Parents sometimes notice their child sleeps with their mouth open every night. Others hear snoring, notice noisy breathing or find the child’s pillow damp in the morning.
Mouth breathing is worth paying attention to because it can provide useful information about nasal breathing and sleep quality.
Why Do Children Mouth Breathe?
Possible reasons include nasal congestion, colds, hay fever or allergies, enlarged adenoids, enlarged tonsils, other causes of restricted nasal airflow or habit following a period of congestion.
Why Does Mouth Breathing Matter at Night?
Sleep quality involves more than the number of hours spent in bed. A child may sleep for many hours but still experience restless or disrupted sleep.
Look for mouth breathing alongside snoring, teeth grinding, restlessness, frequent waking, sweating, unusual sleeping positions and waking tired.
What Are Adenoids?
Adenoids are immune tissue located behind the nose. When enlarged, they can contribute to nasal obstruction and mouth breathing in some children.
Can Nasal Congestion Be Part of the Picture?
Yes. Persistent congestion can make nasal breathing difficult. When congestion is ongoing, we may also ask about hay fever, recurrent illness, eczema and other allergic patterns.
Can Poor Sleep Affect Daytime Behaviour?
Children with disrupted sleep may become tired, irritable, emotional, restless or less able to concentrate. Some children appear more active rather than obviously sleepy.
What Should Parents Record?
For a week note whether the mouth is open or closed during sleep, snoring, teeth grinding, night waking, restlessness, sweating, nasal congestion, morning mood and daytime energy.
Related Reading
- enlarged tonsils and adenoids
- sleep problems in children
- hayfever and allergies
- Why Does My Child Grind Their Teeth at Night?
- Why Does My Child Wake During the Night?
- Why Does My Child Have Dark Circles Under Their Eyes?
Ready to Better Understand Your Child’s Health?
If these patterns sound familiar, our team can look at your child’s nutrition, digestion, sleep, growth and lifestyle together to understand which factors may be relevant to their individual presentation.
The Children’s Naturopath supports children and families through consultations at our St Kilda clinic in Melbourne and by phone throughout Australia, New Zealand and internationally.
