Sleep Disorder Breathing: What It Means & What You Can Do

Sleep Disorder Breathing: What It Means & What You Can Do

20 Jul 2018 | 3 min Read

Dr. Isha Angne

Author | 1 Articles

Snoring is a very common problem globally. It is a breathing disorder in which a  person has difficulty breathing during sleep. A blockage of the air passage at the back of the mouth causes snoring. Although occasional snoring in adults is not something to be alarmed about, snoring in children can be a sign of serious respiratory problems. If snoring is not due to a serious medical condition, child snoring solutions can be easy.

What causes snoring when sleeping?

Snoring is caused due to blockage of the air passage during sleep. Due to the blockage, tissue in the throat vibrates when air passes in and out through this passage. The amount of air passing through determines how loud the snore is. Snoring problem in children, if it is loud and persistent, can be a sign of respiratory infection, allergy or even a serious case of sleep apnea.

Snoring can sometimes be accompanied by gasps or pauses in breathing. When children are sleeping, their bodies tend to relax completely, causing the airways to become narrow and obstruct passage of air. This leads to a pause in breathing and can last a few seconds till the brain is alerted. The brain then signals the body to put in extra efforts to breathe properly. This is why children start to gasp or snort. When this happens, often the quality of sleep of the child will not be good and the child may wake up feeling tired. The reasons for snoring  and how to stop them in children is a must know for every parent.

How to stop a child from snoring?

If a child snores occasionally, then it may be because of some minor reasons and not a serious medical condition. In such cases, kid snoring remedies can come in handy.
Many a times, season change causes a stuffy nose and cold. This can be easily treated by using a vaporizer. But precautions should be taken to use a cool mist vaporizer instead of a warm mist as warm mist can cause steam burns.

Sleeping position is also a major cause for snoring in children. Usually kids snore when they are sleeping on their backs. In this position, the uvula relaxes to the back of the throat. In such a case, try rolling the child on to its side. Also in many children, nasal congestion causes snoring. To avoid that, a little elevation is required, so either a large pillow can be placed under the child’s head and shoulders or the head of the bed can be elevated by placing a brick or book under it.

Many kids are prone to allergies caused by dust or pollen. In such a case, an air purifier should be added to the child’s room. In many children, mucous forms very quickly or due to prolonged exposure to dust during the day the mucous traps dust particles inside the nose. To help with this, parents should clean their child’s nose every night and should consult a doctor to get a suitable nasal wash for your child if needed.

If these suggestions do not help, it is possible that a medical condition is the cause of snoring. A doctor should be consulted as soon as possible as snoring leads to insufficient sleep at nights and hinders a child’s growth. Clinics and hospitals provide snoring treatments that can cure the condition completely.

 

Also read: Must-know Red flags for your child’s Breathing patterns

Explore the entire collection of articles: Kid’s Health

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