If you’re going through menopause, have you noticed your sleep changing lately? Maybe you’ve started to snore, wake up with a dry mouth, or feel groggy in the morning.
When that happens, just know that you’re not alone. Many women find that breathing and sleep become more difficult during menopause, even if they’ve never had problems before.
Hormonal changes can quietly affect how you breathe at night, leading to snoring, mouth breathing, and restless sleep.
With World Menopause Day 2025’s theme “Lifestyle Medicine,” it’s a good time to look at how small lifestyle changes, like improving your breathing, can make a difference.
Hence, in this article, you’ll learn what’s happening with your breathing during menopause and how to naturally reduce mouth breathing and snoring using techniques such as The Buteyko Method.
Snoring and Mouth Breathing During Menopause: Why It Happens
Menopause is the natural end of a woman’s reproductive years, occurring when menstrual periods stop permanently, typically between the ages of 45 and 55.
It is also a time when sleep disturbances become more common, affecting about 40 to 60% of menopausal women.
Changes such as mouth breathing and snoring in menopause are closely linked to hormonal shifts that occur during menopause.
Falling hormone levels change how you breathe
During menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels naturally decline.
Progesterone helps keep the upper airway muscles firm and stimulates the brain’s breathing centers.
When progesterone levels drop, the airway muscles relax more easily, which can make breathing less stable during sleep.
Estrogen supports airway health and reduces inflammation, so lower levels can lead to nasal congestion and airway irritation.
A 2009 study found that postmenopausal women had higher carbon dioxide levels and a reduced breathing drive compared with premenopausal women.
This means breathing can become faster and heavier after menopause, increasing the risk of airway narrowing.
Another study in 2020 also showed that women who experienced early menopause had lower lung function later in life, suggesting that hormonal changes can make breathing less efficient over time.
These findings explain why menopause affects breathing at night and why many women begin to experience new or worsening sleep-related breathing problems.
Mouth breathing during menopause
As estrogen and progesterone decrease during menopause, inflammation and nasal congestion can make nasal breathing harder.
When the nose feels blocked, many women unconsciously switch to mouth breathing during sleep.
This is one of the most common patterns of menopause and mouth breathing at night.
Mouth breathing dries out the mouth and throat and increases the amount of air drawn into the lungs.
Heavier breathing cools and dries the airway tissues, which causes inflammation and further narrowing.
Over time, this cycle makes nasal breathing even more difficult and increases the likelihood of snoring.
Studies show that mouth breathing increases with age and changes the shape of the upper airway, making it longer and narrower.
This increases the risk of airway collapse during sleep and reduces oxygen uptake.
It can also lead to over-breathing, which leaves you feeling tired and unrefreshed even after a full night’s rest.
Snoring during menopause
Once mouth breathing becomes a habit, snoring often follows.
Snoring occurs when air moves through a narrowed airway and causes the soft tissues in the throat or palate to vibrate.
After menopause, this narrowing can happen more easily because the airway muscles lose tone, nasal congestion, and changes in body fat around the neck and tongue.
This makes the airway collapse more likely and may explain why sleep apnea becomes about twice as common after menopause.
Lower progesterone levels can also reduce the brain’s natural breathing rhythm, which leads to heavier breathing and more pressure on the airway.
This makes snoring more frequent and sometimes louder.
Snoring is not just a nuisance but a sign of airway resistance and disrupted breathing that can affect sleep quality and overall wellbeing.
In summary:
During menopause, hormonal changes can:
- Reduce airway muscle tone and breathing control.
- Increase nasal congestion and inflammation.
- Encourage mouth breathing and heavier airflow at night.
- Leads to airway narrowing, vibration, and snoring.
It is important to state that although menopause affects breathing, it is not the only factor. Weight gain, poor posture, and pre-existing conditions such as asthma, COPD, or heart disease can also make breathing more difficult during menopause.
