Is Pregnancy Causing Your Sleep Apnea?

October 23, 2020
Pregnant woman sleeping

Growing a tiny human inside of you can be a wonderful and memorable journey. Of course, pregnancy also requires that you pay extra attention to your health so both you and your baby can thrive. In a study of 3,000 pregnant women, 8.3% developed symptoms of sleep apnea during pregnancy, a sleep condition that, when left untreated, can impact the health and wellbeing of both the mother and child. Let’s discuss why this is and what you can do to start getting the rest needed throughout nine months of pregnancy.

Pregnancy and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Many hormonal changes take place during pregnancy. Among them is a notable increase in your body’s estrogen levels. Estrogen can contribute to swelling of the mucus membranes in your nose, which can in turn lead to mouth breathing. And, the more you breathe through your mouth, the more irritated and swollen the tissues in the back of the throat can become. They may even become so swollen that airflow is restricted during sleep, causing loud snoring and apneas (periods of fully or partially hindered breathing).

While any mom-to-be can develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to hormone fluctuations, some pregnant women are at an even higher risk. In particular, women who were already obese prior to pregnancy, as well as women who gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy, are more prone to suffer from OSA.

Getting the Sleep You Need

Even without sleep apnea, pregnancy poses challenges to achieving high-quality sleep. The last thing you need on top of your other discomforts is restricted breathing! Moreover, because OSA deprives you of oxygen, it can pose dangers for both you and your growing baby.

Here are some steps you should take if you suspect that you have OSA:

  • Talk to your doctor about arranging a sleep study. A sleep study is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure that will help your medical team diagnose your condition and understand its severity.
  • Consider your treatment options. A CPAP machine is a popular OSA treatment, but many patients find the machine to be uncomfortable. You might benefit more from a custom-fit oral appliance, which will gently move your jaw forward in order to keep your airway open at night.
  • Stay in touch with your sleep doctor. Even after you give birth, excess weight or other factors can continue to cause OSA. Monitor the quality of your sleep and continue with your sleep apnea therapy for as long as necessary.

Pregnancy is exhausting enough without sleep apnea! If OSA is interfering with your rest, now is the time to talk to your doctor. Hopefully, it will not be long before  you are sleeping through the night again.

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Mogell, a board-certified specialist in sleep medicine with over 10 years of experience treating sleep breathing disorders is the practice’s founder and primary practitioner. The practice has four South Florida locations: Boca Raton, Melbourne, Vero Beach, and Jupiter. To learn more about Florida Dental Sleep Disorders and Dr. Kenneth Mogell, contact our team at 844-294-7559.