It's Time to Get Quiet About IVF Challenges
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 17
- 8 min read
Written by Tiffany Ludwicki, Health Coach
Tiffany Ludwicki is well-known when it comes to Snoring and sleep issues. She is the founder of Mind Body Mouth and the Stop Snoring Solution (an online and virtual program)
Before I begin discussing my topic today, I want to express my sincere compassion for anyone who finds this article. I know how challenging and emotional this journey may be, and how easy it is to lose faith in the process. I am sharing this information as a means to raise awareness of something that seems so normal, but is anywhere from it – snoring!
Snoring may be common – but it’s not normal (or harmless)
Snoring is often brushed off as a harmless quirk or just “something people do when they’re overweight.” Many laugh it off or treat it as a mild annoyance, especially in relationships. But just because snoring is common doesn’t mean it’s normal — and it certainly doesn’t mean it’s okay.
What snoring really means
Snoring is a red flag. It’s your body’s SOS. It’s a sound that tells us your airway is partially blocked. That vibration you hear? It’s your body struggling to breathe. Over time, that struggle can take a serious toll.
Here’s what snoring can signal:
Interrupted breathing patterns
Lower oxygen levels during sleep
Stress on your heart and brain
Hormonal imbalances
Inability to adequately recover from illness, injury, or inflammation
Poor sleep quality for both you and your partner
Ultimately, it triggers a stress response to a perceived threat to the body, which occurs at a primitive brain level (similar to running from a saber-toothed tiger). So, if you are snoring and your body is receiving signals of a threat (or multiple threats each night) it will prioritize survival over any new growth, repair, or reproduction.
“But I’ve snored for years and I’m fine!”
Many people say this — until they’re not. There are many confounding factors to what makes us sick, but at the very foundation of life is air. So if we are snoring, we are not properly oxygenating our cells, and chronic snoring has been linked to:
Heart disease and high blood pressure
Increased risk of stroke
Memory problems and cognitive decline
Type 2 diabetes
Decreased immune function
Destroyed relationships
Suicide
Even infertility and early pregnancy loss
Embarking on the journey to parenthood
Couples planning for parenthood generally focus on obvious factors of pre and perinatal health such as diet, exercise, and cessation of tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine. However, a crucial component of basic health is often overlooked – sleep quality. For too long, snoring has been normalized, and the risk it poses to one's overall health has been ignored. So I am breaking the silence, and sharing this hidden risk to fertility success.
Unveiling a hidden risk to fertility – snoring
In addition to previous discoveries showing the negative impact of poor sleep quality on IVF outcomes, recent research has also uncovered a surprising link between snoring and reduced success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Two studies were published in Sleep Medicine (Wang et al.,2025), (Bariya et al.,2025).
Key findings:
Reduced oocyte availability: Frequent snorers exhibited a notable decrease in the number of retrieved oocytes, mature metaphase II oocytes, fertilized eggs, and viable embryos.
Increased pregnancy loss: The incidence of biochemical pregnancy loss was significantly higher among frequent snorers (14.6%) compared to occasional (4.8%) and non-snorers (5.7%).
Poor sleep quality is associated with fewer retrieved and matured oocytes in IVF/ICSI cycles.
Long sleep duration is linked to fewer retrieved oocytes, matured oocytes, lower fertilization, and reduced embryo quality.
Difficulty falling asleep is linked to fewer retrieved oocytes, matured oocytes, and lower blastocyst rates.
Independent risk factor: Even after adjusting for variables like age and BMI, frequent snoring remained an independent predictor of early pregnancy loss, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.95.
Potential mechanisms
Snoring is often a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that disrupts normal breathing during sleep. OSA can lead to hormonal imbalances, reduced oxygenation, and metabolic disturbances, all of which may adversely affect reproductive health.
Something often overlooked, however, is that snoring does not have to be present in individuals who have sleep apnea, and people who snore may not have sleep apnea, but they are still reducing their oxygen and affecting deep sleep.
I theorize that snoring may be more dangerous than sleep apnea because the early signs of distress get dismissed. The rationale for this theory is that you may experience signs and symptoms of sleep apnea but because your study results fall outside of the traditional markers for a diagnosis, you are considered healthy, and no treatment options are considered for your symptoms. You may then feel unsupported while you continue to navigate why you are fatigued, anxious, depressed, and experiencing emotional or hormonal imbalances, metabolic disturbances, and increased blood pressure, which as mentioned above, may adversely affect reproductive health.
Implications for IVF patients
These findings suggest that the act of snoring could be a contributing factor to some underlying symptoms affecting fertility. Sleep assessments and studies should be integrated into fertility evaluations. Subjective and objective findings should be considered as individuals may experience different types of sleep-disordered breathing as well as different symptoms.
For example, sleep quality has a profound impact on hormonal balance, because during sleep, the body regulates the levels of melatonin and cortisol. Melatonin, known for its role in sleepiness, also acts as an antioxidant, protecting eggs from oxidative stress. And cortisol, known for its role in fight or flight, keeps the body in a state of stress, which prevents the body from entering parasympathetic states –rest, digest, and reproduce.
With many conditions mimicking the same symptoms (high blood pressure, arrhythmias, fatigue, anxiety, diabetes, weight gain, low testosterone, etc) it is hard to determine the root cause of fertility issues. But when it comes down to straight-up survival, air is the most important component of life, followed surprisingly by sleep, before even food and water. It begs the question as to the best “first step” in treating symptoms.
