Do men snore more than women?

Marianne J Davey, association manager of the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association, replies: Men snore more than women for several reasons.

1- When men put on weight they tend to put it on around the neck area whereas women put on weight around the hips. The fatty tissue around the neck literally squeezes the airway closed so air can't pass through smoothly. It tends to hit the structures within the throat and vibrate them which causes the noise we know as snoring.

2- Women have a slightly different airway anatomy to men. They have a wider airway (as in circumference) so if there is any obstruction there's a chance the air passing through will not be as likely to hit the structures as it would in a man. Additionally, a woman's airway is less prone to collapse than a man's airway and it works in her favour as far as snoring is concerned.

3- In general, women tend not to smoke and drink as much as men and therefore don't suffer the snoring consequences.

4- Pregnant women tend to snore because the blood flow around the nasal area can increase, which causes the lining of the nose and throat to swell. This makes breathing more difficult so there would be a tendency to sleep with the mouth open giving rise to snoring.