Why do men snore more often than women?

Reported on the page of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, men do snore more often during sleep compared to women. About 40 percent of men are accustomed to sleeping while snoring, while women who are accustomed to sleeping while snoring are only 24 percent. Why do men snore more often? Here's the explanation.

Actually what is snoring and why does it happen?

Snoring is a noisy breathing sound that occurs during the sleep process. People will snore because their airways narrow when they sleep. These narrowed airways create obstruction in the pathways connecting the mouth, nose and lungs.

The narrower these airways are, the more pressure is required to build sufficient airflow. The greater the pressure, the louder the snoring sound will be.

Like other muscles, the muscles in the throat, including the tongue, will relax when sleeping. The tongue will fall backwards and the throat will become narrow. When you breathe in while you sleep, the wall of this narrow throat vibrates.

These vibrations cause a distinctive breath sound, which is the snoring sound you hear. The narrower the airway, the greater the vibration and the louder a person's snoring sound will be.

Then, why do men snore more often than women?

According to Jomvie Reyes PTRP, RN, MN, a Master of Nursing and also a lecturer at Davao Doctors College, there are two main factors why men snore more often, namely anatomical conditions and lifestyle.

Anatomical differences

Basically, physically the male body is more supportive of snoring. Men have a lower voice box (larynx) position than women, so this gives men more open space in the airway. This larger space makes the airway narrower. A snoring sound will appear.

In addition, the condition of the vocal cords can also affect. Men have vocal cords that are livelier, deeper, and heavier than women. This condition makes men more likely to snore while sleeping.

The shape of the jaw can also affect the occurrence of snoring. The male jaw is more pronounced, while the female jaw is smaller and less prominent.

Lifestyle

There are some habits that are more often done by men, which makes more men snore while sleeping. Men tend to consume alcohol frequently. This alcohol is to relax the respiratory tract muscles.

This relaxing of the muscles makes the airways more closed and the air flow narrower, resulting in a snoring sound.

Men also have a high smoking habit. Cigarettes can irritate the tissues in the respiratory tract. This condition will cause an increase in mucus production. This increase further adds to the narrowing and blockage of the airways.

Are there other factors that make people more likely to experience snoring?

• Use of sedatives. Sedatives are similar to alcohol, relaxing the muscles of the respiratory tract.
• Overweight. People who are overweight usually have excessive neck thickness. This condition will further increase the pressure in the airway.
• Elderly people (seniors). The older you get, the more often you snore. This is because the condition of the muscles in the respiratory tract loosens even more due to various factors.
• Take medicine. Taking certain drugs can cause dryness or irritation of the airways.
• Health condition. Flu, nasal polyps and allergies can also cause people to snore while sleeping
• Supine sleeping position. Sleeping on your back makes the tongue and the flesh around the throat loosen or be pulled inward, clogging the airways. This causes the sound to vibrate while you sleep. Side sleeping position can help you overcome snoring.
• The larger the uvula size hence the narrowing of the airway further. The uvula is a small tissue that hangs on the roof of the mouth that is always visible when people open their mouths.

How do you reduce the habit of snoring?

• If you are overweight, losing weight is the right way to stop snoring.
• Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages before bed.
• Quit smoking.
• Elevate your head on a pillow while sleeping so that your tongue doesn't get in the way of your breath.
• Sleep on your side.