Why Is Your Child Snoring?

It was bad enough when the nighttime rumblings came from the man beside you. But now you’re hearing those same sounds from your toddler’s bedroom. How can someone so small and adorable produce such loud and grating noises? 


Why Toddlers Snore
Snoring happens when there is a blockage of airflow through your toddler’s nose and throat. The sound you hear is the vibration of certain structures in the mouth and throat rubbing against one another as your child breathes.
An estimated ten percent of all kids snore, according to the National Sleep Foundation, and there are many reasons for it. If your toddler’s nightly concertos are rattling windows (along with your nerves), here’s what may be behind all that noise — and what you can do to make it stop:
It may be hard to believe, but your sleeping, angelic toddler is capable of big, raucous snores. Find out why it’s happening and what you can do about it.

• Colds, the flu, and allergies. Upper-respiratory infections are the culprits behind most bouts of occasional snoring in kids. It happens when your child’s nose gets stuffed up and mucus blocks his airway, creating turbulence in the airflow as it passes through the throat. Since allergies can cause congestion, too, they also may be to blame for your child snoring.
• Enlarged adenoids or tonsils. The adenoids are lumpy lymph tissue located where the nose meets the throat, and the tonsils are two lumps of lymph tissue located at the back of the throat. Both adenoids and tonsils guard your child from infections by trapping inhaled viruses and bacteria. In the process, though, they sometimes become infected and swollen. Enlarged adenoids and tonsils can get in the way of airflow and cause snoring.
• Obstructive sleep apnea. If the loud snoring is interrupted by pauses in breathing, your little one may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious condition in which air can’t get through to the lungs. The pauses in breathing can last for ten seconds or more, and they can happen many times throughout the night. This can be dangerous, and it can break up your toddler’s sleep, causing him to be grumpy, experience extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and growth problems. Most cases of OSA in kids are caused by enlarged adenoids or tonsils, but being overweight or having certain facial features (like a receding chin or a cleft palate) can also block the airway and lead to OSA. It usually takes an overnight stay in a sleep lab to determine whether your child truly has this condition.

Solutions for Snoring
If your tot is snoring the nights away, it’s a good idea to have him checked by your pediatrician, especially if the snoring is coupled with breathing problems. Some possible solutions you and your pediatrician may want to consider:

• Place a pillow underneath your toddler’s mattress if he’s in a crib and not yet using a pillow, or put it under his head if he’s already in a bed with a pillow. Elevating his head while he sleeps could help relieve congestion and clear up his breathing passages.
• If allergies are an issue for your child, be sure to remove all allergy triggers from his room (like down blankets and pets — sorry, Whiskers). If allergies are still a problem, your pediatrician may recommend allergy medication. Once the allergies are under control, your toddler’s congestion and nighttime breathing may get better.
• Ask your doctor to examine your child’s adenoids and tonsils. If they are enlarged and blocking airflow — or testing shows your toddler has OSA &mdash the doctor may suggest surgically removing the adenoids and/or tonsils.