Snoring is common in children, but frequent or loud snoring should not always be ignored. In some children, regular snoring can be associated with sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea.

Children with breathing difficulties during sleep may not describe their symptoms the same way adults do. Parents may notice changes in sleep, behavior, breathing or daytime activity instead.

Signs Parents Should Watch For

Possible signs of sleep-related breathing problems in children include:

  • Frequent or loud snoring
  • Mouth breathing
  • Pauses in breathing
  • Gasping during sleep
  • Restless sleep
  • Sleeping in unusual positions
  • Sweating during sleep
  • Dry mouth in the morning
  • Morning headaches
  • Difficulty waking
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Irritability or behavioral changes
  • Bedwetting in some children

These symptoms can have many possible causes. An evaluation is needed to determine what may be contributing to them.

Why Airway Development Matters

A child’s breathing and facial development change as they grow. The size and position of the jaws, tongue, palate, nasal passages and other structures can influence the available airway.

Mouth breathing and other breathing patterns may also be associated with airway and oral development.

This does not mean that every child who snores has an airway problem. The important step is identifying children who may benefit from a more detailed evaluation.

Children’s Airway Evaluation

During an evaluation, we may discuss:

  • Sleep habits
  • Snoring
  • Mouth breathing
  • Nasal breathing
  • Oral development
  • Jaw and palate development
  • Tongue movement
  • Dental development
  • Previous medical or sleep evaluations

When appropriate, we may recommend working with your child’s pediatrician, ENT, sleep physician or another healthcare professional.

Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the cause of the child’s symptoms.

Depending on the evaluation, treatment may involve addressing nasal obstruction, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, sleep-related breathing disorders, oral habits, tongue mobility or dental and skeletal development.

Some children may benefit from orthodontic or airway-focused treatment, while others may need evaluation by a medical sleep or ENT specialist.

Don’t Ignore Persistent Snoring

If your child snores regularly, breathes through their mouth at night or has restless sleep, talk with a healthcare professional about whether an evaluation is appropriate.

Helping Children Breathe and Sleep Better

Early evaluation can help parents understand whether their child’s symptoms are simply occasional snoring or part of a larger sleep-related breathing concern.