Children 09 August 2026 · 5 min read · By Dr. Sofia Bennett
"He snores like his grandfather" makes parents smile — until the same child is exhausted at school, breathing through the mouth all day and catching every cold. Occasional snoring during a cold is normal. Habitual nightly snoring in children deserves a closer look.
The red flags that matter
Watch for pauses in breathing followed by gasps, restless sleep with lots of position changes, persistent mouth breathing during the day, morning headaches, bedwetting past the usual age, and daytime behavior changes — hyperactivity and poor concentration are more common than sleepiness in tired children. Any combination of these is worth an evaluation.
The most frequent cause is enlarged adenoids and tonsils narrowing the airway, often combined with chronic nasal congestion. Less commonly, we find significant hearing effects from fluid behind the eardrums — which is why every snoring assessment in our clinic includes a hearing check.
What screening involves
Nothing frightening: a gentle look at the nose and throat, a painless hearing test (often turned into a game), and questions about sleep patterns. Many families find a simple sleep questionnaire plus examination answers the question fully. Where sleep apnea is suspected, we arrange an overnight sleep study and explain the results in plain language.
Treatment is usually straightforward
Mild cases often improve with allergy management and nasal care alone. When adenoids or tonsils are clearly obstructing the airway, a short day-case procedure typically transforms sleep within weeks — parents frequently report a different child: calmer mornings, better appetite and sharper school performance.
Worried about your child's sleep or hearing? Book a pediatric consultation or start with our play-based child hearing screening in the Hearing Care Shop.