So, for individuals planning for a family, or undergoing IVF, it's advisable to discuss sleep quality with healthcare providers and consider evaluations for sleep disorders as part of a comprehensive fertility health approach, and hopefully improve IVF outcomes and reduce the risk of early pregnancy loss.
Evaluating sleep quality
Many healthcare providers are deeply committed to delivering comprehensive care, yet awareness and training around airway and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) remain limited in many clinical settings.
Despite the growing body of evidence linking airway issues and SDB to a wide range of health concerns—from cardiovascular and metabolic conditions to mental health and fertility—standard screening protocols are not yet universally adopted. This gap is not due to lack of dedication, but often reflects historical underemphasis in medical education and the evolving nature of sleep science.
As our understanding of the airway’s role in overall health continues to grow, expanding provider education and incorporating routine screening for SDB into general practice can greatly enhance early detection and patient outcomes. Until that time occurs, I encourage you to self-evaluate your risk for SDB.
Test your
Nasal breathing
Plug one nostril and breathe in and out slowly and quietly. Switch sides. If you have difficulty breathing through your nose, or your nostril closes, you may experience poor oxygenation to your brain. Having an ENT evaluate your nasal passages for polyps or a deviated septum could help you improve your snoring.
Bolt score
Take a quick breath in through your nose and then out through your nose. Plug your nose to hold your breath, every second, nod your head like saying yes. How long can you hold your breath before feeling air hunger? If you are below 10 seconds, I suggest you get a sleep study. Under 20 seconds could indicate a possible breathing or sleep issue.
Tongue tie
A person may be able to stick their tongue out, and yet still be tongue-tied. The tongue is attached to the toe by a fascia system called the deep front line. There is a self-assessment that can be found here: Tongue Tie – Mind Body Mouth
TMJ/Teeth grinding: If you suffer from jaw pain and teeth grinding, there is a very likely chance that you experience some form of SDB.
Get the free guide: 5 Steps to Help Tired Adults Discover Why they Snore... and How to Get a Healthy Night’s Sleep without Disturbing their Loved Ones.
You can choose to be evaluated by a professional and have a personalized sleep audit completed, which takes some of these (plus more markers) into consideration when it comes to your sleep quality.
How to stop snoring
Ok, so you already know that you snore… or, you just came to the realization that you may have some form of sleep-disordered breathing, now what?
There are many recommendations to consider to assist in better sleep, and can be easily adopted into your lifestyle, such as,
Establish a healthy sleep routine, the same wake and sleep time, and rituals like taking a walk, a bath, journaling, or reading a book. Creating a consistent sleep schedule is foundational in managing snoring. Ensuring that you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day can help regulate your body's internal clock, reducing disruptions that may exacerbate snoring. Additionally, prioritizing seven to nine hours of restful sleep allows the body to repair and regenerate, which is vital for both overall health and fertility.
Healthy sleep environment, which could involve no phones in the room, reduce clutter, blackout curtains, and use of essential oils or an air purifier.
Manage weight or eat a healthy diet, and not too close to bedtime. Excess weight, particularly around the neck, can constrict airflow and contribute to snoring. Engaging in regular physical activity and maintaining a balanced diet can help manage weight effectively.
Sleep position: Sleeping on your side rather than on your back can reduce snoring episodes. This is often associated with tongue ties that are already partially blocking the airway. Consider using a body pillow to maintain a side-sleeping position throughout the night.
Now, I don’t believe that any recommendations I just shared are new to you, but I always like to provide “low-hanging fruit” to assist with improving sleep quality. What I want to share now is revolutionizing what we know is possible in the sleep arena. Myofunctional Therapy.
Myofunctional Therapy: a non-invasive, risk-free approach to stop snoring and improve facial form and function.
Myofunctional therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy/personal training that targets the muscles of the tongue, throat, and face to support healthier breathing patterns—especially during sleep. For individuals who snore – a habit often linked to weakened airway muscles, this therapy can be a game-changer as it helps retrain and strengthen those tissues, reducing airway collapse and improving airflow.
For those undergoing IVF, where every factor counts, addressing something as seemingly simple as snoring through myofunctional therapy may help improve sleep quality, reduce inflammation, and create a more favorable environment for conception and embryo implantation.
You can find professionals offering 1:1 programs, or experience one of my self-paced, yet highly supported options: The Stop Snoring Solution Program, or my basic Stop Snoring Strategy Program (open to qualifying individuals based on an assessment call).
The take-away
By addressing snoring through these practical tips, couples can not only enhance their sleep quality but also potentially improve their fertility, paving the way for a healthier, more restful future together.
If you want to know more, Join my FB group, Sleep Solutions with Tiffany or book a snoring assessment call with me to talk about your situation and determine if I can help you.
Read more from Tiffany Ludwicki
Tiffany Ludwicki, Health Coach
Tiffany Ludwicki is a leader in sleep performance. A history of snoring and memory loss combined with a child born with airway issues, Tiffany created strategies to dramitically improve their sleep quality. She has since dedicated her life to helping others unleash the snoring beast within – to find peace throughout the night and optimize their potential throughout the day. She is the founder of Mind Body Mouth and the Stop Snoring Solution, an online program with virtual group coaching to assist others in stopping snoring and reducing sleep apnea events. Her mission is to spread awareness of the dangers of snoring and through snoring cessation, improve people's energy and reduce their risk for chronic disease and divorce.
