Kids’ snoring is cute – isn’t it?
When we ask our patients who have young children this question, it is not unusual to hear answers like –
“Oh, it is so cute – just like his dad (only not so noisy)…”
or
“No, she just breathes heavily”
Let’s look at what is actually happening.
First, we will define snoring in children. If you can hear your child breathing in their sleep (you know – the “heavy breathing” mentioned above) from 2-3 metres away from them, that is snoring. They usually don’t make the same noise that adults make.
Children should never snore.
You see snoring occurs only when there is an airway obstruction or a reduction in the size of the airway. The obstruction can be caused by swollen tissues like tonsils or adenoids or the nasal lining. It is commonly caused by an improper tongue posture – with the tongue sitting too far down and back in the mouth. But it can also be caused by something going wrong with the growth and development of the jaws… And usually, it involves both swollen tissues and growth problems.
According to the Australian Sleep Health Foundation, affiliated with the Australian Sleep Association (https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/childhood-snoring-and-sleep-apnea.html) –
- A child who snores may have sleep apnea, but not all children who snore will have sleep apnoea.
- These events may happen many times per night.
- They disturb sleep and can result in problems during the day.
I know – “That can’t be right – Sleep Apnoea is that thing that fat old men get”… I will have to ask you to trust me on this – we see many kids, and people of all ages with Sleep Apnoea and various other Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders.
Both Snoring and Sleep Apnoea affect the quality of the sleep. So it doesn’t matter if your children are sleeping for the “right” number of hours – if they snore, they will still not be properly refreshed by their sleep.
Just like with adults, tired children lose concentration. Unlike adults, many tired children become hyperactive.
An article on the Australian Parenting Foundation website – “Sleep and Learning” – tells us that “Poor sleep or not enough sleep affects concentration, memory and behaviour, making it harder for your child to learn.”
The combination of hyperactivity and poor concentration has these children distracted, and not able to focus. In the classroom environment, they are often perceived as poorly behaved. In many cases, these children are also suspected as having ADHD (Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity Disorder). If these problems are caused by sleep difficulties, we can often help to deal with the cause, and thus treat the effect.
Snoring is usually associated with mouth breathing, so it is wise to check your children when they are asleep to see if they have their mouths open. The mouth breathing posture prevents proper growth of the jaws, resulting in narrow jaws, dental crowding and improper relationship of the jaws and teeth. If we can assess these problems early, and start treatment early, then we can help guide the growth of the jaws, to minimise orthodontic problems, and to help the upper airway develop to a healthy size and shape.
The right treatment in these cases can result in healthier, happier children who can perform to their best ability as a result of healthy breathing, healthy sleep and healthy facial growth.
If your child is mouth breathing, breathing loudly or snoring in their sleep, even if only 2 or 3 times a week, then they should be checked by a dentist qualified in this area of health.
Mountains Dental Sleep Medicine is here to help. Give us a call.
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The featured image shows a child mouth breathing while sleeping
Photo credit – sadik-kuzu-327654-unsplash
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