Snoring and Sleep Apneoa

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea

It is very common for young children to snore.

This is not necessarily anything to worry about.  However, in some children this can be more pronounced and affect their sleeping.  This may range from simple snoring to sleep disordered breathing and finally obstructive sleep apnoea. 

Some signs of sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnoea include the following:
 

Apnoeas

If one listens carefully to their breathing pattern, one may find that they will snore and this will increase in intensity until a point where there may be a pause in their breathing.  This may then be followed by the child making a big grunt and perhaps arousing and turning over to find a more comfortable position.

There may be varying degrees of severity of these symptoms. 

If the symptoms are present continuously, then this may affect a child's sleep quality.  These children are often grumpy in the morning and are hard to get going.  They may be tired during the day and not have so much energy as other children and are easily irritable. 

Children who have these problems also tend to have long naps in the afternoon and will sleep for hours unless woken up.  When one observes their sleep pattern you may find that their chest seems to suck in as well as the dip in front of the neck.

These are indications that there is obstruction over the airway and they are working hard to breathe.  It is often very helpful to take short video clips of their sleeping pattern, as this is very helpful for them to determine whether they are indeed having sleep apnoea. 

Some of these problems may simply be due to nasal obstruction due to allergies.  However, more often than not, the underlying problem is usually both the effect of enlarged tonsils and adenoids.  The condition occurs more commonly in 2 to 3 year olds.
 

Is treatment necessary?

The treatment is necessary to improve the quality of sleep of the child, which will then have secondary effects on their energy levels during the day and their ability to concentrate and focus.  Sometimes it may be sufficient to improve the childs nasal airway.  Nasal steroid sprays may be of benefit but probably should not be used on a long-term basis. 

Allergy avoidance may also be of value. 

Finally if the tonsils and adenoids are significantly enlarged, then surgery may be necessary.  Very rarely, particularly in small children or those who have craniofacial syndromes, the obstructive apnoea may have secondary effects on their heart and in very rare cases heart failure can be seen.