Some people think snoring in toddlers sounds cute, but in reality it can be a sign of a dangerous condition like sleep apnea, which is when someone stops breathing for a few seconds while sleeping. Studies have shown that up to 12 percent of toddlers snore at times, and about three percent get diagnosed with sleep apnea. So, if your child snores, you should first get them diagnosed by a doctor to find out the reason it is happening.
What causes toddler snoring?
Children and adults both snore due to some sort of blockage or restriction in their airways. In the daytime the muscles in a person’s nose, mouth and throat have no trouble keeping the air passageways open. However, once the person goes to sleep, the muscles can relax too much and thus the soft tissues fall down and block the airway and cause someone to snore. When it comes to toddlers, here are some reasons why toddlers might snore:
Allergies
Allergies can cause the nasal passageways to get mucus or inflamed, and thus they could swell up and get blocked. Some toddlers have seasonal allergies like hay fever and this could make them snore more certain times of the year. Other allergies could happen all year long like dust, dander, animal fur, etc. If so, your toddler would snore all the time. Talk to your doctor about allergy shots or medication if the situation is bad and causing lack of sleep.
Obesity
Sadly these days many toddlers are overweight. This can cause breathing problems because it restricts their diaphragm. Plus, extra fat grows around the toddler’s throat tissue and that causes the airways to constrict and narrow, thus they snore. If your toddler is overweight, they need to be put on a more nutritious diet and cut out things like sugary foods or junk foods. Talk to your doctor to see how many calories your child needs and what foods they should be eating.
Nasal Congestion
If a toddler has nasal construction due to a sinus infection or a cold, they may be forced to breathe through their mouth and that causes them to snore. Mucus blocks the nasal passageways. They could also have nasal congestion due to an allergy or other kind of inflammation. Talk to your doctor. You shouldn’t give toddlers over the counter cold medications without advice from a doctor.
Tonsillitis
Another thing that can cause a toddler to snore is if their tonsils are swollen. They could become swollen due to things like allergies, bronchitis, or tonsillitis. Whichever it is, it swells up their throat or blocks the airways and so the child snores.
If this is bad enough it could require their tonsils be removed, so talk to your doctor for advice. Statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics report that more than 263,000 US children have their tonsils removed every year.
Sleep Apnea
As stated earlier, sleep apnea is one of the more dangerous reasons a toddler may be snoring. Since a child actually stops breathing for several seconds, this is very dangerous and parents should talk to their doctor if they suspect this is the reason their toddler snores.
A special test called a sleep study can be done to test for sleep apnea. Sometimes a child’s tonsils or adenoids will be removed in an effort to get rid of sleep apnea, and in the process they should also be relieved of the reason for snoring.
Deviated septum
A deviated septum happens when the nasal passageways in one of the child’s nostrils is in some way offset. This condition makes it very hard for the toddler to breathe through their nose properly. It thus reduces their airway and makes the child snore, as well as have trouble breathing in the daytime. If your child has this problem, they may be able to get corrective surgery to fix the problem and help them to stop snoring.
Nasal Obstruction
Toddlers love to stick things up their noses and that would end up causing an obstruction to their airways in the nose. If your child has done this, it could also cause breathing problems and they are more likely to snore. If you suspect that your child has put something up inside their nose, you might smell something rotten if it has been there for very long.
If you can see the item up their nose, it may still be dangerous for you to try to pull it out. See the doctor instead and they can remove it in the office and if that is why the toddler was snoring, they should stop as soon as the nasal airway heals and is no longer swollen or inflamed.
Other Causes for Toddler Snoring
Some of the other reasons for toddler snoring could be facial deformities, cleft palate, receding chin, GERD (gastroenterological reflux disorder), or asthma to name a few possibilities. Any child that snores should have a full workup done by their pediatrician. These are not the only reasons that a toddler could be snoring. Especially if your child has started the snoring suddenly, he or she
What is normal and what is not?
When it comes to toddler snoring, in some cases it is a normal part of the sleep pattern. If they are snoring with a steady sort of rhythm, and they stop later on, then it is just a phase of their sleep cycle. Plus, snoring could merely be due to a temporary cold and once they have recovered from the cold they will stop snoring.
However, if your toddler has very loud snoring sounds, does it three or more days a week or stops breathing and gasps during snoring, these are examples of situations where the snoring is not being done for normal reasons.
These types of snoring need to be checked out by a doctor to see what the underlying cause for the snoring is. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children who snore should be screened by a doctor to see if it is a dangerous type of snoring or not.
Snoring can cause toddlers to be tired in the daytime, and can contribute to them having behavior issues or problems in school. If the snoring is due to sleep apnea, the child could suffer cardiovascular issues or growth delays, as well as hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder.
Remedies for Toddler Snoring
Depending on the reason that your toddler snores, there are a few things a doctor may suggest doing to treat the snoring. These could include:
- Getting rid of anything the child could be allergic to such as a stuffed animal, feather pillows, down comforters, or pets.
- They could prescribe medications to treat respiratory infections or allergies.
- They could ask you to use a special pillow to raise your child’s head at night to allow their airways to open up better. This pillow sometimes goes under the mattress to help raise up the head of the bed.
- Your child could also be referred to a special Ear, Nose and Throat doctor for further tests.
- If sleep apnea is suspected, your child could be referred to clinic for a sleep study.
The bottom line is that many toddlers and older children snore and it could be completely normal. However, there are also treatable reasons for snoring in toddlers and if your child snores it is best to go have them evaluated by a pediatrician.