Snoring When Pregnant Could Be Sign
June 11, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
Only about 4% of pregnant women will have gestational diabetes, a condition in which non-diabetic women develop high blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
A new study is the first to report a link between snoring pregnant women and gestational diabetes. Researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine say that women who reported frequent snoring during their pregnancy were more likely to develop gestational diabetes.
Frequent snorers had a 14.3% chance of developing gestational diabetes, and pregnant women who didn’t snore had only a 3.3% chance. The findings were presented by Francesca Facco, M.D., at the SLEEP 2009 Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies today.
“Snoring may be a sign of poor air flow and diminished oxygenation during sleep that can cause a cascade of events in your body,” said Facco in a recent news release.
She continued, “This may activate your sympathetic nervous system, so your blood pressure rises at night. This can also provoke inflammatory and metabolic changes, increasing the risk of diabetes or poor sugar tolerance.”
Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes are at increased risk being large for gestational age or suffering from low blood sugar levels. They may also be at increased risk of obesity or impaired sugar tolerance or metabolic syndrome as they get older. Concerned women should see sleep specialists.
(Image via stock.xchng)
I read your article and what intrigued me was the fact that you talked about pregnant women snoring and I thought when women are pregnant they are usually carrying more weight then they normally do. I’m wondering if a bigger weight size is a contributor to snoring?
I have always snored to as far back as I remember and I have always had a weight problem. However, when I first started dating my ex he mentioned the snoring but didn’t really complain about it too much. And we slept together every night, except for the occasional time that he’d sleep on the coach because of an argument. He never had a problem with my size, so I became too comfortable and gained alot of weight during our relationship. I’m talking at least 40 lbs. So unhealthy, I know.
Towards the end of the relationship he complained constantly about my snoring. Almost nightly. He said I wouldn’t let him sleep and he started sleeping on the couch alot. He would nudge me during the night while we were in bed, waking me up, and would say, “babe, turn on your side, you’re snoring too loud and I can’t sleep” He would try and sleep next to me because I wanted him to, but sometimes he would just get frustrated and sleep on the couch. I felt so bad!
Anyways.. does anyone think there’s a link between a larger weight size and snoring? or does anyone have any medical information?
Jennifer, according to this WebMd article weight is indeed a factor in snoring:
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/five-natural-remedies-to-stop-snoring
Similar to self-help remedies, anti-snore devices are designed largely to hold the snorer’s mouth closed, extend the neck, or keep the snore off his back. Although few of the devices do what they’re supposed to do.