Snoring During Pregnancy: Causes, Risks, and Safe Solutions

You expected the sleepless nights — just not the snoring that started them early. Pregnancy snoring is more common than most expecting mothers realize, affecting up to 30% of pregnant women by the third trimester, compared to roughly 4% before pregnancy. If you have recently noticed yourself waking your partner (or yourself) with unexpected noise, you are far from alone.

The good news: pregnancy-related snoring is usually temporary and often manageable with the right approach. The important news: in some cases, it can signal a health concern that deserves prompt attention. This guide walks you through exactly what is happening, what is safe to do about it, and when to call your OB.

Why Pregnancy Causes Snoring

Snoring during pregnancy is not random. It is the predictable result of several physiological changes happening simultaneously throughout your body. Understanding the mechanisms makes it easier to address the right causes.

Nasal Congestion and Increased Blood Volume

One of the most underappreciated causes of pregnancy snoring is nasal congestion. During pregnancy, blood volume increases by roughly 50% to support fetal development. This increased blood volume causes the mucous membranes throughout your body — including those lining your nasal passages — to swell. The result is what is sometimes called "pregnancy rhinitis," a persistent congestion that is not caused by a cold or allergies but by hormonal changes and increased vascular flow.

When nasal passages are partially blocked, the body compensates by breathing through the mouth during sleep. Mouth breathing, as detailed in our article on mouth breathing vs. nose breathing during sleep, dramatically increases the likelihood and volume of snoring because it shifts airflow dynamics in a way that causes throat tissues to vibrate more forcefully.

Hormone-Driven Muscle Changes

Progesterone — the hormone that rises dramatically throughout pregnancy — has a muscle-relaxing effect throughout the body. This relaxation supports the uterus and other structures, but it also affects the muscles in the upper airway, including the soft palate, uvula, and tongue base. Softer, more relaxed throat tissues are more likely to vibrate and partially obstruct the airway during sleep, producing snoring sounds.

Estrogen, which also rises significantly, contributes to the mucosal swelling described above. Together, progesterone and estrogen create a nearly perfect storm of conditions that promote snoring in a population that may never have snored before.

Weight Gain and Neck Circumference

Healthy pregnancy weight gain is essential — but weight gain, particularly around the neck and upper body, can compress the airway from the outside. Research consistently shows that neck circumference is one of the strongest predictors of snoring risk. A modest increase of just a few centimeters around the neck during pregnancy can meaningfully reduce airway space during sleep.

This does not mean pregnancy weight gain should be restricted beyond medical guidelines. It simply explains part of why snoring tends to worsen as pregnancy progresses and the body changes shape.

Uterine Pressure on the Diaphragm

As the uterus grows, particularly in the second and third trimesters, it pushes upward against the diaphragm. This upward pressure reduces the diaphragm's range of motion, making each breath shallower. Shallower breathing means the body must work harder to move air, increasing the turbulence that causes snoring. It also makes maintaining adequate oxygen levels more challenging, particularly during sleep.

This diaphragmatic compression is also why many pregnant women feel more comfortable sleeping propped up at an angle rather than lying completely flat — elevation reduces the pressure on the diaphragm and can also reduce snoring.

When Pregnancy Snoring Typically Starts

Most pregnant women first notice snoring in the second trimester, around weeks 16–20, as hormone levels peak and the uterus begins to expand significantly above the pelvic brim. Nasal congestion related to pregnancy rhinitis often begins in the first trimester but tends to worsen throughout.

By the third trimester, snoring frequency and volume typically reach their peak. The combination of maximum uterine size, maximum weight gain, maximum hormonal elevation, and maximum nasal mucosal swelling creates the most challenging sleep conditions of the entire pregnancy. Studies have found that up to 30% of women who never snored before pregnancy snore regularly by the third trimester.

For women who already snored before pregnancy, pregnancy tends to make existing snoring significantly worse. If you have a pre-existing snoring problem, it is especially important to discuss this with your healthcare provider early in the pregnancy.

