“Is snoring in children normal?”
My daughter is 5 years old and has been snoring since she was 3 years old. It doesn't appear to be interrupting her sleep and her breathing still sounds normal. Is this normal in small children?
5 Answers
If she is not pausing in her sleep and color is good she may have mild enlargement of tonsils or adenoids and these get smaller in adolescence. Just watch for now.
Snoring is definitely abnormal at any age and indicates nasal obstruction. In a child the most common cause of snoring is associated with nasal allergy. Nasal allergy is frequently associated with a clear nasal discharge. This problem is frequently managed with daily administration of Claritin or Zyrtec syrup.
No. Maybe she needs to get her adenoids checked.
Snoring, by itself, is neither harmful nor is it unusual. However, many snorers may also have sleep apnea, a condition in which the child momentarily stops breathing. Sleep apnea, caused by temporary airway obstruction, can be harmful, leading to high blood pressure and interrupted sleep. Children with this condition should be evaluated by an otolaryngologist to determine the cause and treatment of the airway obstruction. Tonsillectomy is often curative.
Snoring at that age is never normal. Snoring may be the sign of obstructive adenoids or tonsils, which in turn can be signs of sleep apnea. A consultation with a Pediatric Ear-Nose-Throat specialist is almost always granted in this case. There is a strong possibility that your child may need to have his/her adenoids and or tonsils removed, in the absence of any other reason for snoring.
