The short explanation
Snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep can be signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, where the airway narrows or closes during sleep. It becomes more common in women after menopause, partly due to hormone changes and partly due to weight gain around the neck and body. Sleep apnoea can cause tiredness during the day, morning headaches, poor concentration and low mood, and over time it is linked with high blood pressure and heart problems. It is worth getting checked, because treatments are available and can make a big difference.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- A doctor may ask about her sleep, daytime sleepiness and other symptoms, check her blood pressure and weight, and may arrange a sleep study, which can sometimes be done at home.
- Losing weight if overweight, avoiding alcohol in the evening and sleeping on the side can help. Some people need a machine that keeps the airway open at night.
- Tiredness can also come from night sweats, thyroid problems, anaemia or low mood, which the doctor may check too.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot tell whether your wife has sleep apnoea. That needs an assessment and usually a sleep study.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Could this be sleep apnoea?
- Does she need a sleep study?
- Could her tiredness have other causes, such as thyroid or anaemia?
- What treatments are available?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days if she is falling asleep while driving or during daily activities.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Book a routine appointment to discuss snoring and tiredness.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Menopause — symptoms NHS
- Menopause NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
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- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
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No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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