Can kids have snoring problems? Yes, children can absolutely have sleeping problems related to snoring. In fact, research suggests that one in ten children snore on a regular basis with a much larger percentage snoring on occasion.
As long as your child is only snoring occasionally it usually isn’t a problem. They may be congested or simply sleeping in a less than ideal position. However, regular snoring could indicate an underlying condition that does require a visit to your sleep doctor in New York.
Snoring-Related Conditions in Children
It is relatively common for kids to have snoring problems. Roughly 10% of all children snore regularly. Approximately 25-40% of children have a condition called pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Another 2-4% of children have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
For the most part these conditions are not serious and most children do grow out of them. However, it can be difficult to tell when your child’s snoring-related condition has become serious enough to require snoring treatment in NYC if you don’t recognize the warning signs.
Indications that Your Child’s Snoring-Related Condition Is Serious
Every child has their “off” days, but a child with a serious snoring-related condition is far more likely to have them. Chronic snoring and its related conditions can cause your child to miss out on valuable sleep each and every night. As such, the primary indicators of a serious sleep disorder are closely tied to exhaustion.
Of course, we know exhaustion doesn’t always affect everyone in a predictable manner. Children especially may have counterintuitive ways of showing how tired they are. As a result, you will need to watch for both extremes if you suspect your child may have a chronic sleep disorder.
Common signs of exhaustion in children include:
- Hyperactivity
- Falling asleep unexpectedly outside of their routine
- Behavioral difficulties
- Inability to focus for an age-appropriate amount of time
- Poor performance at school
- Learning difficulties
If you are noticing these trends in your child’s behavior, they may be a result of poor sleep quality. To help confirm your suspicions, pay attention to their sleeping habits for a few consecutive nights.
Grab a notebook or a piece of paper to quickly write down any irregularities you see in your child’s sleep in each observation period.
Take note of how often your child:
- Snores
- Has gaps in their breathing
- Gasps
- Snorts
- Becomes restless
- Wakes up
- Grinds their teeth
- Wets the bed
These are all indications of a possible sleep disorder, and your pediatric sleep doctor will want to know if you have witnessed your child experience any of these while sleeping.
Talking to Your Pediatric Sleep Doctor
It isn’t uncommon for children to have some level of disordered sleep, but a chronic sleep disorder can negatively affect your child’s ability to grow, learn, and function. That is why treatment is so crucial to children who have a sleep disorder.
When you first meet with your pediatric sleep doctor, you can expect the normal barrage of questions regarding their behavior, sleeping patterns, and lifestyle habits.
These questions are not designed to be intrusive. Their purpose is to help your sleep doctor narrow down contributing factors and gain a more insightful view into your child’s health.
Diagnosing a Pediatric Sleep Disorder
If your observations and comments suggest the existence of a sleep disorder, then your doctor will likely have to schedule a sleep study to observe your child during rest.
While the process will be new to your child, your pediatric sleep doctor can help talk you through ways to improve their comfort during observation.
The data collected during your child’s sleep study should help to narrow down if not outrightly identify the cause of your child’s sleep disturbance. From there, you can work with their sleep doctor to find the best mode of treatment.
