Is snoring in children normal?
Occasional snoring with a blocked nose, for example during a cold, is common and settles with the infection. It becomes notable when a child snores almost every night, also without an infection, and breathes through the mouth while doing so.
Regular snoring does not automatically mean sleep apnoea, but it should be examined, because persistently obstructed breathing during sleep can be behind it.
How do I recognise sleep apnoea in my child?
Signs include observed breathing pauses, laboured or gasping breathing, very restless sleep with unusual sleeping positions, night sweating and bedwetting that returns. During the day, tiredness, irritability or difficulty concentrating may stand out.
The diagnosis is not confirmed in the practice but with a sleep study. Where there is a corresponding suspicion, I refer the child to a sleep medicine centre.
- Observed breathing pauses or gasping during sleep
- Mouth breathing, laboured breathing, night sweating
- Restless sleep, frequent waking
- Daytime tiredness, irritability or poor concentration
How is childhood snoring assessed and treated?
In the practice the nose, nasopharynx, throat and tonsils are assessed, endoscopically if needed, along with the ears using tympanometry and a hearing test. Allergy and a chronically blocked nose are taken into account.
Treatment follows the cause: treating nasal breathing and allergy, monitoring the course, or — with clearly enlarged adenoids (polyps) and tonsils — discussing surgery through a hospital.