Snoring in babies occurs when soft tissues in the throat vibrate as air passes through a partially obstructed airway during sleep. This vibration creates the audible sound. While often harmless and temporary, some baby snoring may indicate an underlying issue. Understanding the distinction between normal sleep sounds and potentially concerning snoring helps parents determine when to seek professional advice.
Common Causes of Baby Snoring
Babies’ small, developing airways are often the primary reason for sleep sounds like snoring. Even minor congestion or a change in sleep position can lead to audible breathing.
Nasal congestion from common colds or allergies is a frequent cause of temporary snoring. Mucus buildup in tiny nasal passages can impede airflow, leading to snoring, whistling, or snuffling sounds. Dry air can also irritate nasal tissues, potentially contributing to snoring, a condition sometimes alleviated with a humidifier.
A baby’s sleep position can also play a role. Lying flat on their back, recommended for safe sleep, can occasionally cause the tongue or soft palate to partially block the airway, leading to snoring. This often improves as babies grow and their airways mature. Some babies are born with laryngomalacia, a soft larynx that vibrates more as air moves past it, which usually resolves as they get older.
Signs That Snoring May Be a Concern
While occasional, soft snoring is often benign, certain signs indicate a more serious underlying issue. Loud or frequent snoring, especially if it occurs most nights, warrants further investigation.
Pauses in breathing (apnea), gasping, or choking sounds during sleep are particularly concerning symptoms, indicating significant airway obstruction. Restless sleep, characterized by frequent awakenings, tossing and turning, or sleeping with the neck stretched out, can also be associated with problematic snoring.
Other signs include visible difficulty breathing, such as the chest pulling inward with each breath, or excessive daytime sleepiness. If your baby consistently breathes through their mouth rather than their nose, or experiences poor feeding and insufficient weight gain, these could also indicate a breathing issue linked to snoring.
Underlying Conditions Linked to Snoring
When snoring is accompanied by concerning symptoms, it may point to specific medical conditions impacting the baby’s airway. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where the upper airway narrows excessively, restricting airflow during sleep. This can lead to frequent loud snoring and pauses in breathing.
While less common in infants, OSA is often due to an anatomical factor affecting the airway’s structure or its ability to remain open. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a common cause of snoring and sleep-disordered breathing in children. These lymphatic tissues, located in the back of the throat and nasal cavity, can partially block the airway when swollen. When throat muscles relax during sleep, these enlarged tissues can further narrow the breathing passage, leading to snoring.
Anatomical issues can also contribute to snoring by affecting the airway’s shape or structure. Conditions such as a small jaw, a narrow airway, or a deviated septum can make breathing through the nose difficult. A deviated septum, where the wall dividing the nostrils is not straight, can impede nasal airflow. Chronic allergies can also lead to persistent inflammation and congestion in the nasal passages, contributing to ongoing snoring.
When to Consult a Doctor
Consult a healthcare provider if your baby’s snoring is persistent, loud, or accompanied by concerning symptoms. Medical evaluation is important if snoring occurs most nights, or if you observe pauses in breathing, gasping, or choking sounds during sleep. Difficulty breathing, restless sleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness also warrant a doctor’s visit.
During an assessment, a doctor will review your baby’s medical history and conduct a physical examination, focusing on the nasal passages, throat, and tonsils. They might ask about the snoring’s frequency and characteristics, and any other symptoms you have noticed. Taking a video of your baby snoring or exhibiting concerning breathing patterns can be helpful for the pediatrician.
Depending on the findings, the doctor may recommend further evaluation, such as a referral to a pediatric otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor) or a sleep specialist. In some cases, a sleep study (polysomnography) might be suggested to monitor breathing patterns, oxygen levels, and sleep quality overnight. This can help identify the precise cause and severity of the sleep-disordered breathing.