this, there can be an increase in stress to the unborn child. This alone, should be cause enough for treatment.
There are other conditions that can be linked to sleep apnea in pregnant women and their unborn children. Pre-eclampsia, hypertension and edema are just a few of the most common ones. A doctor can diagnose pre-eclampsia if a pregnant mother is experiencing any of the following symptoms. Daytime sleepiness, blurred vision, vomiting and or abnormal liver functions.
A lack in the oxygen supply to the growing child can have serious results. In pregnant mother's the birth rate is much lower if they have sleep apnea than if they do not. There is a lower birth weight, and less than satisfying Apgar scores on the child at birth. Apgar scores are a series of assessments done on a child immediately after birth. The weight, muscle structure, color and respiratory rate are included in the Apgar score.