Snoring in Children

Though considered cute and harmless snoring, and by association, poor sleeping patterns, can have a huge impact on a child’s growth, education and temperament. It is therefore important to help your child stop snoring in order to give them the good night’s rest they will need for a healthy upbringing.

A child’s snoring will sound different to that of an adults because the potential force of wind entering their airways is a lot smaller, and travelling at a much lesser speed. As such a child’s snoring will be more mild and easier to ignore, though the dangers might be just as large as an adult snoring.


Retrognathia in Children

Being born with relatively small airways and jaws can have an affect on a child’s breathing patterns and in turn the possibility of snoring. A common cause of snoring in children is Retrognathia, the abnormal growth of either or both jaws. Children’s facial structures and jaws grow at different rates, and slowed growth, or indeed quick growth can cause narrowing in the upper airway and complications with breathing in their sleep. This is often resolved as the child grows and its bone structures change, making breathing easy and airflow less interrupted.

Allergies in Children

Children are more susceptible to allergies and infections than adults because of their weaker immune systems. A simple cold or infection can cause a child to snore, because their nasal airways will become far more easily narrowed than an adult’s. This is why children often only snore when they have a cold.

Tonsillitis and Inflamed Adenoids

A common cause of snoring in children is related to tonsillitis or the inflammation of the adenoids. Both are found in the throat, the former at the back and to the sides, the latter behind the nose. When enlarged during infection either can induce snoring, as they take up greater space in a child’s airways and produce turbulence. Chronic infection and inflammation of either will often be treated by surgery.

Passive Smoking

Passive smoking is another frequent cause of snoring in children, whose nasal and throat passages become swollen, making it more difficult for them to breath and thus inducing turbulence in their airways.

The Effect of Snoring in Children

Children with snoring habits will frequently fail to have a proper night’s sleep, which in turn affects their performance at school and can produce hyperactivity due to their irregular sleeping patterns. Disruption in a child’s sleeping habits can have a lasting impact on the child’s education and upbringing and it is as such, vitally important to attend to a snoring problem once uncovered.

« Snoring During Pregnancy The Soft Palate & Uvulas Affect on Snoring »