Snoring is sometimes common for kids, but habitual snoring may signal a condition that your pediatrician should address.
Like adults, some children snore during sleep, which is typically not cause for concern. However, 10 percent of kids regularly snore. Within that 10 percent, one in four children may have sleep problems due to conditions like obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), obesity, and large adenoids and tonsils.
If your child snores on a nightly basis, he may not be getting the rest he needs to thrive during the day. Signs that your little one is not getting enough sleep because of snoring include difficulty concentrating and irritability.
“Sometimes snoring is just snoring, but other times it is more,” says David Leonard, MBBCh, Washington University pediatric otolaryngologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “If your child struggles with daytime sleepiness and sounds like she is struggling to breathe during sleep, do not be afraid to schedule an appointment for her.”
Snoring Solutions
Your pediatrician may recommend a sleep study to monitor your child’s snoring. If mild OSAS is found, a nasal spray with steroids may be prescribed. If a more severe OSAS is the issue, your child’s pediatrician may elect to take out his tonsils and adenoids. In 75 to 80 percent of patients, this will fix or substantially improve the problem, according to Dr. Leonard.
Learn more about how we care for children with sleep apnea or other ear, neck or throat illnesses or schedule an appointment by calling 314-454-KIDS (5437) or 800-678-KIDS (5437).
