Almost 400,000 women in the UK suffer from an undiagnosed sleep condition because they are “too embarrassed” to visit their GP surgery.

Research shows a strong sense of social stigma surrounding female snoring.

A study by sleep and respiratory medicine specialists RedMed and YouGov found snoring was perceived as an “unfeminine” problem and one that affects women’s everyday lives.

Despite this, none of the study participants said they would consider visiting their GP to discuss the problem.

Reasons given were that they did not perceive snoring as a health problem, embarrassment, and that it is “too trivial” a problem.

“It is alarming how resistant these women are to approaching their doctor about their snoring,” said Rebecca Mullins, Clinical Nurse Specialist at ResMed.
 
“Excessive snoring can be a sign of underlying health problems, specifically sleep apnoea. Left untreated, sleep apnoea can have a serious impact on lifestyle factors, with sufferers experiencing constant sleepiness, weight gain and depression.”

Figures from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) estimates around 2% of women have sleep apnoea, equating to 402,000 women.

It is believed up to 378,301 cases remain undiagnosed and untreated.