Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 36
SLEEP
snoring
IN KIDS
IS IT JUST NOISE OR SOMETHING MORE?
BY SLEEP HEALTH FOUNDATION
We all know kids can make some odd
noises while they sleep, but snoring
in children isn’t always harmless.
Sometimes, it’s a sign of something
more serious like sleep apnoea.
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is when a child
repeatedly stops breathing while
asleep. The most common type is
called Obstruc琀椀ve Sleep Apnoea.
This happens when the airway
becomes blocked, usually by
enlarged tonsils or adenoids,
and the child momentarily stops
breathing. You might hear gasping,
choking, or see them struggling
to breathe as they try to reopen
the airway. These blockages o昀琀en
occur during dream sleep when the
muscles are more relaxed.
There’s also a less common type
called Central Sleep Apnoea, which
happens when the brain doesn’t send
the right signals to keep breathing
going. In these cases, the child stops
breathing altogether, and their chest
won’t move during the pause.
How are snoring and sleep
apnoea connected?
Most children with sleep apnoea
snore. They might breathe through
their mouth, appear restless during
sleep, or pause breathing altogether,
followed by gasping or choking
sounds. You may no琀椀ce their chest
working hard as they try to breathe,
and some kids sleep in unusual
positions, like with their neck
stretched back. Swea琀椀ng at
night, bedwe琀�ng, and waking
up with a dry mouth are also
common. Even if they get
a full night’s sleep, they
may s琀椀ll seem 琀椀red in
the morning.
