Snoring is more common among adults than kids. But kids do snore from time to time. When an infant has a cold or nasal blockage due to mucus buildup, snoring is natural. Any kind of obstacle that will prevent natural breathing will compel one to snore. Odd snoring once in a while or when a child is sick is fine. Regular snoring is not normal so you ought to delve into the possibilities if there is something else that’s more worrisome.
Infants or kids who snore regularly or frequently may suffer from septum deviation, tonsil enlargement and adenoids. Respiratory problems or infections can cause snoring in kids. Many research findings have inferred that snoring is often a result of the child’s brain responding to any imbalance. When there is something wrong in the human brain, which could be something as easy to understand as lack of enough oxygen or an ailment more complicated, the brain responds by altering the breathing process. Snoring is a direct impact of that. In some cases, the brain causes snoring to change the breathing patter, in which case too it is more of a fallout that the ailment to be worried about.
It is necessary for parents to observe the frequency of snoring in kids. Many kids have a tendency to breathe heavily or usually breathe through their mouth. Such kids will be more vulnerable to snoring. This is not always necessarily owing to some problem with their health or anatomy. It may be just a practice they have developed. Proper breathing technique is quintessential. In some cases, cognitive dysfunctions have been related to heavy breathing and breathing through the mouth. This calls for further diagnosis of the kid to study their cognitive health. Behavioral problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and many other conditions may also be at the crux of irregular breathing.
Sleeping posture, uncomfortable settings while sleeping and psychological health of a child have correlation with snoring. Some kids need a bit more elevation for their head while sleeping, some kids do fine with horizontal positioning, some kids will sweat during sleep and that may lead to snoring and some kids will have breathing problems that must be diagnosed. Anxiety disorder and other psychological conditions have also been linked to snoring in kids.
Parents should be proactive and watch out for frequent snoring. If a child is snoring three times or more in a week then it calls for medical intervention. Sometimes it is a temporary condition and may recede on its own. Sometimes it is a symptom of a more serious and possibly chronic condition.
