Does weight gain cause snoring?

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shoppingdiva2011
shoppingdiva2011 Posts: 127 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Since I have gained weight my husband tells me I snore really bad and he goes in the other bedroom. Is this true about weight gain?

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  • gabriellejayde
    gabriellejayde Posts: 607 Member
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    When I was 20 lbs heavier, (a month ago), I snored. Now I don't. I'm sure the weight had something to do with it.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Yes it absolutely can. I had terrible snoring (and sleep apnea) while obese.
  • subakwa
    subakwa Posts: 347 Member
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    Yes, absolutely. I gained weight and snores, lost it and stopped snoring.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Of course it can. It makes everything bigger, even inside, so there's less room for air to circulate.. so you're more likely to snore.
  • venus_en_pisces
    venus_en_pisces Posts: 14 Member
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    Snoring is a result of your tongue partially blocking your airway. While your tongue doesn't get fatter your neck and chest do. The added bulk around the neck and chest that comes with weight gain affects the position of your tongue in its resting/sleeping state causing snoring.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,068 Member
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    Yes - some thin and healthy weight people snore - but most individuals who snore do so more if they gain weight.

    And sleep apnoea often improves if you lose weight.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    Sure it does. Especially if you gain fat around your neck.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,121 Member
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    Another yup!

    I can tell when my husband and I have put on a bit of weight because we both snore more. When we lighten up, the snoring lightens up too. :)
  • amberlyda1
    amberlyda1 Posts: 154 Member
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    Yep I got fat and now snore like a trucker
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Absolutely.

    Extra layers of fat distribute themselves all over your body. When excess is deposited around the throat and neck area, it can narrow the airway, causing airflow turbulence (snoring). Also, as you gain weight, fat displaces muscle tissue and you lose muscle tone. As a result the soft palate and other soft tissue sin the throat become floppy and snoring levels rise.

    Along with snoring, individuals who are overweight are more likely to develop sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition characterized by periods during sleep when your breathing stops completely. As a result your brain is aroused and you wake up. Sometimes breathing can stop for up to 10 seconds! These stoppages in breathing can happen as many as 100 times a night leaving you exhausted in the morning and at risk for heart problems.
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
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    After DW and I each dropped 55 pounds, neither of us snore. I was spending many hours on the couch before she did.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    Yes - some thin and healthy weight people snore - but most individuals who snore do so more if they gain weight.

    And sleep apnoea often improves if you lose weight.

    Unless you're my husband. *sigh*

    He always snored, but was diagnosed at the height of his biggest bulk. It hasn't really improved since getting back down to a much lower bf %. He's always had mouth/throat/nose issues though.

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