Is it true that … women snore less than men?
女性打鼾真的少于男性吗？
It sounds like the sort of sexist stereotype dainty ladies were once told at finishing school, so it’s perhaps surprising that women really do – on the whole – snore less than men. Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, an ear, nose and throat consultant and sleep surgeon at University College London hospitals, says men are almost twice as likely as women to snore. “But that gap narrows at two particular points in women’s lives,” he says. “One is after menopause, typically between 45 and 55. The second is pregnancy, especially in the third trimester.”
这听起来像是过去精修学校向优雅女士们灌输的某种性别刻板印象，但出人意料的是，从整体上来看，女性打鼾确实比男性少。伦敦大学学院医院耳鼻喉科顾问医师及睡眠外科医生张金灶指出，男性打鼾的几率几乎是女性的两倍。他解释道，“不过在女性生命的两个特定阶段这一差距会缩小。一是绝经后（通常在45至55岁之间），二是妊娠期（尤其在第三孕期/孕晚期）。”
Snoring happens when airflow is partly blocked through the upper airway, causing vibration in the back of the nose, the soft palate, the throat, tongue or epiglottis (the “lid” over your windpipe). This happens because the muscles of the airway relax while we’re sleeping and are dragged down by gravity when we lie in bed. Other factors can make us more likely to snore. Alcohol relaxes the muscles further. Extra body weight puts pressure on the throat. Allergies, nasal polyps, a deviated septum or simply a heavy cold can all block the airway.
鼾声产生的原因是气流通过上呼吸道时受到部分阻塞，从而在鼻咽、软腭、咽喉、舌根或会厌（气管的“阀门”）处产生振动。这种现象源于睡觉时气道肌肉会放松，并在平卧时受重力影响而下坠。其他因素也会增加打鼾的可能性：酒精会进一步放松气道肌肉；体重超标也会给咽喉部施加压力；过敏、鼻息肉、鼻中隔偏曲或严重的感冒都可能阻塞气道。
Female hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone, appear to keep the airway muscles more toned, says Cheong. “That’s why women tend to catch up with men when levels change during menopause and pregnancy.” Added weight during pregnancy compounds the problem. Interestingly, he says, when women do snore, they’re less likely to report it, “because it’s more stigmatised”.
张医生指出，雌激素和孕激素等女性激素似乎能帮助维持气道肌肉的紧实度。“这正是女性在更年期和孕期激素水平变化时，打鼾情况逐渐趋近男性的原因。”孕期体重增加更会加剧这一问题。他特别提到一个有趣现象：即便出现打鼾现象，女性也往往不愿主动提及，“因为打鼾对女性而言更被视为是一种羞耻”。
