It’s a commonly held notion that it’s really only men who snore, and women who suffer from snoring, suffering in silence as their partner lies next to them like a stone, emitting enough noise to wake the dead. Is this a fair one?
Well, it is true that both Snoring and Sleep Apnea are more common in men than in women. The early research that was done into these conditions in the 1960s and 70s suggested a male to female ratio for sleep apnea cases of something like 60 to 1. That has recently been revised downwards a little.
The ratio for Sleep Apnea is now more commonly held to be about 2 to 1. There’s still a much higher incidence of men being referred, though- if you’re a male snorer, you’re far more likely to report your snoring to a GP, or put yourself forward for a sleep study.
In some ways, it’s like the issue around reporting of heart problems- men are more likely to suffer from them, due to a number of factors, but there is a big problem in the refusal of women to admit, or to even think about the possibility that they might be affected.
There’s also issues with misdiagnosis- GPs may not be looking for snoring or Sleep Apnea so readily in women. Also, there is a suggestion that female symptoms might not present in the same way, or be attributed to other conditions such as depression or straightforward insomnia.
There’s a whole bundle of reasons why the condition may be missed in women, but it effects them in the same way. So here’s a suggestion- if you’re a female sufferer, don’t fall victim to gender stereotyping, don’t be embarrassed or feel unladylike. Acknowledge the problem. Deal with the problem. Get some help today.
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