Does a child’s snoring mean that he is sleeping soundly?

The truth: This statement is incorrect. A child’s snoring has nothing to do with whether he or she sleeps well or not.

Analysis: Snoring is an acoustic phenomenon, a sound produced by the vibration of the soft tissue of the upper airway during sleep. When it occurs, it can indicate that there are obvious upper airway pathological or physiological problems in the human body.

Habitual snoring is very common. According to foreign research statistics, about 3% to 12% of children have this phenomenon, and it may have adverse health effects.

Although it is normal for some children to snore occasionally, if snoring is frequent or persistent, it may be necessary to evaluate whether there are health-related problems, including sleep apnea, or conditions related to upper airway narrowing, such as enlarged adenoids and tonsils and nasal congestion (rhinitis, sinusitis), obesity, craniofacial abnormalities, hypothyroidism, etc.

Therefore, if your child snores frequently, or has daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, or mood problems, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician or otolaryngologist for further testing or treatment, depending on the situation.

References

[1] Shalini Paruthi. Evaluation of suspected obstructive sleep apnea in children. UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/en/evaluation-of-suspected-obstructive-sleep-apnea-in-children. (Accessed on Apr 25, 2024).

Author: Fan Yunzhu, Chief Physician of Jiahui Medical

Reviewer: Dong Xiaosong, Chief Physician, Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Peking University People’s Hospital