Health Risks to Watch For

Most pregnancy snoring is uncomfortable but not dangerous. However, in a subset of cases, it can be associated with serious health conditions that require medical attention. Knowing the difference between nuisance snoring and warning-sign snoring is critical.

Gestational Hypertension

Research has established a correlation between loud, habitual snoring during pregnancy and an increased risk of gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy). The mechanism parallels what is seen in non-pregnant snorers: repeated partial airway obstruction causes brief oxygen dips that trigger stress hormones, which raise blood pressure over time. In a pregnant woman, elevated blood pressure carries additional risks for both mother and baby.

Preeclampsia

More seriously, studies have found associations between habitual snoring in pregnancy and preeclampsia — a potentially dangerous condition characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and organ stress. While snoring does not cause preeclampsia, both may share common underlying mechanisms involving oxygen disruption and cardiovascular stress. Women who snore loudly throughout their second and third trimesters appear to have a statistically higher incidence of preeclampsia than non-snoring pregnant women.

This does not mean every snoring pregnant woman will develop preeclampsia, but it does mean that snoring deserves to be taken seriously as a potential signal, not dismissed as simply one more pregnancy inconvenience.

Pregnancy Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea, which involves complete or near-complete airway obstruction rather than simple vibration, can develop or worsen during pregnancy. Pregnancy sleep apnea is associated with poor fetal growth outcomes, increased cesarean section rates, and greater maternal cardiovascular risk. Unlike simple snoring, sleep apnea involves pauses in breathing, gasping or choking episodes, and significant overnight oxygen desaturation — all of which can affect fetal oxygen supply.

The challenge is that many pregnant women dismiss symptoms of sleep apnea as normal pregnancy fatigue and never get evaluated. If you or your partner has observed any of the warning signs described in the next section, a medical evaluation is warranted — not optional.

When to See a Doctor

Contact your OB or midwife promptly if you experience any of the following:

• Loud snoring with gasping or choking: These are the hallmarks of obstructive sleep apnea and must be evaluated, particularly during pregnancy when fetal oxygenation may be at stake.
• Witnessed pauses in breathing: If your partner observes you stop breathing during sleep, even briefly, this requires urgent evaluation.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness beyond typical pregnancy fatigue: Feeling unable to stay awake during normal activities suggests your overnight sleep quality is severely compromised.
• Morning headaches: Waking with headaches can indicate overnight oxygen desaturation, which warrants investigation during pregnancy.
• Snoring that began before pregnancy and has worsened significantly: Pre-existing snoring that intensifies dramatically during pregnancy may indicate underlying sleep-disordered breathing that requires formal assessment.
• Any signs of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia: Swelling of face or hands, visual disturbances, or severe headaches alongside loud snoring should prompt immediate contact with your healthcare provider.

A referral for a home sleep study or in-lab polysomnography can be safely performed during pregnancy. If sleep apnea is confirmed, CPAP therapy is the recommended treatment and has been shown to be safe during pregnancy.

Safe Solutions During Pregnancy

The options for managing pregnancy snoring are more limited than for non-pregnant snorers, because safety for both mother and baby must be the primary consideration. That said, several effective and safe approaches exist.

Positional Therapy

Sleeping on your side rather than your back is the single most universally recommended change for both reducing snoring and improving fetal circulation during pregnancy. When lying on your back, the uterus can compress the inferior vena cava (the large vein returning blood to the heart), reducing blood flow — and gravity pulls the tongue and soft palate backward into the airway, worsening snoring.

Left-side sleeping is particularly recommended during pregnancy, as it optimizes blood flow to the placenta. Body pillows can help maintain a side-sleeping position throughout the night. Our guide on the best sleeping positions to stop snoring covers the mechanics in detail, and most of those recommendations are compatible with pregnancy when adapted for the changing body shape.