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Adverse Effects of Poor Breathing During Menopause
Snoring, mouth breathing, and other poor breathing habits during menopause can affect the body in many ways, such as:
- Poor oral health: Chronic mouth breathing dries the mouth, reduces saliva, and increases the risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and bad breath.
- Bad sleep quality: Mouth breathing at night cause lighter sleep, frequent awakenings, and morning fatigue.
- Cardiovascular health: Sleep‑disordered breathing raises the risk of high blood pressure, weight gain, and heart strain.
- Lower energy and mood: Shallow or heavy breathing worsens anxiety, brain fog, and tiredness.
- Overall wellbeing: Poor breathing control can intensify menopausal symptoms and disrupt the body’s natural balance.
The good news is you can avoid these negative consequences and manage your breathing during menopause. How?
How to Deal with Snoring and Mouth Breathing During Menopause
If you’ve noticed changes in your breathing during menopause, there are practical and effective ways to restore balance and improve sleep.
1. Breathing retraining with the Buteyko Method
One of the most effective techniques to stop mouth breathing and snoring during menopause is the Buteyko Method, developed by Dr. Konstantin Buteyko.
This scientifically supported approach helps:
- Encourage nasal breathing both day and night.
- Reduce over-breathing and restore healthy carbon dioxide levels.
- Improve oxygen delivery to tissues.
- Calm the nervous system to reduce anxiety, hot flashes, and night sweats.
Women who practice Buteyko breathing often report better sleep, reduced breathlessness, and fewer menopause-related symptoms.
In fact, a 2013 study found that paced breathing at six breaths per minute (one of the many Buteyko breathing exercises), twice a day, reduced hot flashes by 52%, showing how slow, controlled breathing can ease hormonal symptoms and improve sleep quality.
2. Nasal hygiene and airway support
Keeping the nasal passages clear is essential for maintaining healthy breathing through menopause.
You can support nasal breathing by:
- Using saline rinses or sprays to reduce congestion.
- Treating allergies or sinus issues that block airflow.
- Try nasal dilators or gentle mouth taping (such as MyoTape) to promote nasal breathing during sleep.
MyoTape is a sleep aid that safely brings your lips together while you sleep at night, thus preventing mouth breathing, reducing snoring, and improving sleep quality.
3. Posture and sleep position
Your sleep position can greatly affect how easily you breathe at night.
The best sleep position during menopause is usually side sleeping, which helps keep the airway open and reduces snoring and airway collapse.
Avoid sleeping on your back, as this position can cause the tongue and soft palate to fall backward, increasing the risk of snoring and sleep apnea.
Good daytime posture also supports better breathing by allowing the diaphragm to move freely.
4. Lifestyle adjustments
Simple lifestyle changes can make these menopause snoring and mouth breathing solutions more effective.
Focus on:
- Maintaining a healthy weight, especially around the neck and abdomen.
- Staying hydrated to keep the airway tissues moist.
- Reducing caffeine and alcohol, which can worsen snoring and sleep disruption.
- Managing stress through gentle breathing, yoga, or meditation.
These habits support both respiratory and hormonal balance.
5. Professional guidance
If symptoms persist, you should see a medical professional. And for lasting results with Buteyko Method, consider working with a certified Buteyko practitioner.
They can create a personalized plan to address your specific symptoms, help you retrain your breathing, and guide you through safe and effective exercises.
Professional support can make a significant difference in restoring calm, nasal breathing, and improving sleep.
Overcome Breathing Problems During Menopause with the Buteyko Method
You don’t have to struggle with poor sleep, snoring, or mouth breathing during menopause. These changes are common, but they don’t have to define how you feel or how well you rest.
The Buteyko Breathing for Menopause Relief online course offers a supportive, step‑by‑step approach to managing hormonal changes through targeted breathing exercises. USE THE CODE JIGSAW10 to get 10% OFF on the course.
You’ll learn gentle, proven techniques to restore nasal breathing, reduce stress, and improve sleep naturally.
👉 Get more online breathing courses here: Buteyko Online Breathing Courses
