Are you at higher risk of sleep apnea after menopause?

When you think of heavy snoring or breathing difficulties during sleep, most people would tend to picture a man. But that's just a stereotype. Women are also prone to sleep problems, including common sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.

Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to sleep apnea. Find out if you’re at risk, so you can tick that one off and get on with enjoying your day.

Myth: Only men suffer from sleep apnea.

Sorry ladies - that's not true!

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tissues in your airways relax, blocking them partially or completely. The blockage causes you to momentarily stop breathing, which in turn makes you momentarily wake up. It may also cause loud snoring. It’s a great recipe for a disruptive night's sleep for you, not to mention your bed partner.

How menopause affects sleep (and so much more!)

Menopause sucks! There’s no getting round it but you can get through it, eventually. As if the hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, mood changes and weight gain weren’t enough, now we learn that the risk of sleep apnea is increased after menopause.¹ Great! 

Generally speaking, post-menopausal women are less satisfied with their sleep and as many as 61% admit to having insomnia symptoms².

Before reaching menopause, research shows around 30% of women have some sort of problem sleeping at least 3 times per week. During menopause, this figure rises 2 or 3 times³. Unfortunately, it is all too common for women to experience trouble sleeping during menopause.

Hot flushes and increased sweating during menopause are signs of reduced levels of oestrogen and progestogen. This can affect your sleep patterns. Progestogen is a sleep promoter, while lack of oestrogen can make it harder to cope with stress (another sleep disturber)⁴.

Are some women more likely to have sleep apnea?

Apart from menopause, other factors that may increase your risk of sleep apnea are being overweight, chronic nasal congestion, having asthma, smoking, having high blood pressure and a family history of sleep apnea⁵.

Postmenopausal women suffering from sleep apnea are thought to have more severe symptoms than younger women with this condition⁶.