Why do children snore when they sleep? What is the reason for children snoring when they sleep?

Snoring is very common, usually in adults, but some children also snore when they sleep, even if they are in the correct sleeping position, they still snore loudly. So, why do children snore when they sleep? Many mothers are confused about these questions. Here, the editor of 5H.com has collected relevant knowledge points, hoping to help you solve your doubts.

Why do children snore when they sleep?

1. Rhinitis: Children are in the growth and development period, their immune mechanism is not yet perfect, and their resistance is relatively low. They are very susceptible to rhinitis. The main symptoms are continuous sneezing, itchy nose, nasal congestion, and clear nasal discharge, which affect children's learning and growth and development. Nasal congestion can cause children to snore and breathe with their mouths open.

2. Bronchitis: When the bronchi are stimulated by inflammation, the sputum increases, and children lack the ability to cough and expectorate. The sputum is transported to the throat by the cilia of the bronchi and cannot be discharged, resulting in a relatively narrow airway. When the airflow passes through, it vibrates and produces snoring. In this case, the sound can be heard even during the day.

3. Adenoids hypertrophy: Adenoids are a mass of lymphatic tissue located on the top of the nasopharynx behind the nasal cavity. Children have weak resistance and often catch colds, which can cause inflammation of the adenoids and hypertrophy, which can easily block the respiratory tract, causing the respiratory tract to be often in a narrow state and affecting the vent. Due to poor breathing, children open their mouths to breathe, so that when the airflow passes through the pharyngeal cavity, it vibrates the soft palate or uvula, resulting in snoring.

4. Enlarged tonsils: Tonsils are located in the oropharynx, which is the hub of the airway. Children are young and their airway space is relatively small, so if the tonsils are slightly enlarged, it is easy to cause airway obstruction, resulting in snoring. The causes of enlarged tonsils include: congenital enlarged tonsils, or swelling of tonsil tissue and increased secretions due to infection.

5. Obesity: The airways of obese children are filled with fat, which makes it difficult to breathe smoothly. When the vibration frequency between the soft palate and the throat wall exceeds 30 Hz, snoring will occur. If the snoring child is obese, you should first find ways to lose weight, so that the soft flesh in the oropharynx becomes thinner, the diameter of the respiratory tube becomes wider, and breathing becomes smoother.

What is the reason for children snoring when sleeping?

1. Sleeping posture problem: If the baby often sleeps on his back, it is easy to cause the root of the tongue to fall back, resulting in narrowing of the pharynx and causing snoring.

Suggestion: The main sleeping position is side-lying. Compared with supine position, side-lying can reduce the tongue root from falling back and relieve snoring symptoms. Mothers can sew a soft elastic ball on the back of the baby's pajamas to help control the sleeping position and reduce the chance of supine sleeping. In addition, babies who snore are generally more sensitive to environmental stimulation, so it is necessary to create a good sleeping environment and avoid external stimulation.

2. The height of the pillow: If the pillow is not at the right height, it will also cause the neck to bend too much, leading to airway obstruction.

Suggestion: Babies at 3 months old start to learn to lift their heads, and their spines begin to naturally bend forward. At the same time, as their bodies develop, their shoulders gradually become wider. In order to ensure a proper sleeping position, babies can start using pillows after 3 months. The height is generally 4 cm. As they grow older, gradually increase the height of the pillow.

3. Disease. Adenoids and tonsils develop very quickly in early childhood. Adenoids and tonsils hypertrophy are diseases unique to childhood. When the temperature changes, malnutrition, decreased resistance or upper respiratory tract infection occurs, the inflammation affects the tonsils and adenoids and causes further swelling, blocking the posterior nasal cavity and oropharynx, resulting in airway obstruction and causing snoring.

Recommendation: Generally speaking, if snoring is clearly caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoids, resection is the main treatment method.

4. Swallowing. If the baby does not swallow completely while feeding or the mother puts the baby down immediately after feeding and lets him sleep, the milk in the baby's mouth may accumulate and block the throat, causing snoring.

Suggestion: After feeding, you can pat the baby's back to promote swallowing, and then feed some water to avoid milk lumps in the mouth. If the baby has nasal congestion, you can use a nasal spray containing saline.

5. Obesity. The baby's oropharyngeal fat pad thickens. Due to gravity, the space behind the larynx and tongue becomes narrower during sleep. The accumulation of fat pads aggravates the narrowing of the airway space and easily causes snoring.

Suggestion: Obesity not only easily causes snoring, but also increases the burden on the heart and affects the development of genitals. Studies have shown that if obese children can lose weight to a standard weight, they can improve the state of hypoxia during sleep and reduce the occurrence of sleep apnea.

Precautions

It is normal for babies to snore occasionally, and the situation can be adjusted by changing their sleeping position or patting their backs. However, if the baby snores for a long time, he or she should go to a professional ENT hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time. I wish all babies in the world grow up healthy and happy!