Snoring More in Your 40s and 50s? Your Airway Might Be Changing with Age July 22, 2025 Snoring More in Your 40s and 50s? Your Airway Might Be Changing with Age Ever noticed that your snoring seems to have crept up over the years? If your 40s or 50s have brought more complaints from your partner — or if you’re waking yourself up with the noise — you’re not alone. Snoring becomes more common and more disruptive as we age, and for many, it’s more than just a harmless nuisance. In fact, habitual snoring affects around 44% of men and 28% of women between the ages of 30 and 60.1 And as we get older, those numbers rise even further.1 So, why does it happen? As we age, several changes in the body make snoring more likely. One of the key factors is loss of muscle tone — including in the throat and soft palate.2 The softer those tissues get, the more they vibrate with each breath, producing that all-too-familiar sound of snoring. Weight gain can also play a big role.2 A more sedentary lifestyle in midlife can lead to extra kilos, especially around the neck. This added pressure on the airway narrows the space for air to pass through, increasing resistance and leading to snoring. Then there’s alcohol. That nightly glass of wine or beer to unwind? It relaxes your throat muscles even more, making them more likely to collapse and vibrate during sleep.2 Similarly, medications that help you sleep — like sleeping tablets or certain sedatives — can have the same effect by depressing the respiratory system and reducing muscle tone.2 And for women, hormonal changes after menopause may also be to blame.2 Lower oestrogen levels affect muscle tone throughout the body, including the muscles that help keep your airway open at night. When Snoring Is More Than Just Snoring Occasional snoring might be harmless, but persistent, loud snoring — especially when paired with daytime tiredness, poor concentration, or waking up feeling unrefreshed — could point to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).3 OSA is a serious condition where the airway becomes temporarily blocked during sleep, often due to collapsing throat muscles.1 These blockages cause brief pauses in breathing, often followed by gasping or snorting as the body kicks back into action.1 It’s estimated that up to one in five adults have sleep apnea, and 85% of those affected are undiagnosed.4,5 Left untreated, OSA can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and even accidents due to daytime sleepiness.3 The good news? Effective treatments are available — the most common being CPAP therapy – a bedside machine which gently blows air through a mask to keep your airway open, eliminating symptoms.6 If your snoring has become more frequent, louder, or is affecting your quality of life, don’t ignore it. Speak with your doctor to assess whether it could be a sign of sleep apnea. At Sove CPAP Clinic, we offer bulk billed (i.e. no out-of-pocket costs if eligible) home-based sleep studies which can detect OSA. Call us on 1300 76 29 39 to discuss this with one of our lab technicians. Catching it early can protect your health — and restore peace and quiet to your bedroom. How Sove CPAP Clinic Can Help Founded in 2008, Sove CPAP Clinic has grown to become a leading provider of respiratory and sleep services and products in Australia, with over 60 clinics nationwide. Our comprehensive clinical team includes Respiratory & Sleep Specialists, Sleep Technologists, and CPAP Consultants, ensuring that you receive comprehensive and personalised care. All medical procedures, including sleep studies and lung function testing, are bulk billed to all Australians, with minimal wait time. If you would like to speak to a Respiratory & Sleep Physician, book a bulk-billed sleep study, or seek advice for your sleep apnea, you can reach us at 1300 76 29 39 or info@thecpapclinic.com.au. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. CPAP is used for Obstructive Sleep Apnea treatment. When considering whether a sleep study or CPAP is right for you, speak to your doctor. Medicare criteria and T&Cs apply. References Fry, Alexa, and Heather Wright. “Common Causes of Snoring.” Sleep Foundation, 5 Feb. 2021, www.sleepfoundation.org/snoring/common-causes. “Why Snoring Gets Worse with Age and What You Can Do about It.” The Kendal Corporation, www.kendal.org/news/why-snoring-gets-worse-with-age-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/. “Chance of Snoring Increases as a Person Ages.” UCLA Health, 11 Mar. 2022, www.uclahealth.org/news/article/chance-of-snoring-increases-as-a-person-ages. “OSA - Prevalence.” Sleep Primary Care Resources, www.sleepprimarycareresources.org.au/osa/epidemiology. Motamedi, Kevin K, et al. “Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Growing Problem.” The Ochsner Journal, vol. 9, no. 3, 2024, p. 149, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3096276/. McCrimmon, Katie Kerwin, and UCHealth. “Overnight Cure for Poor Sleep: The Benefits of CPAP.” UCHealth Today, 2 June 2020, www.uchealth.org/today/benefits-of-cpap-for-sleep-apnea/.
