Is There a Connection Between Snoring and Pregnancy?

Many expectant mothers have asked themselves if there might be a connection between snoring and pregnancy, since many have noticed that they suddenly seem to be prone to the habit when it's never been a problem before!  With all the other problems that one faces during pregnancy - the weight gain, the swollen ankles, the constant need to use the bathroom, the morning sickness, and everything else - it seems that snoring and pregnancy is just one more inconvenience and annoyance during what should be such a joyous time.

Just what is the connection between snoring and pregnancy?  Does pregnancy actually cause it or is there something else involved?

Keep in mind that it's unlikely that being pregnant itself causes one to snore.  There's nothing about the female hormones or the other elements of being pregnant that automatically cause one to snore.  The real connection between snoring and pregnancy seems to be the other physical conditions that one faces during pregnancy and their connection to making one snore at night.

Weight gain is one obvious connection between snoring and pregnancy.  When a person has any excess body weight this pushes down on the areas of the throat and neck, closing up those air passages.  When air passes through these areas it "rattles" the tissue in the mouth and back of the throat so that a person then snores.  Most women don't realize how much weight they've gained in the area of their neck and throat as they're often concerned with the other uncomfortable areas of their body such as their swollen ankles and fingers.  But weight is not the only connection between snoring and pregnancy.

Being overweight itself doesn't automatically mean that someone is going to snore.  Usually people breathe through their nose even when they're asleep; when you sleep on your back and your mouth falls open to breathe, you may start to snore.  This too can be one of the more common connections between snoring and pregnancy as most women find that they need to sleep on their back during this time. 

To help alleviate the problem of snoring and pregnancy, consider getting a snore pillow, that is, a specially designed foam pillow that supports the head and neck.  And remember that this condition will probably clear up once you have the baby and get back to your normal weight and sleeping position.