Snoring Problem in Children

In general, picture of a overweight man sleeping on his back with window shaking racket coming out of his open mouth comes in our find when we think about a snorer.

How often do we think of this noise coming from the bedroom of a small child?

Yet, it happens and when it does it is cause for concern because very often it is pointing to OSA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which is a serious problem in up to 3% of normal healthy preschoolers.

Oddly most often it is problems related to tonsils and adenoids the prime reason for snoring in children under six years old. Yet, it is not the size of the child or the tonsils that matters but the muscle tones. As well, children with craniofacial anomalies, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or Down syndrome are at higher risk for this problem.

Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea will have trouble breathing while sleeping and will be snorers. They are likely very restless when they sleep. Their demeanor, when sleeping often upsets their caregivers so much that during the night they will move the child or wake them to be assured they are all right and then forget to tell the doctor about these oddities.

When the child is awake they breathe just fine without any obstructions though are normally mouth-breathers. When family history is taken there will generally be someone in the immediate family who snores.

Snoring Treatment For Children

Sleep study is the first step in snoring treatment. Then often the physician will request a polysomnography. This test is used to diagnose the various sleep disorders. It reads a combination of eye movements, muscle strength, heartbeat and respiratory ability, including ease of breathing, as well as brain waves.

It must be remembered when reading the results that children have a different sleeping pattern than adults, even adults with sleep disorders.

Snoring Surgery

Once the testing is done the likely outcome will be snoring surgery to remove both the tonsils and the adenoids. This will clear the airway; end snoring and sleep apnea. If the child snores but does not have signs of Obstructive Sleep Apnea do not have the surgery done, some kids just snore.

But if the child has both then the surgery should be all they need to eliminate both problems. It is recommended that the child have no other snoring treatment at the time. It will take six to eight weeks before healing has been achieved and results of the surgery are showing themselves.

Then after this time period the parents will see a big variation in the child’s snoring and breathing. The nights will be quieter now and the child will sleep much better.

Never rush into surgery; even a minor operation is a trauma to the body. But this surgery will end snoring and increase the amount of air your child is breathing in. Both of which are obviously significant to the overall wellbeing of your child. This kind of snoring needs to be acted on as soon as is possible.