Snoring is a worldwide phenomenon with estimates of over one billion people who snore due to some sort of nasal or airway blockage. Conservative estimates indicate that the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom represent over 70 million snorers alone.Research into the problems of snoring has in recent years made important findings and yielded to the evidence of significant problems with snoring. Findings suggest that by their early thirties, twenty percent of men snore as compared to only five percent of women. Findings indicate a dramatic increase as men and women reach their sixties indicating that sixty percent of men and forty percent of women snore.

There are obvious differences in the percentages of men and women that snore. The reason for the difference involves the size of a person’s neck, typically an effect of being overweight. Men tend to have larger necks than women do, and having a neck of 17 inches or larger makes it likely a person will snore. Surveys indicate that 80 percent of men that snore do not consider themselves to have a problem and in fact consider their spouses to be light sleepers.Women that snore tend to be heavier and shorter than women that do not snore are. Women typically snore through their noses whereas men snore through their noses and mouths. Women are also more likely than men are to seek treatment for snoring. Women typically snore less than men due to smaller necks and larger air passages. Women also have a smaller uvula that makes them less likely to snore.