Elevating the head of the bed by 4–6 inches using bed risers (not just stacking extra pillows, which can strain the neck) can also reduce snoring by improving drainage of nasal passages and reducing diaphragmatic pressure.

Nasal Strips

Over-the-counter nasal strips (such as Breathe Right strips) are safe during pregnancy and can be helpful when nasal congestion is a primary contributor to snoring. They work by mechanically opening the nasal passages, reducing nasal resistance and the tendency to mouth breathe during sleep.

Nasal strips are most effective for snoring that is clearly linked to nasal congestion — for example, if your snoring worsens when you have a cold or during allergy season. If your snoring persists even when your nose feels relatively clear, the cause is likely pharyngeal (throat-level) rather than nasal, and nasal strips alone will not resolve it. Our comparison of nasal strips vs. mouthpieces explains how to identify which type of snoring you have.

Saline Nasal Rinse

Saline nasal rinses (using a neti pot or saline spray) are safe during pregnancy and can reduce the nasal mucosal swelling that contributes to pregnancy rhinitis. Rinsing before bed clears mucus and reduces congestion-related mouth breathing during sleep. This is a gentle, medication-free option that many OBs actively recommend for pregnancy rhinitis.

Humidification

Dry air worsens nasal congestion and dries out throat tissues, both of which contribute to snoring. Running a bedroom humidifier — targeting 40–50% relative humidity — can meaningfully reduce snoring severity, particularly in winter months or in dry climates. Humidifiers are completely safe during pregnancy.

Avoiding Alcohol and Sedatives

This is non-negotiable during pregnancy for multiple reasons, but it is worth noting that alcohol and sedatives significantly worsen snoring by further relaxing already-relaxed throat muscles. Both should be avoided entirely during pregnancy.

MAD Mouthpieces During Pregnancy

Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) — the type of anti-snoring mouthpiece that gently advances the lower jaw to open the airway — are not contraindicated during pregnancy, and no evidence suggests they pose any risk to mother or baby. They address snoring at the airway level, independent of hormonal or physiological pregnancy changes. However, because individual circumstances vary significantly during pregnancy, you should consult with your OB before using any new device or treatment.

The Snorple anti-snoring mouthpiece, which combines MAD and TSD (tongue stabilizing device) technology in a custom-fit boil-and-bite design, may be appropriate for some pregnant women with their doctor's guidance. Many women find it most practical to use post-delivery, when snoring typically improves on its own but may not fully resolve if it pre-dated the pregnancy.

After Delivery: What to Expect

The encouraging news for most pregnant snorers is that the primary hormonal and physiological drivers of pregnancy snoring resolve naturally after delivery. Progesterone levels drop sharply, nasal mucosal swelling subsides, diaphragmatic pressure is relieved, and pregnancy weight begins to come off. For the majority of women, snoring that began during pregnancy resolves within weeks to months of delivery.

However, a few important caveats apply. Women who were diagnosed with sleep apnea during pregnancy should be re-evaluated after delivery, as sleep apnea does not always resolve completely even after the pregnancy-related factors improve. Women who were snoring before pregnancy will likely return to their pre-pregnancy snoring baseline after delivery, and some may find that any weight retained post-partum sustains or worsens snoring relative to their pre-pregnancy level.

If snoring persists for more than 2–3 months after delivery, it is worth investigating with a fresh look at the underlying causes. Post-delivery is also the appropriate time to consider an anti-snoring mouthpiece if snoring remains a problem. The complete guide to stopping snoring provides a comprehensive overview of all available options for that next stage.

For women who breastfeed, it is worth noting that most anti-snoring interventions, including MAD mouthpieces, are compatible with breastfeeding. The hormonal landscape during breastfeeding differs somewhat from both pregnancy and the fully post-partum state, so discussing any new treatment with your healthcare provider remains advisable.

Understanding the health consequences of ongoing snoring beyond the post-partum period is also important. Our article on the health risks of chronic snoring covers the long-term cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive implications that motivate prompt treatment once pregnancy is no longer a factor.