I used to tease my husband about his snoring. Then I hit 40, gained some weight, and the tables turned.
It started subtly. He mentioned I was breathing heavily at night. Then my own snoring woke me up β more than once. I finally downloaded a sleep tracking app and recorded myself. The result was humbling.
What happened?
A few things converged:
Weight gain around the neck and throat area narrows the airway, making snoring more likely. My late-night snacking habit, acquired during the pandemic, hadn't helped.
Hormonal changes in perimenopause can also affect airway muscle tone and sleep patterns.
And stress β the kind that keeps you in a low-level state of tension β leads to shallower breathing and more muscle tension, which can contribute to airway narrowing.
What I did about it
I wasn't going to accept this as my new normal. Here's what helped:
First, I lost a few kilograms. Even 2β3 kg made a noticeable difference, especially since neck fat is often the first to accumulate and the first to go with modest weight loss.
Second, I changed my sleep position. Sleeping on my side instead of my back significantly reduced snoring. A body pillow helped me stay in position.
Third, I stopped eating within three hours of bedtime. Less stomach fullness means less pressure on the diaphragm.
Fourth, I started doing simple mouth and throat exercises β tongue slides, soft palate raises β that I found in a research paper. They sound ridiculous, but they actually work.
When to see a doctor
If snoring is accompanied by gasping or choking sounds, pauses in breathing, or excessive daytime sleepiness, it could be sleep apnea, which requires professional evaluation.
But for simple snoring related to weight gain and age? A few lifestyle changes can make a surprising difference.
These days, my husband says the house is quieter. I sleep better. And I've stopped teasing him about his snoring β because karma is real.